THE LAST BLANK SPACES

Hedin, Sven (1865–1952)

My Life as an Explorer [Across Asia's Last Frontiers]

New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, 1998.
HE CROSSED DESERTS, MOUNTAINS, AND EMPIRES TO ANSWER A SINGLE QUESTION
One of the great autobiographies of twentieth-century exploration, this substantial memoir presents the life and expeditions of Sven Hedin, the Swedish explorer whose travels transformed Western understanding of Central Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, and the Silk Road regions. Written late in life, the work serves as both a personal reflection and a sweeping record of adventure across some of the least-mapped regions of the world.

Hedin recounts decades of exploration through deserts, mountain ranges, and political frontiers, combining vivid travel narrative with observations on geography, archaeology, cartography, and international affairs. Richly illustrated with drawings by the author, the volume captures both the hardships and triumphs of exploration during the final great age of geographic discovery. Collectors of exploration literature continue to regard Hedin as one of the essential figures alongside Aurel Stein, Roy Chapman Andrews, and other pioneers of Inner Asian exploration.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Publisher's hardcover. 9.5 inches tall. 544 pages with index. Illustrated throughout with drawings and sketches by the author. Reprint of the Garden City edition.

CONDITION: The bindings are tight and square. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Moderate shelf handling wear with bumps to the upper and lower front corners. Ownership writing in a foreign language on the rear free endpaper. Moderate shelf handling wear  A solid and attractive reading and reference copy.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Sven Hedin ranks among the most influential explorers of Central Asia and Tibet. His expeditions produced important geographic surveys, maps, archaeological observations, and scientific reports that expanded Western knowledge of Inner Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This autobiography reflects the era when vast portions of Central Asia remained poorly documented by European travelers and scientific expeditions.

SUBJECTS: Sven Hedin; Central Asia; Tibet; Silk Road; Desert Exploration; Asian Geography; Travel Memoirs; Cartography; Mongolia; Exploration History, Exploration; Travel Literature; Asian Studies; Biography; Geographic Discovery.

Item #22129

Price: $20.00