In one year Admiral Kolchak fell from being Supreme Ruler of All the Russias to the victim of a show trial.

'There is not much to say about this book by way of introduction. It describes an undeservedly successful attempt to travel overland from Peking in China to Kashmir in India. The journey took seven months and covered about 3,500 miles . . .'

On 29 June 1900 the foreign legations at Peking were attacked by troops of the Boxer rebellion and Imperial Chinese troops. The ensuing siege lasted fifty five days and shook the world.