The border between the United States and Mexico is almost 2,000 miles long. The border between Russia and China, two of the world's most powerful and intriguing nations, is around 2,700 miles. Considering the intricate dramas of the U.S.-Mexico border, anyone with a passion for how cultures come together should perk up at the Far Eastern promise of "Black Dragon River: A Journey Down the Amur River at the Borderlands of Empires."
Another good sign: The author is Asia editor for The Economist.
But settle in. It takes 270 pages to reach the key line, "I was curious to know more about the Chinese and their place in the Russian Far East today."
Author Dominic Ziegler instead draws deeply on history while traveling down the river that, with tributaries, marks much of the Russia-China border. As he makes his way through rural Mongolia to begin his journey, he sets the scene with 13th-century tales of Genghis Khan, whose Mongols sacked both Beijing and the seat of early Russian civilization, Kiev.
By CARA ANNA.
Full story at Yahoo News.
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