Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia

by David H. Mould

“An illuminating travelogue through Central Asia…. As a genial travel guide, Mould, an academic who doesn’t write like an academic, shows how one should resist the temptations to stereotype a culture too easily and understand it too quickly.” —Kirkus ReviewsCentral Asia has long stood at the crossroads of history. It was the staging ground for the armies of the Mongol Empire, for the nineteenth-century struggle between the Russian and British empires, and for the NATO campaign in Afghanistan. Today, multinationals and nations compete for the oil and gas reserves of the Caspian Sea and for control of the pipelines. Yet “Stanland” is still, to many, a terra incognita, a geographical blank.Beginning in the mid-1990s, academic and journalist David Mould’s career took him to the region on Fulbright Fellowships and contracts as a media trainer and consultant for UNESCO and USAID, among others. In Postcards from Stanland, he takes readers along with him on his encounters with the people, landscapes, and customs of the diverse countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—he came to love. He talks with teachers, students, politicians, environmental activists, bloggers, cab drivers, merchants, Peace Corps volunteers, and more.Until now, few books for a nonspecialist readership have been written on the region, and while Mould brings his own considerable expertise to bear on his account—for example, he is one of the few scholars to have conducted research on post-Soviet media in the region—the book is above all a tapestry of place and a valuable contribution to our understanding of the post-Soviet world.

Genres: Travel, Kazakhstan, Nonfiction, Russia

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2016

Reviews

[Marsmannix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never would i have chosen a book about Central Asia, but a good book buddy plopped it into my hands.
WOW. Dr. Mould's humor, excellent descriptions, warm familiarity with the people make it a reading pleasure. Woven into each chapter are easily digestible, but impressive sections on the history of various regions and peoples. It's particularly instructive to read the progress of Central Asia in the post- Soviet era.
I especially enjoy the author's obvious affection for the people he met, and obstacles he faced with equanimity and good humor. Even eating the sheep's eyeball.

I highly recommend this as a GREAT travelogue that will give an invigorating dose of Central Asian history. Oh! and an extra 50 points for the enchanting title!

[Erin Magill]

A fantastic book for anyone who wants to learn about Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan! This book explores history, geography, politics, culture, demographics, and living conditions in several regions of the two countries, through the author's experience of living, working, and traveling there. Mould weaves engaging stories with context about Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and the result is extraordinarily readable for how much information it gets across. The author is a proponent of "slow travel" and reading this book feels like slowly traveling around Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, region by region, exploring various aspects of culture and history. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a broad and interesting introduction to this part of the world.

My only complaint is that Mould barely touches on Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, so the title is misleading. I was pleased because I mostly wanted to learn about Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, but would have been disappointed if I was looking for a book on Tajikistan.

[Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A British guy moved to the US to teach journalism school in Ohio, then started getting involved with education in Central Asia as a Fulbright scholar from the mid-90s to the mid-teens. He wasn't a Russian-speaker or specialist and it definitely has some British Imperial overtones in his judginess from time to time, but overall, it is a really interesting look at how things changed (mostly in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) over that time, from a human and individual perspective.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for my move to Central Asia. In general, I thought this was a good overview of the history and culture of Central Asia (specifically Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan), but some of the sections on the history and current state of resource management in Kazakhstan were dreadfully boring - maybe something for policy wonks?

[Tom Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on the former USSR republics. I attended a presentation on Kyrgyzstan, particular focusing on culture, when I was in college. It spurned continued interest in the country. I learned a lot about the politics and demographics that I had not known. This book also features a lot of information about Kazakhstan. I was struck by some interesting parallels to Kansas.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

All one wants to know about a few of the stans, from history to Present day. Author has lived and work there for many years

[World Literature Today]

One of three editor's picks from WLT's Book Review editor Rob Vollmar. Read his thoughts on all three at http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2...