A wonderfully written description of an Indiana Jones-style trip to Turkmenistan by writer, film maker and naturalist Jonathan Maslow. A life-long horse enthusiast, he grew up eventually wanting to ride Akhal-Teke horses in the steppe country north of Iraq and east of the Caspian Sea where they were first domesticated three millenia ago. "Girls seemed to lose their interest in horses about the time they discover boys. I'm not a girl, and I never lost it." His description of learning Russian in a crash course at Johns Hopkins is alone worth the price.

The book is a hard-to-find treat that will introduce you to a breed of horse and the culture that produced it, along with their shared geography, all described with the wit and insight of a sophisticated writer who, despite hardships that would send most of us back home, loves his work and the people it introduces him to.

maslow is a genius. it's truely a crime that this book is out of print as it should serve as a guide for all travel writing. maslow's ability to make any situation, no matter how grim hysterically funny makes me want to leap from my armchair into the most inhospitable places on the planet.

The book is very good. It covers the history of one of the most fascinating places in the world. The author also introduces us to many fascinating characters (the most unforgettable character I will ever meet). Finally he covers the history and current sadness of the people who are suffering from 80 years of communism

Maslow does a fine job of presenting his quest for the the magnificent quetzal, legendary bird of the Mayans. The book chronicles not only his search for the bird and aspects of its natural history, but presents encounters with many other birds of Central America as well. Home to some wondrous birds in the almost magical rain forests, Maslow shows though that the avifauna and the land they inhabit is threatened by instable politics, unchecked population growth, and deforestation. A must read for any interested in birds south of the border.

Maslow makes the reality of Guatemala in chaos both achingly plain and somehow funny at the same time. His political views are a subtext to a panorama of human and natural history. Very acute observations by someone who had to be crazy to pursue the quetzal into the Highlands and survive. One of the best books I have read in a while; I couldn't put it down.