Rating: 
Summary: Willing and able to tell it like it is!
Review: In "Eastward to Tartary," Robert Kaplan, author of the classic "Balkan Ghosts" and several other excellent books, doesn't sugarcoat things, that's for sure, as he explores the "New Near East" (the corpses of two major empires -- the Ottoman and the Soviet) and writes back to inform us how the rotting is going. Personally, I think we should all be thankful to Kaplan for traveling to some of these hellholes and reporting back to us so, if for nothing else, so WE don't have to go there ourselves (just kidding)! We are also lucky that Kaplan, with his keen eye, tenacity, persistence, courage, and fine journalistic skills, is there to give us the uncomfortable truths that most of us would prefer to ignore or gloss over. As Kaplan modestly puts it, his goal is to "discover the obvious" - obvious, though, only if you are willing (and skillful enough) to really look for it, and most Western journalists aren't willing or able. Luckily for us, Kaplan is both!"Eastward to Tartary" is bracing, as have been all of Kaplan's books, and not for the weak of stomach! Whether or not you like what he has to say, you have to admit that Kaplan has vast knowledge and wisdom and cuts right to the chase - no bull. Reading Kaplan, I kept thinking: this guy is the anti-Friedman! No cloying cuteness, no wonders of globalization for Kaplan, and no rhapsodizing over the wonders of shopping malls and McDonalds either. Thank goodness! Instead, Kaplan writes clearly, brutally honestly, without sentimentality, glibness, or cuteness. Kaplan is NOT an optimist, and I mean this as a compliment. Instead, Kaplan is a clear-eyed realist, and, as Michael Ignatieff calls him, a "travel writer from hell" (that's a compliment, too, by the way!) Many Americans, steeped in naïve, mushy, rose-colored, and even dangerous optimism, would probably call him a pessimist by way of dismissing him because they don't WANT to believe what he has to say. But just because Kaplan is a disturbing messenger, that doesn't mean that we should shoot him (metaphorically speaking, of course)! As Kaplan himself puts it, "a viewpoint is not necessarily inaccurate because it happens to be morally risky or pessimistic, especially if it helps explain phenomena that are otherwise unexplainable." Kaplan's stress on the salience of history is a jarring contrast with mainstream American thought, which tends strongly towards the "history is bunk" school. Kaplan also disillusions us of the mushy notion that if only everyone could be globalized, then everyone would be peaceful liberal democrats and we'd be at the "end of history". NOT! Kaplan is successful in part because of HOW he travels - slowly, by land or sea, mainly. As he puts it, "the essence of travel was to slow the passage of time. One could fly...but "flying from place to place encourages abstractions, whereas land travel brings one face-to-face with basic, sometimes unpleasant truths. I preferred to travel by second-class car and stay in cheap hotels...[because] it allowed me to go on learning." So what does Kaplan learn? That "national character" matters. That "absurd personality cults" are alive and well in many of these places. That "the idea that the Internet and other technologies annihilates distances is a half-truth." That communism/ authoritarianism are not NECESSARILY all bad (at least they provided pensions, schooling, and social peace), and that liberal democracy/capitalism/free markets are not NECESSARILY all good or an end in and of themselves (especially if it's the local thugs and Mafiosi who benefit). That nothing is "determined in advance," but that leadership, history and geography (the "olive trees" in Friedman's formulation) DO matter. That the West probably could "never muster" the "sheer appetite for power" necessary to remake this part of the world. That "morality is a funny thing," and that sometimes the former "idealistic dissident" can end up destroying his country, while the ex-communist hack or secret policeman can end up saving it. That irredentism (Azeri, Turkmen, etc.) is alive and well at the start of the 21st century. That it may be only "the impermanence of bad governments" that gives one any hope at all for many of these places. That, in many of the places that he visits, Western influence extends for only a few blocks in the capital city, while the countryside is ruled by gangs and thugs, with only the faintest sign of the West. That there are plenty of rootless, unemployed, disoriented young men out there just ripe for the picking of terrorist groups, religious fanatics, mafias, and nationalistic armies. And that ecological and cultural devastation are long-lasting consequences of the collapse the Soviet Union. So what does Kaplan recommend that we DO about this screwed-up part of the world? It's hard to tell...maybe he doesn't really know. Or, maybe, Kaplan is a specialist - he calls 'em like he sees 'em, but leaves it to other specialists to figure out what to do with 'em! Anyway, MY recommendation is that you read this book, if you want to understand the world we live in today, and, most likely, it's future...
