Tournament of Shadows: The Great Game and the Race for Empire in Central Asia

Front Cover
Basic Books, Mar 17, 2009 - History - 704 pages
From the romantic conflicts of the Victorian Great Game to the war-torn history of the region in recent decades, Tournament of Shadows traces the struggle for control of Central Asia and Tibet from the 1830s to the present. The original Great Game, the clandestine struggle between Russia and Britain for mastery of Central Asia, has long been regarded as one of the greatest geopolitical conflicts in history. Many believed that control of the vast Eurasian heartland was the key to world dominion. The original Great Game ended with the Russian Revolution, but the geopolitical struggles in Central Asia continue to the present day. In this updated edition, the authors reflect on Central Asia's history since the end of the Russo-Afghan war, and particularly in the wake of 9/11.
 

Contents

viii
64
PART II
171
CHAPTER TEN Mystical Imperialism
241
CHAPTER ELEVEN Emissary to the White Tsar
261
CHAPTER TWELVE Curzons Hour 283
283
CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Desert Wanderer
310
CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Spoils of Serindia
346
CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Last of
367
PART III
395
The Owl of Minerva
554
Acknowledgments
574
Bibliography
632
Photo Credits and Permissions
647
Copyright

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About the author (2009)

Karl E. Meyer, a Princeton PhD, served on the New York Times editorial board, and previously was a foreign correspondent and editorial writer on the Washington Post. He is author of a dozen books including Dust of Empire, and is emeritus editor of the World Policy Journal.

Shareen Blair Brysac was a prize-winning documentary producer for CBS News and is author of Resisting Hitler: Mildred Fish Harnack and the Red Orchestra. Together they wrote Tournament of Shadows and Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East. The couple live in New York City and Weston, Connecticut.

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