Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #356513 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-28
• Released on: 2004-08-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Conventional thinking on a possible confrontation between the U.S. and China assumes that the geography of conflict will be off of China's coast over the Taiwan issue or as competition for the Spratly Islands heats up. In his first book, veteran war correspondent Kleveman makes the intriguing argument that the challenge to U.S. primacy will in fact take place to the west of China's hinterland province Xingjiang over the resources of the energy-rich Caspian Sea and the surrounding Central Asian republics. The central thesis, that the U.S., China, Russia and Iran are now engaged in a New Great Game, a power struggle for control of the region's vast oil and gas reserves, is thinly woven through the narrative in what is largely a war zone travel diary. Kleveman, who readily admits his conviction that the recent war in Iraq was motivated by the interests of Houston oilmen, similarly treats the war on terrorism as little more than a pretext for the presence of U.S. troops in the region to secure oil interests and pipeline routes. Thus, the book gives the impression that Kleveman has selectively presented interviews with oil ministers and locals that lend his argument the most weight, while giving short shrift to those with opposing views. The work draws attention to a little understood and increasingly important part of the world where oil, Islam and terrorism converge to create havoc, but in the end, Kleveman fails to show that competition and not cooperation will mark the development of the region's resources.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Interesting, but........
I found the first few chapters of this book quite interesting and well worth a read, I was however a little disapointed as the book went on.

The last two chapters on Afgahnistan and Pakistan to be more or less fluff, as well as one or two other chapters that I felt the writer was just writing filler.

Also I thought there would be alot more researched infomation, but it is very light on.

Over all, a very easy read, some intersting bits and some stats on oil in the Central Asian region, but not as much as you would like.

BeSt book I ever read!!!
BesT book I ever read!!! Very enlightening and entertaining!

The Cold War is over!
The book is well-written, and provides great and complete information on the current state of affairs in Central Asia, China and Azerbaijan. It also gives a bit of an historical overview of the affairs in the region from late 19th century onwards. The author judges the events from personal experience and provides many details from encounters in every country mentioned.

There is a downside to the personal approach to geopolitical writing, however, and it is the author's obvious hatred of Russia. His description of the Chechen terrorists and the Nord Ost hostage affair is biased and one-sided, tarnishing an otherwise excellent work.