Rating:
Summary: A superb, lucid, and compelling account
Review: In his latest work, Kaplan continues to fascinate and inform a worldwide base of readers of yet another strategic geographical crossroads that, at best, is often marginalized in popular U.S. media as commercially and politically struggling and, at worst, is outright ignored until a conflict or other tragedy decrees the region as sufficiently newsworthy. Kaplan's ability to seek out, know and explain the past and present of a culture are only surpassed by his prescient predictions of the future (witness the Balkans and recent events in West Africa). Like Mr. Peters (previous review), I, too, have witnessed many of the places previously described by this amazing thinker and writer. Without exception, I have found his analysis invaluable to understanding the historical, geographical and cultural forces that mold a land and, more importantly, the people that choose or, in some cases, do not choose to inhabit it. For the reader who seeks to understand the "what and why" of the Caucasus, the Levant and Central Asia, "Eastward to Tartary" does not disappoint. Until you make the trek yourself, Mr. Kaplan has provided a more than adequate proxy.
Rating: 
Summary: The Sequel to "Balkan Ghosts"
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: In depth insight into the far reaches.
Review: Kaplan does an exceedingly superb job at conveying the nature of the world beyond the West. This work provides the reader with the political and cultural layout of the land from central Europe east to the far shores of the Caspian. What is even far more pleasing to the reader is Kaplan's gripping description of these lands and the myriads of problems facing them. Eastward to Tartary will keep you excited and will fill you with a wish to travel these places of mystery and awe, where history collides every so violently with the modern world.
Rating:
Summary: In depth insight into the far reaches.
Review: Kaplan does an exceedingly superb job at conveying the nature of the world beyond the West. This work provides the reader with the political and cultural layout of the land from central Europe east to the far shores of the Caspian. What is even far more pleasing to the reader is Kaplan's gripping description of these lands and the myriads of problems facing them. Eastward to Tartary will keep you excited and will fill you with a wish to travel these places of mystery and awe, where history collides every so violently with the modern world.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Kaplan goes where few Westerners dare to go. It is not just that these countries, such as Syria and Turkmenistan, are rarely visited. Kaplan goes to places within these countries where there are no 4-star hotels--indeed nothing that would earn so much as one star in an American guidebook. He describes the poverty, the military checkpoints, the mafia-like behavior of governments, etc. He shows how the vast oil reserves near the Caspian Sea are making the region important, even as the rule of law remains elusive. As an economist, I consider this a must-read book, if for no other reason than to see the devastation that was wrought by the breakup of the Soviet Union. Having read hundreds of pages written by Ph.D's on privatization and "transition economics," all from an Ivory Tower perspective, I find that Kaplan's on-the-ground reporting provides a much-needed reality check. Anyone who tries to offer advice on "peace processes" or "economic development" needs to factor in the way things really work on the ground. By visiting the countries themselves, dealing directly with thuggish police and border patrols, and seeing how everyday people really function in these countries, Kaplan provides valuable data. In addition to the valuable substance, the quality of writing is very high. Kaplan's descriptions are vivid, and his observations are often under-stated and even humorous. If you have not read this book, then you should.
