Land of Jade: A Journey from India through Northern Burma to China

Bertil and Hseng Noting Lintner, and their baby daughter, born enroute, spent one and a half years traveling through northern and eastern Burma, from 1985-87. Throughout their account, they describe, with rare and deep insight, the struggle by northern Burma's ethnic groups against brutal Burmese army rule, and record the decline and fall of the Communist Party of Burma.

During their incredibly arduous 2,275 kilometre trek, mostly on foot and at times in great danger, they recorded the history of a forgotten 40-year war, an account which otherwise would never have been committed to paper in such rich detail.

Land of Jade further provides poignant descriptions of the efforts of simple ethnic tribes-people to forge lives amid the larger struggles of political antagonists, drug lords, foreign interlopers and assorted other opportunists-a situation that remains painfully relevant to many in diverse locations to the present day.

Land of Jade still ranks as one of the best I have read, describing not only the couple's remarkable 18-month, 2,275 kilometre expedition, but also providing remarkable new insights into the long-forgotten struggle by the Naga, Shan and Kachin ethnic groups against Burmese military rule.