History : Central Asia

Much of the political turmoil that has occurred in Afghanistan since the Marxist revolution of 1978 has been attributed to the dispute between Soviet-aligned Marxists and the religious extremists inspired by Egyptian and Pakistani brands of "fundamentalist" Islam. more...

Price: $12.95

Delve into Central Asia's complex history to learn how the nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have evolved through the centuries to become cultural hotspots in recent years. more...

Price: $45.00

From a critically acclaimed author-a comprehensive history of the part of the world currently making headlinesThe former Soviet republics of Central Asia comprise a sprawling, politically pivotal, densely populated, and richly cultured area of the world that is nonetheless poorly represented in libraries and mainstream media. Since their political incorporation in Stalin's Soviet era, these countries have gone through a flash of political and economical evolution. But despite these rapid changes, the growth of oil wealth and U.S. jockeying, and the opening of the region to tourists and businessmen, the spirit of Central Asia has remained untouched at its core. In this comprehensive new treatment, renowned political writer and historian Dilip Hiro offers us a narrative that places the modern politics, peoples, and cultural background of this region firmly into the context of current international focus. Given the strategic location of Central Asia, its predominantly Muslim population, and its hydrocarbon and other valuable resources, it comes as no surprise that the five Central Asian republics are emerging in the twenty-first century as one of the most potentially influential-and coveted-patches of the globe. more...

Price: $35.00

An analysis of the ways that Muslim societies in Central Asia have been transformed by the Soviet presence. This work combines insights from the study of both Islam and Soviet history. It demonstrates that Islam became synonymous with tradition and was subordinated to powerful ethnonational identities that crystallized during the Soviet period. more...

Price: $15.95

Kandahar Tour takes the reader into Afghanistan, into the battlegroup responsible for driving the Taliban farther into outlying areas, to establish a broad security and development zone, allowing Task Force 1-07, the UN and NATO to increase their restoration initiatives. The book details the combined work of soldiers—Canadian and their dozen allies--and their commanders, aid workers, the RCMP, and NGOs—all of the pieces that are a part of the Afghan mission, often overlooked by journalists and media. Kandahar Tour is a thorough  accounting of life and mission in Afghanistan. Task Force 1-07, the third rotation, deployed to Afghanistan from February to August 2007. Its core was the 2 nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, backed by reservists from famous militia units from all over Atlantic Canada. The University of New Brunswick’s Gregg Centre’s close affiliation to this Army of the Atlantic gives the authors excellent access to participants. Their connections and security clearance status with Land Forces Command provided the authors with access to official war diaries and after-action reports, enabling them to write a rich and accurate account of the fight against bomb-making cells and drug gangs that occurred simultaneously with the dramatic but unsung effort to establish a stable government. The latter involves an often frustrating struggle with corruption as well as a desperate battle against crippling drought, poverty and a destructive, Taliban-driven opium economy. . The third rotation to Kandahar marked an historic turning point. Only one year earlier, Canadian soldiers were confined to Kandahar City and its outlying districts and were locked in an unexpected conventional battle against 1500 Taliban fighters and local recruits. Twelve months later, hard-core Taliban and foreign fighters were scattered in small groups to remote parts of the province while local Kandaharis returned to the more...

Price: $36.95