Dateline Mongolia

Michael Kohn, former editor of the Mongol Messenger newspaper, is one step ahead of the journalistic posse in this epic Western set in the Far East. Kohn's memoir of his time as a newsman in Mongolia is an irresistible account of a land where falcon poachers, cattle rustlers, exiled Buddhist leaders, death-defying child jockeys and political assassins vie for page one. A turf war between lamas, shamans, Mormon elders and ministers provides the spiritual backdrop in this nation which had only just been liberated from Soviet rule. From the reincarnated Bogd Khan and his press spokesman to vodka-fueled racing entrepreneurs and political leaders unclear on the concept of freedom of the press, Kohn explores one of Asia's most fascinating, mysterious and misunderstood lands.