Eastward to Tartary : Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus

by Robert D. Kaplan

Release Date: October, 2001

Edition: Paperback

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The Sequel to "Balkan Ghosts"

In this book of travels, Robert Kaplan picks up where he left off. Kaplan, whose "Balkan Ghosts" became the point of departure for those State Department and other US government officials requiring a quick education about the complexities and entrenchment of the Balkan mind in the days leading up to the NATO confrontations with Serbia (including Bill Clinton, who is rumored to have delayed action in Yugoslavia in part because of Kaplan's insights), travels to the Balkans, Turkey, the Middle East, and then on to the Trans-Caucuses (known as "Tartary" to the Elizabethans). Like Kaplan's other travel books, this is more than a traveler's book of anecdotes; this is a book of history and lost histories and life on big historical divides. Especially relevant is his section on Armenia, a nation with its own (lowercase) diaspora and rich history. More generally, this book provides a workable education on the state of the Trans-Caucuses region, which is among the least understood regions on the planet - no small matter, since, with Russia's increased importance in the energy markets, this is a tract that stands to gain hugely in relative world importance.

Necessary reading for the new century

Robert Kaplan's book "Eastward to Tartary" is a bold and incisive firsthand look into the present and possible futures of Eastern Europe, the Near East and the Caucuses.

Kaplan's reflections on his journeys give the reader great food for thought. Kaplan deftly traces the possible fault lines of future conflicts and global problem spots. His conclusions give fresh urgency to the Biblical injunction to "be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).

"Eastward to Tartary" is not your typical piece of travel writing. It not only describes the areas dealt with, it analyzes the possible future of each region. The book is no mere academic missive written by a policy wonk either. Chapter after chapter, Kaplan demonstrates his skill as a writer. He is a true craftsman with words. I read this book quite quickly due to how compelling and well written it is. Each chapter draws the reader into the next.

Books like this should be required reading for leaders in the West. Not everyone will agree with Kaplan's conclusions. This notwithstanding, "Eastward to Tartary" is one heck of a wake-up call. I recommend it highly.