The said road is a vast network of arteries winging their way across the breadth of Asia. Beginning from the heart of a China in a state of transition, Thubron follows the trail into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran into Kurdish Turkey.

Utilising forms of transport ranging from bus, donkey-cart and camel, the 7,000 miles must be the most ambitious he has covered in his 40 years of writing.

The significance of the journey is in its history, a route not only of trade and armies, but of ideas, religion and inventions. And not only does Thubron highlight its past, the book also shows the current upheaval Asia finds itself in in the early days of the 21st century.

The prose is in-depth, littered with emotional resonance via the people he meets on his travels, from friends he has met on previous journeys who have adapted to their new environment, to others who have struggled to accept the onset of the Western influence.

Throughout the book, scenes are seamlessly woven into the narrative, with Thubron showing great empathy for the people he meets. His gift lies in talking to people and listening to their thoughts and feelings while never involving himself too much.

Ultimately this is a society in flux, an ancient world where the boundaries of religion, nationalism, politics and ethnicity struggle to adapt to modern times.