News from Tartary

The book recounts a successful 3500 mile journey from Peking, China to Kashmir, India in 1935. He was accompanied on this journey by Ella Maillart (Kini). The journey started on 16 February 1935 and took seven months to complete. The objective of the journey was, as contained within the title of the book, to ascertain what was happening in Tunganistan, a region of Sinkiang (also known as Chinese Turkestan), in the aftermath of the Kumul Rebellion. Fleming met with Ma Shaowu and Ma Hushan while in Xinjiang. Peter Fleming still ranks as a favorite writing traveler, but he slips a few cogs with this book, which follows conventional lines more closely (in matters of handling) than one has come to expect of his light-hearted writing. Central Asia is his stamping ground, with Peking as a starting point, with Sinkiang, Kashmir and all sorts of unspellable places en route. There is something of the troubled background of Chinese Turkistan, concretely and indirectly, something of the evasive situation in which neither China nor Russia quite comes to the fore. Rival correspondents, bent on the same game -- Peter Fleming and Ella Maillart (remember Turkistan Solo?) are virtually compelled to join forces, and shared the enormous difficulties and inconveniences and dangers (minimized as always by Fleming) of the seven months trek. Humor -- originality -- spirited story telling characterize this, but there isn't quite the sparkle of his earlier books.