"In the 1950's one of the most commonly-asked questions in America was, Who Lost China? Well, comfortable as it might have been to pin the blame upon 'fellow travelers' or suchlike, the real answer may involve such names as Sven Hedin, Aurel Stein, von Le Coq, and Langdon Warner. And who, pray, were they? Merely individuals who in the name of science plundered China as the generals and merchants never dreamed of doing. Gold and silk could be replaced; a nation's history could not. Peter Hopkirk has told a sad tale with remarkable compassion. " Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review).