Asia Overland
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Asia Overland by Mark Elliott and Wil Klass was an idiosyncratic book of the 1990s which developed a minor cult following amongst backpackers in Asia[1] and the former Soviet Union. Although it has been out of print since 2002, the book remains a talking point amongst older travellers. Its unique feature was that practical information was displayed in a set of schematic 'treasure maps'[2][3] rather than in run-on text, a style later replicated in certain other books by Trailblazer.[4][5]
Between maps, the book's writing offered a way to inspire questions and investigation more than providing answers in the style of more classic Lonely Planet style guides. The guide gained a certain notoriety by explaining 'tricks' for crossing ex-Soviet borders semi-legally, for reaching Iraqi Kurdistan when that area was still little known to exist, and for getting into North Korea without a visa. Today these tips appear extremely foolhardy, but at the time the book was written (largely pre-Internet) they worked and caused much excitement amongst travellers of the era. Despite considerable interest from the public, there has been no follow-up edition and at times second-hand copies of the original edition have been offered at relatively exorbitant prices on Amazon and eBay.
Trivia
The book contains several hidden in-jokes, including 'towns' on maps named after friends of the authors (Bakus, Danigrad etc.).
Asia Overland was the first practical guidebook in English to cover the ex-Soviet Caucasus region after the breakup of the USSR.
- Page count = 567
- Map count = 452
- Publisher = Trailblazer
- Publishing date = 1998
References
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- ↑ Mark Elliott, caspianpost.com. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ↑ Amazon.ca: Asia Overland: Books: Mark Elliott, Wil Klass
- ↑ "Travel Resources" The Modesto Bee, 1 November 1998, p. 72.
- ↑ Amazon.com: Trailblazer South East Asia: The Graphic Guide: Books: Mark Elliott
- ↑ Amazon.co.uk: Reviews for South-East Asia (Trailblazer): Books: Mark Elliott
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