The extraordinary adventure of one man's journey following in the footsteps of Genghis Khan's conquering armies
The relationship between man and horse on the Eurasian steppe gave rise to a succession of rich nomadic cultures. Among them were the Mongols of the thirteenth century - a small tribe, which, under the charismatic leadership of Genghis Khan, created the largest contiguous land empire in history. Inspired by the extraordinary life nomads still lead today, Tim Cope embarked on a journey that hadn't been successfully completed since those times: to travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to the Danube River in Hungary.
From horse-riding novice to travelling three years and 10,000 kilometres on horseback, accompanied by his dog Tigon, Tim learnt to fend off wolves and would -be horse-thieves, and grapple with the extremes of the steppe as he crossed sub-zero plateaux, the scorching deserts of Kazakhstan and the high-mountain passes of the Carpathians. Along the way, he was taken in by people who taught him the traditional ways and told him their recent history: Stalin's push for industrialisation brought calamity to the steepe and forced collectivism that in Kazakhstan alone led to the loss of several million livestock and the starvation of more than a million nomads. Today Cope bears witness to how the traditional ways hang precariously in the balance in the post-Soviet world.
About the Author
Tim Cope, F.R.G.S., is an adventurer, author, filmmaker and motivational speaker with a special interest in Central Asia and the states of the former Soviet Union. He has studied as a wilderness guide in the Finnish and Russian subarctic, ridden a bicycle across Russia to China, and rowed a boat along the Yenisey River through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean. He is the author of Off the Rails: Moscow to Beijing on Recumbent Bikes. He is the creator of several documentary films, including the award-winning series 'The Trail of Genghis Khan', which covers the journey of this book. He lives in Victoria, Australia.
Industry Reviews
Tim Cope is a wise young man who knows how to travel, and why, and which details to record for the delight and enlightenment of his readers. I suspect that here we have a classic, likely to inspire generations yet unborn * Dervla Murphy *
Tim Cope's exploration across the continents on horseback grew into a quest through history and then an odyssey deep into the human heart. In exploring some of the most remote places on earth, he brings us back to ourselves and to a better understanding of our place in the world today * Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan: And the Making of the Modern World *
Three years, 10,000km and -30 DegreesC temperatures: Tim Cope's horseback traverse of the Eurasian Steppe - Mongolia to Hungary - is full of hardship, characters and insights ... It's a big undertaking for readers too, but it opens up a vast, little-trodden world of history, danger and adventure * Wanderlust *
It is the ultimate boy's own adventure. In an epic 6,000 mile journey on horseback, lasting for more than three gruelling years, Tim Cope braved dangers, scorching deserts, subzero mountain temperatures and some of the world's most inhospitable terrain. Most of us would not survive even a day in the windswept wilderness and wolf-infested plateaux of Mongolia and Kazakhstan, but Cope was determined to follow a childhood dream * Dalya Alberge, Sunday Times *
One of the most vibrant and engaging narrators you might find ... It is a vast journey enjoyably meandering in an age of Twitter soundbites ... By turns informative, gripping and very moving: a major endeavour, which flings off the straightjacket of its sub-genre and stands (or rides) alone * Joanna Kavenna, Spectator *
Reading On The Trail, it is impossible to not get swept up in Tim's infectious sense of adventure. His story is an amazing one, but he also approaches it in such a way that you'll think that it might be possible for you to attempt an epic adventure of your own. That's the kind of inspiration that Tim creates through his writing * TheAdventureBlog *
New book inspires Mongolia visits: Intrepid travellers looking for destinations that are genuinely off the beaten track have been inspired by a new book by the Australian adventurer Tim Cope in which he describes a journey by horseback following in the steps of the legendary Genghis Khan * Adrian Bridge, Daily Telegraph *
This great journey gives the lie to any notion that the world is too much known. It's an astonishing feat of courage and imagination, travelling in its own rich dimension - of nomad history and the horse. * Colin Thubron *
Tim Cope is a beautiful explorer - by which I mean that he explores beautiful places, but also that he does it beautifully. This is a young man possessed of extraordinary courage, but also great sensitivity and respect. His writing, like his journeys, speaks to a heightened soul, operating at its highest potential. He is an inspiration to me and I believe he will be an inspiration for many. To anyone who believes that there are no worlds left to be discovered, I offer up the evidence of this magnificent tale * Elizabeth Gilbert *
