Most obvious is Hopkirk’s bias towards Great Britain in his depiction of the Game. That is not to say, however, that the book is without its faults. Combined with an almost literary style, The Great Game makes for an informative and enjoyable read. The depth of knowledge that the author has on the subject is impressive and it shows in his writing. The reader is fortunate that Hopkirk has done his homework on the whole of the Game the earliest years in the Karakoram are just as well-researched as the last stages of the struggle.

The author seamlessly incorporates dozens of primary sources, including the diaries and memoirs of many of the Great Game’s players. Much of Hopkirk’s great writing stems from his superb research. Hopkirk’s writing makes the officers and officials on both sides of the struggle come alive not just as players of the Game, but as heroes that I found myself rooting for as they attempted to overcome natural and man-made challenges. In many places, the book reads like an adventure novel, keeping the reader fully engrossed in the story. This is hardly the case in The Great Game. All too often in histories, the author can get bogged down in minute details and the book, despite being well-researched, fails to interest the reader. The Great Game has many strengths, Hopkirk’s masterful writing being the highlight. To better familiarize myself with the subject, I read The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia by Middle East and Central Asia expert Peter Hopkirk. This talk of a new Great Game piqued my interest not only in the current resource battles being waged, but more in the original Great Game – the century-long struggle between czarist Russia and Great Britain over Central Asian supremacy.

Where the oil and natural gas from countries like Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will flow has been a matter of great debate between China and Russia as both try to spread and use their influence in these former Soviet Republics. In recent years, there’s been talk of a new Great Game being played out over the oil-rich steppes of Central Asia. Peter Hopkirk (Kodansha International, 1992) The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

The great game hopkirk