The Road to Oxiana... With an Introduction by Bruce Chatwin

The Road to Oxiana, by Robert ByronCousin of poet Lord Byron, Robert Byron is a rakish wit who died at an early age in a ship downed by torpedoes. Fortunately he recorded his travels, with companion Christopher Sykes, in 1933-1934 in Oxiana, Persia and Afghanistan, an area defined as the region surrounding the Amu Darya River which flows along Afghanistan’s northern border. Although the author apparently ad libs with accounts of dialogs and perhaps embellishes the occasional situation, these accounts provide an element of welcome hilarity while capturing some of the difficulties of travel and cultural differences. His interest in Persian architecture inspired the journey and indeed his enthusiasm for Islamic monuments and other historical ruins shines through with his passionate descriptions. This book amazed me when I first read it many years ago. I continue to enjoy reading selected passages from time to time.Robert Byron lived from 1905 to 1941. The Road to Oxiana was first published in 1937