Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared
 Closed to foreigners under Tsar and Soviet rule, Kazakhstan has remained largely hidden from the world, a remarkable feat for a country the size of Western Europe. Few would guess that Kazakhstan—a blank in Westerners' collective geography—turns out to be diverse, tolerant, and surprisingly modern, the country that gave the world apples, trousers, and even, perhaps, King Arthur.
Christopher Robbins is the author of five non-fiction books, including the award-winning The Empress of Ireland. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, The Times Magazine (UK), the Guardian (UK), and many others. He lives in London. more...
 Chalk Lines: The Caucasus
Chalk lines: The Caucasus is the amazing testimony of the only photographer who spent so much time-from before the Red Army's invasion of Chechnya until now-in this deeply unstable and fast-changing region of the world. It is a striking, moving, and compelling account. more...
For Prophet and Tsar: Islam and Empire in Russia and Central Asia
Kara Flook reviews For Prophet and Tsar: Islam and Empire in Russia and Central Asia, by Robert D. Crews.
Crews, an assistant professor of history at Stanford University, investigates relations between the Russian state and its Muslim subjects from the late eighteenth century through the early twentieth century, with a focus on exploiting the wealth of Russian documents available after 1991, including police reports, court records, Muslim petitions, and clerical writings. more.. | 
