Erika Fatland

An unforgettable journey through Central Asia, one of the most mysterious and history-laden regions of the world. Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan became free of the Soviet Union in 1991. But though they are new to modern statehood, this is a region rich in ancient history, culture, and landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world. Traveling alone, Erika Fatland is a true adventurer in every sense. In Sovietistan, she takes the reader on a compassionate and insightful journey to explore how their Soviet heritage has influenced these countries, with governments experimenting with both democracy and dictatorships. In Kyrgyzstani villages, she meets victims of the tradition of bride snatching; she visits the huge and desolate Polygon in Kazakhstan where the Soviet Union tested explosions of nuclear bombs; she meets shrimp gatherers on the banks of the dried out Aral Sea; she witnesses the fall of a dictator. She travels incognito through Turkmenistan, a country that is closed to journalists. She meets exhausted human rights activists in Kazakhstan, survivors from the massacre in Osh in 2010, and German Mennonites that found paradise on the Kyrgyzstani plains 200 years ago. We learn how ancient customs clash with gas production and witness the underlying conflicts between ethnic Russians and the majority in a country that is slowly building its future in nationalist colors. Once the frontier of the Soviet Union, life follows another pace of time. Amidst the treasures of Samarkand and the brutalist Soviet architecture, Sovietistan is a rare and unforgettable adventure.

Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

Sovietistan

en reise gjennom Turkmenistan, Kasakhstan, Tadsjikistan, Kirgisistan og Usbekistan

Sovjetistan

Kari Dickson

A Journey Across the Himalaya, Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China

High

The acclaimed author of Sovietistan travels along the seemingly endless Russian border and reveals the deep and pervasive influence it has had across half the globe. Imperial, communist or autocratic, Russia has been—and remains—a towering and intimidating neighbor. Whether it is North Korea in the Far East through the former Soviet republics in Asia and the Caucasus, or countries on the Caspian Ocean and the Black Sea. What would it be like to traverse the entirity of the Russian periphary to examine its effects on those closest to her? An astute and brilliant combination of lyric travel writing and modern history, The Border is a book about Russia without its author ever entering Russia itself. Fatland gets to the heart of what it has meant to be the neighbor of that mighty, expanding empire throughout history. As we follow Fatland on her jounrey, we experience the colouful, exciting, tragic and often unbelievable histories of these bordering nations along with their cultures, their people, their landscapes. Sharply observed and wholly absorbing, The Border is a surprsing new way to understand a broad part our world.

A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northwest Passage

The Border

SOVIETSTAN. O călătorie prin Turkmenistan, Kazahstan, Tadjikistan, Kîrgîzstan și Uzbekistan

The acclaimed author of Sovietistan travels along the seemingly endless Russian border and reveals the deep and pervasive influence it has had across half the globe. Imperial, communist or autocratic, Russia has been—and remains—a towering and intimidating neighbor. Whether it is North Korea in the Far East through the former Soviet republics in Asia and the Caucasus, or countries on the Caspian Ocean and the Black Sea. What would it be like to traverse the entirety of the Russian periphery to examine its effects on those closest to her? An astute and brilliant combination of lyric travel writing and modern history, The Border is a book about Russia without its author ever entering Russia itself. Fatland gets to the heart of what it has meant to be the neighbor of that mighty, expanding empire throughout history. As we follow Fatland on her journey, we experience the colorful, exciting, tragic and often unbelievable histories of these bordering nations along with their cultures, their people, their landscapes. Sharply observed and wholly absorbing, The Border is a surprising new way to understand a broad part our world.

A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage

Erika Fatland er en av Norges mest spennende sakprosaforfattere, anmelderrost, prisbelønnet og oversatt til flere språk. Hun fikk sitt store gjennombrudd med boka Sovjetistan i 2014. Nå har hun vært på en ny eventyrlig reise, denne gangen langs Russlands enorme grense - fra Nord-Korea i det fjerne Østen, langs Kaukasus, over Det kaspiske hav og Svartehavet. Vi blir med henne til Ukraina, der president Putin ekspanderer, og opp gjennom Øst-Europa, til vår egen grense mot Russland. Endelig tar hun båt gjennom nordøstpassasjen - en båtreise som har blitt mulig etter klimaendringene. Med kunnskap om landene og deres historie og gjennom menneskemøter viser Erika Fatland hvordan disse svært ulike landene alle påvirkes av sin mektige nabo

en reise rundt Russland gjennom Nord-Korea, Kina, Mongolia, Kasakhstan, Aserbajdsjan, Georgia, Ukraina, Hviterussland, Litauen, Polen, Latvia, Estland, Finland og Norge samt Nordøstpassasjen

