Asia Overland
Encyclopedia
Asia Overland by Mark Elliott and Wil Klass
was an idiosyncratic book of the 1990s which developed a minor cult following
amongst backpackers in Asia
and the former Soviet Union. Although it has been out of print since 2002, the book remains a talking point amongst older travellers. Its unique feature was that practical information was displayed in a set of schematic 'treasure maps' rather than in run-on text, a style later replicated in certain other books by Trailblazer
,.
Between maps, the book's writing offered a way to inspire questions and investigation more than providing answers in the style of more classic Lonely Planet
style guides. The guide gained a certain notoriety by explaining 'tricks' for crossing ex-Soviet borders semi-legally, for reaching Iraqi Kurdistan when that area was still little known to exist, and for getting into North Korea without a visa. Today these tips appear extremely foolhardy but at the time the book was written (largely pre-Internet) they worked and caused much excitement amongst travellers of the era. Despite considerable interest from the public, there has been no follow-up edition and at times second-hand copies of the original edition have been offered at relatively exorbitant prices on Amazon and e-Bay.
Asia Overland was the first practical guide book in English to cover the ex-Soviet Caucasus region after the breakup of the USSR.
Wil Klass
Wil Klass is a US-born writer, photographer and traveler extraordinaire. He's authored all or part of several travel guidebooks including the famed 1990s backpacker classic Asia Overland co-authored with Mark Elliott. His other travel content work includes writing for U.S...
was an idiosyncratic book of the 1990s which developed a minor cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
amongst backpackers in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the former Soviet Union. Although it has been out of print since 2002, the book remains a talking point amongst older travellers. Its unique feature was that practical information was displayed in a set of schematic 'treasure maps' rather than in run-on text, a style later replicated in certain other books by Trailblazer
Trailblazer (travel)
Trailblazer is an independent British publisher of travel, trekking and railway route-guides. Started by author Bryn Thomas it was originally synonymous with the Trans Siberian Handbook, which for years was the only guide to crossing Asia by rail and remains much respected.The company now publishes...
,.
Between maps, the book's writing offered a way to inspire questions and investigation more than providing answers in the style of more classic Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
style guides. The guide gained a certain notoriety by explaining 'tricks' for crossing ex-Soviet borders semi-legally, for reaching Iraqi Kurdistan when that area was still little known to exist, and for getting into North Korea without a visa. Today these tips appear extremely foolhardy but at the time the book was written (largely pre-Internet) they worked and caused much excitement amongst travellers of the era. Despite considerable interest from the public, there has been no follow-up edition and at times second-hand copies of the original edition have been offered at relatively exorbitant prices on Amazon and e-Bay.
Trivia
The book contains several hidden in-jokes including 'towns' on maps named after friends of the authors (Bakus, Danigrad etc).Asia Overland was the first practical guide book in English to cover the ex-Soviet Caucasus region after the breakup of the USSR.
- Page count = 567
- Map count = 452
- Publisher = TrailblazerTrailblazer (travel)Trailblazer is an independent British publisher of travel, trekking and railway route-guides. Started by author Bryn Thomas it was originally synonymous with the Trans Siberian Handbook, which for years was the only guide to crossing Asia by rail and remains much respected.The company now publishes...
- Publishing date = 1998