Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus | 
 enlarge | Author: Robert D. Kaplan
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 131846
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0375705767
Dewey Decimal Number: 909
EAN: 9780375705762
ASIN: 0375705767
Publication Date: October 2001
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Amazon.com
The master of the hardheaded travelogue, Robert D. Kaplan returns with a book on what he calls "the New Near East," an area stretching from the Balkans to Central Asia that "might become the seismograph of world politics" in the new century. That doesn't sound like good news: "The pitiless history of the Near East [is] dominated by marauding armies and earthquakes while peace treaties have merely formalized temporary stalemates on the ground." Kaplan has made a career of writing about the world's trouble spots "without illusions"--his books Balkan Ghosts and The Ends of the Earth are at once influential and pessimistic. Eastward to Tartary is a fascinating exploration of places Kaplan has not written about in depth before: "Third World Europe" (Romania and Bulgaria), Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and the confusing conglomeration of countries and peoples in the Caucasus. Smart observations leap off almost every page. "In every Arab city I have ever visited, people were polite and honest, running after you to return a loose coin you have left at a soft-drinks stand," he writes. So why hasn't democracy taken hold in the Islamic world? "The very perfection of the Islamic belief system begot a naive absolutism that made the compromises of normal political life impossible." In an aside on ancient Assyria, Kaplan notes, "The theme is always the same: Highly militarized and centralized states and empires, so indomitable in one decade or generation, hack themselves to pieces or are themselves conquered in another." Then he reminds readers that Assyria once bestrode present-day Iraq and Syria--a "hauntingly appropriate" coincidence. And surprising facts abound: "Turkey represents the most stable governmental dynasty in world history, with the Turkish soldiery able to trace the roots of its power to the Roman emperors." Fans of Kaplan's previous books won't want to miss this one, and neither will new readers interested in this part of the world. --John J. Miller
Product Description
Eastward to Tartary, Robert Kaplan's first book to focus on a single region since his bestselling Balkan Ghosts, introduces readers to an explosive and little-known part of the world destined to become a tinderbox of the future.
Kaplan takes us on a spellbinding journey into the heart of a volatile region, stretching from Hungary and Romania to the far shores of the oil-rich Caspian Sea. Through dramatic stories of unforgettable characters, Kaplan illuminates the tragic history of this unstable area that he describes as the new fault line between East and West. He ventures from Turkey, Syria, and Israel to the turbulent countries of the Caucasus, from the newly rich city of Baku to the deserts of Turkmenistan and the killing fields of Armenia. The result is must reading for anyone concerned about the state of our world in the decades to come.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 42 more reviews...
 Excellent writer for travel, not politics January 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I thought this book was written beautifully and I can see why Kaplan has such a large following. However, like other reviewers, I found his opinions on politics rather excessive. He seems to think that "one size fits all" and perhaps misunderstands that the American way is not the way for everyone else.
The travelling and the characters are all excellantly described, but I think he focussed too much on his own political analysis. Also as an avid reader, I thought it profoundly odd when he (himself a journalist) critised members of the Azerbejani press as "impolite" for asking difficult questions to the authorities. I think that this has validified other writers opinions that I have read on the American media, claiming that large sections of the "liberal" press are becoming mute and embedded with the powers that be, gaining "access" which is so vital there.
My only other problem with this book was Kaplans coverage of the occupied territories in Palestine. The way it was described, one would think that there were no human rights abuses and that not even potential conflict was on the horizon.
Other than these observations, I found Kaplans travel writing to be exquisite. His trips east of the Balkans opened up worlds to me that are rarely conveyed through other mediums such as TV, Radio etc. I had known about the wars in the Caucuses, but Kaplan rightly highlights the international press' apathy to this region as opposed to the Balkans, which at the time was a lesser conflict.
All said, a good read which I would give 3.5 stars...if I could
 interesting analysis over traveller's tales December 26, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Robert Kaplan doesn't travel first class, he keeps his ear to the ground, and he pays attention to details. Unlike most of our leaders, he knows his history and doesn't believe it's "bunk". He may like to use the words "national character" where I would use "culture", but if you read this brilliant book you'll see he's talking about the same thing. Kaplan cannot be an expert on every place he goes; perhaps his pictures are either inaccurate or stereotypical at times, but he has a feel for the main point, for the big picture.
