Along this legendary route silks were sent from China to ancient Rome; princesses were dispatched in marriage alliances; bandits and thieves launched attacks. Covering more than 5,000 years and lavishly illustrated with photographs, manuscripts, and paintings from the collection of the British Library and other museums worldwide, this book presents an overall picture of the history and cultures of the Silk Road. It also contains many previously unpublished photographs by the great explorers Stein, Hedin, and Mannerheim, and brings the Silk Road to life - from its beginning to the present day, revealing a rich history still in the making.

Silk Road, Frances Wood, California University Press, Paperback, 2003, 270 pages, $19.95.

Frances Wood is Head of the Chinese section at The British Library. Her previous publications include Did Marco Polo Go To China?, No Dogs and Not Many Chinese: Treaty Port Life in China 1843-1943, Hand Grenade Practice in Peking: My Part in the Cultural Revolution, and Blue Guide to China.