The Buddhas of Bamiyan /

Morgan (classical language & literature, Univ. of Oxford) expertly traces the history of the once impressive sixth-century Buddha statues of Bamiyan, Afghanistan through ancient accounts such as those of the well-traveled seventh-century Chinese monk Xuangzang, 19th-century writings by European explorers and soldiers, and video footage of the statues' destruction by Taliban leaders in March 2001. The Buddhas' ghostly absence from their still-remaining niches (the statues were 38 and 55 meters in height respectively) serves as a sober reminder of a cultural heritage now lost. Morgan argues that the styles evident in the statues were a mixture of many cultures (Greek, Indian, Chinese) and that every culture could see something of its own story in them. V-ERDICT While not offering an exhaustive history of these Buddhas, this work does a worthy job of telling their story and outlining the distinct history of the region. It will serve as an informative and enjoyable introduction to the topic for the lay reader.-Brian Renvall, Mesalands Community Coll., Tucumcari, NM (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.