After the 45 reviews below, nobody needs another one telling you what this book is about. I would prefer to say why I think it's a great book. First, it's very well-written. There are interesting observations and facts on every page. History and religion are woven in very well. Second, he's a reasonable man, even if, as people point out, he's not that optimistic. We don't need more pie-in-the-sky optimism or undue pessimism. We need realism. Third, he doesn't try to come up with solutions. It's not up to some journalist from the USA to decide what would be best for all the countries concerned. They'll have to work it out, or it will be worked out by history anyhow. Sometimes it's impossible to predict the future. Despite all his insights and incisive comments, Kaplan could not foresee the US invasion of Iraq with its many repercussions. Well, who could have seen that piece of idiocy coming? But fourth, I like the book because his comments so often hit home. For example, he predicted decline and near-collapse in Romania and Bulgaria if they didn't get into the European Union and NATO. Europe obviously saw it the same way. They got in. He points out again and again that just because a few blocks of a capital city rock with Western goodies and flashy cars doesn't mean economic success. He picked Israel and Turkey as the most vibrant and successful societies of all he visited. This certainly has held true. He picked the alliance of these two countries as a little-heralded major event. As states and blocs slowly realign in the Middle East, this will become ever more evident. He writes that Gaza and the West Bank might become alienated from each other and that is exactly what has happened. He asks, "If Vladimir Putin consolidates Russia as a new and aggressive autocracy, what will the West do ?" Exactly again. He appraises the Communist legacy as far more devastating than just Russian colonial rule or lack of capitalist knowhow. He links rising violence in the Middle East with large numbers of unemployed, frustrated youth. And of course, the most important of all---that democracy cannot be implanted from outside. It has to grow. Elections without a civil society and strong institutions mean the rise of nationalist or fundamentalist parties that will bring more chaos, not less.
Perhaps others have written similar things, but few create "the big picture" the way Kaplan does. Some of what he says may be wrong, but the idea is to THINK about the problems, to grasp the interrelations of the several countries he visited, to try to gather together the multitude of impressions and glean some overarching tendencies. I think that is why this is an interesting book, why I have given it five stars.
Solid reading October 2, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In Eastward to Tartary, Robert Kaplan further solidifies the notion that a civilization, at any one moment in time, is a product of and still operates within its own particular historical experience.
Kaplan explores this thesis by tracing on an arc spanning from eastern Europe, across Asia Minor, down through Palestine/Israel, and through Central Asia the contemporary atmosphere of various countries and how each one was influenced by history.
For example, Kaplan explains the cultural chasm between neighboring Romania and Bulgaria as being caused by the Enlightenment ending on their border. He also spends a great deal of time comparing former Soviet satellites and explaining the particular hurdles each one must overcome post-USSR.
Kaplan is a very eloquent, learned, and well-traveled man whose observations are worthwhile reading, especially here. Interesting book - highly recommend.
Fascinating Observations September 24, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Kaplan records his encounters and observations with people and officials in this outstanding and timely book as he traveled east in an arc beginning in Central Europe and passing through the southern tip of the Black Sea, the middle of the Caspian Sea and ending in Turkmenistan, just north of Tabriz in Iran.
His trip started in Budapest, Hungary and took him through Bucharest, Romania; Sofia, Bulgaria; Ankara, Turkey; Tbilisi, Georgia; Gandzha Azerbaijan; and Merv, Turkmenistan - with side trips to Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. Along the way, he recorded informative conversations with the local inhabitants and government officials.
Kaplan's writing is excellent. His style captures the character of the people and their living conditions in these little known places
Romania in the late 90's January 10, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
For this book, Robert D. Kaplan comes back to Romania (he was here in the early 90's for his other book, "Balkan Ghosts") to talk to other people, to write down the changes and to offer us more on his knowledge on Balkan history and eastwards. Just in a perfect combinaion. Again, I only read the chapter on Romania and Kaplan is a genius. I can't wait to keep on going with this book.
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