Alexandria

Viac o knihe

The extraordinary tale of Alexander the Great intertwines with the mystery of a lost city, once a vibrant meeting point of East and West, which vanished over time. In 1833, this city was rediscovered in Afghanistan by the unlikely figure of Charles Masson—a deserter, traveler, doctor, archaeologist, and spy, who became one of the most respected scholars of Asia and a prominent figure of the nineteenth century. His journey led him to tea with kings, encounters with holy men, and mastery of countless disguises, allowing him to witness sights unseen by most Westerners. Amid the Great Game, a period of intense imperial rivalry, Masson worked as a spy for the East India Company while being suspected of espionage for Russia. He uncovered vast treasures of Afghan history, including the 2,000-year-old Bimaran golden casket, which bears the earliest known depiction of the Buddha. Offered his own kingdom, he ultimately changed the world, only to be destroyed by it. This captivating narrative explores nineteenth-century India and Afghanistan, revealing a landscape filled with espionage, dreamers, opportunists, and violence, all set against the backdrop of boundless hope and an enduring obsession that has transcended centuries.