Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus
by Robert D. Kaplan
Dec. 23, 2007
09:18 a.m.
Fantastic portrait of the Balkans and beyond. Kaplan more or less does the exact route I’ve been wanting to do — from eastern Europe through Turkey, Syria and several ‘stans. He doesn’t go all the way across Mongolia and China and Russia, but for at least the beginning, his trip mirrors my planned trip.
Of course, Kaplan’s a well-respected journalist and has all sort of contacts and connections that I lack, but that’s part of what makes this a great read, it’s not just a travel narrative, but an in-depth study of the entire region. Naturally a lot has changed in the past few years, but Kaplan points out most of the conflicts that we’re dealing with today. Too bad no one in power seems to have read this book