Grensen

An extraordinary odyssey through the fourteen countries that border Russia todayFrom North Korea into China, through former Soviet states and breakaway republics in Asia and the Caucasus, crossing the Caspian and Black Seas, northwards to Europe, into the Arctic Circle and through the icy waters of the Northeast Passage, Erika Fatland travels alone and explores the rich, diverse and often dramatic histories and scarred landscapes of these bordering nations.Along her twenty-thousand-kilometre journey, she meets survivors of interminable wars and indiscriminate deportations, and some communities still nostalgic for Soviet times. She drinks tea with a reindeer nomad in Mongolia and encounters displaced Ingushetians in Kazakhstan; she meets a history professor-turned-tank driver in Ukraine and tours the vestiges of Chernobyl. She hears an extraordinary story of endurance from one of the last survivors of the Minsk Ghetto, and learns that the area of Russia that borders Norway, her own country, is the most polluted place in the world. The Border is the log of an unmatchable journey, and offers vivid portraits of cultures and individuals living at the limits of this dominant land mass.Shortlisted for the 2020 Edward Stanford/Lonely Planet Debut Travel Writer of the Year Award, Erika Fatland has established herself as a fearless, sharp observer and an outstanding interviewer at the forefront of narrative travel literature.Translated from the Norwegian by Kari Dickson"The strength of Fatland's book lies in its ability to make history come alive through stories . . . Every chapter is captivating reading" Suddeutsche Zeitung"Fatland masters the genre to perfection . . . A true delight" Aftenposten

The Border - a Journey Around Russi

Sovietistan. Un viaggio in Asia centrale

Een reis door Turkmenistan, Kazachstan, Tadzjikistan, Kirgizië en Oezbekistan

***Shortlisted for the 2023 STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR*** ***A Financial Times Travel Book of the Year 2022*** "Enchanting" Independent "Fatland distinguishes herself from the stereotypes" Guardian "Fatland is a sensitive and insightful chronicler of quotidian lives and a compelling narrator" Observer "Erika Fatland ascends to new heights with her fascinating journey" Wanderlust "An engaging snapshot of the current residents of this high-altitude battleground . . . Fatland is a lovely writer with a sympathetic eye for the absurd" Financial Times An ambitious and magnificent new travelogue by internationally bestselling, prizewinning writer Erika Fatland. The Himalayas meander for more than two thousand kilometres through many different countries, from Pakistan to Myanmar via Nepal, India, Tibet and Bhutan, where the world religions of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are interspersed with ancient shamanic beliefs. Countless languages and vastly different cultures exist in these isolated mountain valleys. Modernity and tradition collide, while the great powers fight for influence. We have read about climbers and adventurers on their way up Mount Everest, and about travellers on a spiritual quest to remote Buddhist monasteries. Here, however, the focus is on the communities of these Himalayan valleys, those who live and work in this extraordinary region. As Erika Fatland introduces us to the people she meets along her journey, and in particular the women, she takes us on a vivid and dizzying expedition at altitude through incredible landscapes and dramatic, unknown histories. Skilfully weaving together the politics, geography, astrology, theology and ecology of this vast region, she also explores some of the most volatile human conflicts of our times. With her unique gift for listening, and for storytelling, she has become one of the most exciting travel writers of her generation. Translated from the Norwegian by Kari Dickson

A Journey Across the Himalayas Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China

A Journey Through Turkmenistan, Kasakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

En chockad värld följde vad som hände på Skola 1 i Beslan i norra Kaukasus i början av september 2004. 186 barn och 147 vuxna miste livet i en av historiens mest brutala terrorattentat. ↵↵Men vad hände efter det att världspressen vänt intresset åt annat håll och kamerorna stängts av? Hur var det möjligt att leva vidare i denna småstad, som varit en sömnig och fridfull plats i en orolig del av Ryssland? Vad hände under dessa tre dramatiska dagar? Vilka var terroristerna? Vad var deras mål? Vilken roll spelade den hemliga ryska säkerhetstjänsten vid den tragiska utgången av händelseförloppet, och varför har de som öppet kritiserat den ryska regeringens handlande blivit hotade och även mördade?↵↵Erika Fatlands undersökning delar sig i två spår: å ena sidan ett djupt berörande porträtt av de efterlevandes ramponerade liv, å andra sidan ett analytiskt och precist detektivarbete som följer de många gömda ledtrådarna i den tragiska terrorattackens efterspel. Dessutom berättar boken om Kaukasus dramatiska historia och ger en unik bild av de stormar som skakat denna okända del av Ryssland. Änglastaden är den mest omsorgsfulla och utförliga beskrivningen av terrorhandlingen i Beslan hittills.↵↵Änglarnas stad är inte enbart ett berörande porträtt av livet efter tragedin, skildrat genom de överlevandes sorg och den tårfyllda glädje hos de familjer som trasats sönder efter den ofattbara massakern. Det är också en författares omsorgsfulla undersökning av vad som hände under dessa tre dramatiska dagar som skakade världen. En stark berörande berättelse om en småstads sorg, och en närmast thrillerartad detektivhistoria.↵

