Black Dragon River

Praise

“In his ambitious Black Dragon River: A Journey Down the Amur River at the Borderland of Empires, Dominic Ziegler makes the powerful case that this Asian Russia has been wrongly overshadowed by the country’s much smaller European component . . . As the book’s subtitle indicates, Mr. Ziegler uses one of the world’s great rivers as a vehicle to pursue this story—and what a vehicle it is. . . . [He] writes beautifully, and with the fervor of a naturalist.” —The Wall Street Journal

“[Black Dragon River] is almost as sprawling as its title . . . [It] presents Ziegler as both an amiable traveling companion and formidably erudite professor, serving up well-spiced anthropology . . . In this overexamined world, it’s nice to know there are outer reaches that we can discover afresh.” —NPR.org

“Strong in terms of background, authority and seamlessness of prose.” —The New York Times Book Review

“The writing is superb . . . a true labour of love, Black Dragon River is a triumph.” —The Spectator

“Highly rewarding for those with a sense of adventure . . . Ziegler’s writing [leaps] and sparkles in all directions like the salmon, fireflies and other Siberian fauna he delights in describing. As he travels, Ziegler stirs up an enthralling mix of . . . travelogue, history and anthropology.” —The Telegraph

“In this absorbing travelogue and history, Economist editor Ziegler ranges along the 2,826-mile Amur river from its Mongolian headwaters to its Pacific mouth on what proves to be a grand adventure . . . Ziegler happily loses himself in the twisting tributaries of the river and its lore and weaves in gorgeous evocations of the landscape and piquant reportage on the odd and vibrant characters who people it. This is a fascinating portrait of the Amur and its enduring appeal as a symbol of Russia’s tarnished present.” —Publishers Weekly

“[Ziegler] weaves the colorful history of the region into his travel narrative along the Amur . . . an area that is particularly fascinating because of its location between the empires of Russia and China and its development and history being shaped by tsars, Soviets, and the Ming and Qing dynasties, to name but a few. Readers curious about the history of Sino-Russian relations and Russia’s Eastward expansion will find this account of particular interest.” —Library Journal

“[Ziegler’s] journey, which he made by horse, Jeep, and train, took him through difficult yet unforgettable landscapes and brought him into contact with a host of intriguing individuals. [He] is exceptionally knowledgeable about the Amur region and its relationship to the current tensions that define the China-Russia relationship . . . Rich in history.” —Kirkus

“A superb book that marvellously melds high-class travel writing on one of the world’s least known regions with fascinating history of explorers, emperors, freebooters, revolutionaries and larger-than-life characters—all in a landscape that begs to be explored by traveller as intrepid and determined as Ziegler.” —Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China

“If you think you understand the modern world, think again. Dominic Ziegler takes us on a magical journey to an extraordinary part of the globe—a river that snakes through history and possibly all our futures. It is a story of cruelty, mystery, beauty and wilderness that leaves you smiling at your previous ignorance.” —John Micklethwait, co-author of The Fourth Revolution