This is easily one of the best books I've ever read on Central Asia, and it is the only book I've ever read on Central Asian music. It is at once a travelogue, a musical analysis, a cultural analysis, an historical analysis, and (in some weird ways) a religious journey. That Levin takes the time to bring his readers as close as possible not only to the major names in music from this region but also to the ones that no one has ever heard of (or will ever hear of) is a tribute to Levin's dedication to this culture and to his pursuit of wonderful music, wherever it might reside.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
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