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Restless Valley – Philip Shishkin

Philip Shishkin spent several years in Kyrgyzstan in a time of serious upheaval. He witnesses 2 revolutions as well as the aftermath of the Andijan massacre in Uzbekistan. For anyone who wants to know more about what happened in those storied days: this is the book.

Shishkin’s focus is on the links between politics, organised crime and corruption. He has the inside scoop on the dirty deals of the Akaevs and the Bakiyevs, the Manas airbase shenanigans, the ethnic cleansing in Osh and a live report of the looting of the White House.

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Jamilia – Chingiz Aitmatov

The most beautiful love story in the world? Probably not, but Jamilia, written by Kyrgyzstan’s national poet, is a good story, and one that evokes the life and landscape of the Kyrgyz people very well. Chingiz Aitmatov has written a lot of books, but start your foray into Kyrgyz literature with this classic: it’s short and packs a punch.

Jamilia on Amazon

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Coffee table books

Most coffee table books you find lying around the book shops in Bishkek have decent pictures but terrible translated text. The only one I have found so far that transcends the average is the one by Claudia Antipina.

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Kyrgyzstan – Claudia Antipina

Eye-catching, sumptuous pictures of Kyrgyz people in traditional settings. The book focuses on the costume and dress of Kyrgyz people, led by the research of ethnographer Antipina.

“Kyrgyzstan” on Amazon

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Kyrgyz Republic (Odyssey Guides) – Rowan Stewart

This is the most complete guide to Kyrgyzstan. The drawback is that it is last updated in 2008. Another issue is the lack of detailed travel info.

If you think you know everything about Kyrgyzstan, you should get this book: plenty of corners discussed here that you likely have not visited yet. For everybody else, the Bradt Guide is a better alternative.

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Bradt Guide to Kyrgyzstan – Lawrence Mitchell

Not entirely as thorough as the Odyssey guide, the Bradt Guide however is much more up to date, and excels in the practical travel info that is sometimes lacking in the Odyssey Guide. Rowan Stewart might tell you where to go, but not how to get there. The Bradt Guide does a much better job at this.