"The Ruins of Desert Cathay" documents the adventures of M Aurel Stein, a Hungarian archaeologist who spent most of his life in the service of the British Empire in India and travelled through central Asia and western China. The author intended this volume as a personal record of the archaeological and geographical explorations during the years 1906 - 1908 under commission by the Indian Government. This marvellously detailed account, written in two volumes with short chapters, is a fascinating read for anyone interested in an archaeological and historical take on one man's adventures through Central Asia.