The book

Kazakhstan is the size of Western Europe but so little known that few people can find it on a map. It was closed to travel by the Tsars and sealed tight by the Soviets. Stalin dumped entire nations in its empty steppe. Cosmonauts were sent into space from here, nuclear weapons tested, gulags built and millions of Kazakhs murdered. Today, against all the odds, it is an oil- and mineral-rich independent state that has no enemies.

In a hilariously offbeat book Christopher Robbins criss-crosses a Wild East full of surreal characters: he finds Eminem by a shrinking Aral Sea, hears the Kazakh John Lennon play in a dusty desert town, joins nomads hunting with eagles, eats sheep’s heads and sushi with the President - and visits some of the most beautiful, unspoilt places on earth.

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‘cracking tale…both hysterically funny and surprisingly moving.’-News of the World

‘[the book] discovers a misunderstood and changing land… it is a superlative addition to the literature of travel’-The Observer
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‘extremely entertaining and informative…hilarious.’-Daily Telegraph
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‘a fast-footed travelogue’-The Times

‘a whimsical, touching, follow-your-nose inquiry into a country the size of Western Europe about which most people in the UK know nothing.’-Sam Leith, Firstpost.co.uk

‘has all the makings of a surprise bestseller’-Daily Sport Book of the Week

‘Breezy but intelligent…an insightful introduction to a country rich in history and beauty.’-Steppe Magazine

‘likeable read combining anecdote, interview and historical fact…does the job nicely.’-Real Travel Magazine