Travel Writer Colin Thubron on the Amur River

The Amur River is the tenth longest river in the world—yet it is almost unknown. The river rises in the Mongolian mountains, flows through Siberia to the Pacific, and for 1,100 miles forms the tense border between Russia and China. Resonating with the memory of land grabs and unequal treaties, this is the most densely fortified frontier on Earth.

Drawing on his new book, The Amur River: Between Russia and China, acclaimed travel writer Colin Thubron recounts an eye-opening, often-perilous journey from the Amur’s secret headwaters to where it ends, covering almost 3,000 miles. Hampered by injury and harassed by the local police, Thubron makes his way along both the Russian and Chinese shores, starting out on a Mongolian horse, then hitchhiking, sailing on poachers’ sloops, or travelling on the Trans-Siberian Express. He talks to everyone he meets, from Chinese traders to Russian fishermen, and from monks to indigenous people. By the time he reaches the river’s desolate end, where Russia’s 19th-century imperial dream petered out, a whole pivotal world has come alive.

The Amur River: Between Russia and China (HarperCollins) is available for purchase.

Book Sale Information

• Purchase your copy of The Amur River: Between Russia and China by Colin Thubron here.
• Special Note: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page.

Patron Information

• If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
• Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
• Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
• Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
• View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.