Dimensions
135 x 216 x 21mm
When Charles de Gaulle was told that France's former colonies in Africa had chosen independence, the general shrugged dismissively: "They are the dust of empire." But, as the world has learnt, seemingly powerless countries can have a profound impact on international affairs.
In 'The Dust of Empire', Karl Meyer examines the region and peoples of Central Asia, whose volatility is likely to continue to cause concern to the West in the twenty-first century, as it has done in the past. Valued for their oil, yet feared for the pockets of extremism they harbour, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Caucasus and the five Central Asian republics have been blighted by Western intervention for hundreds of years.
Opening with a brilliant assessment of the political climate and historical setting in the UK and the US that enabled the 2003 war in Iraq, this is a timely assessment of a fascinating and troubled area.