Berättelser från Beslan

Änglastaden

La frontiera. Viaggio intorno alla Russia

een reis door alle buurlanden van Rusland door Noord-Korea, China, Mongolië, Kazachstan, Azerbeidzjan, Georgië, Oekraïne, Wit-Rusland, Litouwen, Polen, Letland, Estland, Finland en Noorwegen, inclusief de Noordoostelijke Doorvaart

De grens

An ambitious and magnificent new travelogue by bestselling and prize-winning author Erika Fatland (The Border and Sovietistan), on a journey along the Himalaya. The Himalaya weave through five very different countries, where the world religions of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are mixed with ancient shamanic religions. Countless languages and vastly different cultures live in the secluded mountain valleys. Modernity and tradition collide, while the great powers fight for influence. We have read about mountain climbers on their way up Mount Everest and about travellers on the spiritual quest for Buddhist monasteries. But how much do we know about the people living in the Himalaya? Fatland invites us into close encounters with the many peoples of the region, and at the same time takes us on a dizzying journey at altitude through incredible landscapes and dramatic, unknown world histories - all the way to the most volatile human conflicts of our times.

A Journey Across the Himalaya, Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China

Pochi altri luoghi della Terra sono ammantati di leggenda come l’Himalaya, con le sue storie di scalatori che affrontano l’Everest e di viaggiatori alla ricerca di esperienze spirituali nei monasteri buddhisti. Ma cosa sappiamo davvero dei popoli che vivono lassù? Dopo aver raccontato le repubbliche ex sovietiche dell’Asia centrale e gli sterminati confini della Russia, Erika Fatland ci porta sulla catena montuosa più alta del pianeta facendoci scoprire la sua gente, le mille culture, lo splendore dei paesaggi, ma anche la storia poco nota che è all’origine di alcuni tra i conflitti più sanguinosi di oggi e di ieri. Partendo dalla Cina e attraversando Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal e Tibet, la scrittrice norvegese, uno dei più apprezzati talenti della letteratura di viaggio, percorre un nuovo itinerario, affascinante e pieno di sorprese, dove a dominare la scena non sono solo vette maestose e orizzonti infiniti, ma uomini e donne in carne e ossa, di cui raccoglie le testimonianze e descrive le piccole vite che brulicano tra quelle montagne alte come giganti. Cinque paesi abitati da centinaia di etnie dalle innumerevoli lingue e tradizioni, e tre grandi religioni che si mescolano ad antichi riti sciamanici e credenze primitive: combinando il rigore dell’antropologa con la curiosità dell’esploratrice, la nuova voce del reportage internazionale, più volte paragonata a Bruce Chatwin, ci consegna un racconto che fonde storia e politica, geografia ed ecologia; il diario di un’avventura durata otto mesi tra cime vertiginose e valli remote, comunità arcaiche e superpotenze economiche che convivono sul tetto del mondo.

La vita in alto

Het hoogste gebergte ter wereld geeft zijn geheimen maar moeilijk prijs. Westerlingen proberen zijn flanken te bedwingen of zoeken er spirituele verlichting. Erika Fatland kijkt verder. De reisboekenschrijfster trok een jaar lang door alle vijf landen van de Himalaya: Pakistan, India, Nepal, China en Bhutan, een van de meest etnisch en religieus diverse regio’s ter wereld. Hier worden politieke conflicten uitgevochten en proberen grootmachten voet aan de grond te krijgen. Ondertussen doen gewone mensen hun best om hun levens vorm te geven onder barre klimatologische omstandigheden, op de grens van traditie en moderniteit. Fatland dringt als geen ander door tot het leven op grote hoogte. ‘Een hoogtepunt van een boek.’ – Dagbladet ****** ‘De polyglotte Fatland neemt haar invalshoek bloedserieus.’ – NRC over De grens

Erika Fatland

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