Rating:
Summary: History Blended With Contemporary Insight - Great Commentary
Review: Kaplan weaves a masterful mix of travelogue, history and sociopolitical insight into a book about his journey through the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus. His writing style mirrors past journalists/travelers who sought to understand the root causes of social and political behavior through the lens of history. Thus, expect a solid accounting of historical narrative for each country, coupled with a mix of contemporary thought largely begotten through his conversations with local politicians, journalists, and other travelers. Describing the mix of ethnic paranoia, fledgling democracy, and craving for NATO membership that characterized national debate within Bulgaria in the late 1990's, Kaplan provides a rare glimpse of Bulgarian politics. Isolated from the international community due to rivalries with Greece and Romania on its borders, the worst fear for many in this country "is to be forgotten" by the West. One chapter where Kaplan describes organized crime and its impact on Bulgaria reminds me of the headquarters of the multinational peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Right outside the gate in Pristina, several rows of stores boast $1-2 compact disks, DVDs and other pirated material. Western soldiers undoubtedly fuel the revenues of quasi-legitimate businesses that undermine the goals of the U.S. and European community in the region - to bring about democratic reforms. By violating the intellectual property rights of the entertainment & software industries, these outlets twist the very nature of capitalism and diminish the likelihood that true economic development will take root in the region, thus empowering the organized crime syndicates attempting to maintain their grip on power in the Balkans. The future becomes all the more complex given NATO's recent membership offer to Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, and Slovakia. How much has changed within these countries over the last three or four years? Maybe a lot, but the book provides useful insight into the not-so-distant past in the Balkans. Kaplan's description of Turkish politics, ethnic struggles and religious strife helps a reader understand current issues in the republic, highly relevant given the current crisis with Iraq on Turkey's southern border. Military officers and other officials would do well to prepare themselves with accounts like Kaplan's that illustrate some of the challenges of democracy in this contemporary country built on the ruins of ancient empires. For example, Kaplan interviews a professor at the University of Ankara that describes the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey as an "assertion of traditional rural values" and not creeping fanatical religious overtones in a secular state. Western diplomats should understand this distinction, if dealing in Turkey, as well as understanding the powerful influence that the Turkish General Staff has within the country. Kaplan's synopsis of Syria and Lebanon create much food for thought as we move toward further conflict in the Middle East. Given the alliance between Turkey and Israel during the recent past, the government of Syria has grown very insecure. How will a US-Turkish- Israeli pact affect the balance of Middle Eastern politics? This book provides a useful backdrop to understand history and developments within the region. Read Kaplan to forecast the trials of our future in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus.
Rating: 
Summary: The Art of the Long View
Review: Let me start by saying that Robert Kaplan stole my idea. Never mind that he published his book just as I began my drive from Yerevan, Armenia, to Almaty, Kazakhstan and back. Never mind that he traveled from Budapest, Hungary to Merv, Turkmenistan from 1998-99, fully a year before my own trek. The fact is that I was going to write a book just like Eastward to Tartary, and Kaplan beat me to it. Fortunately for the publishing world, Kaplan did a better job than I could have done.
Kaplan's premise is that the old divides between Western and Eastern Europe, or more precisely between the West and the Ottoman Empire, still exist and that these will have a major impact on global affairs in the next decade or so. He calls the region of the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus the "New Near East" and says that it may well be the "seismograph of world politics" in the 21st century. By this he means the region is likely to make the headlines early this century, and it is to crises in this region that the West must be prepared to respond. Interestingly, Kaplan leaves out of his travelogue the former Yugoslavia, Iran, and Iraq, stating that he has already written about these countries in previous publications.
Kaplan is a journalist for the Atlantic Monthly. I was not surprised to see how well connected he was nor how insightful he was. I was, however, surprised to see how well he mastered his history. The purpose of his travels was to determine the effect of history and how a country's past will shape its future. The future of a country is not a blank slate, Kaplan argues. History, geography, and culture place limits on what is possible. True leaders push those limits, he says, but Kaplan met few true leaders during his voyage. He saw much that gave him hope, but he also saw much that caused him to despair. The farther east he traveled, the greater the terrible effects of the breakup of the Soviet Union and, indeed, of the Ottoman Empire. Throughout Kaplan's journey, one question plagued him: should we intervene? He offers no answers, but notes that the West intervened in Kosovo largely because of how close the Balkans are to Western Europe. Following this logic, he concludes, there is no real interest, aside from oil and gas supplies, that would encourage the West to intervene if, say, Georgia imploded. One feels that the Georgians and everyone else Kaplan meets understand this grim reality but accept it only reluctantly. "We are European!" they all cry. Kaplan himself is a bit obsessed with trying to determine where Europe or the West ends and Asia or the East begins.
Now almost five years old, Eastward to Tartary is less timely than at the beginning of the century. In this recently post-9/11 world, it is hard to believe that Turkmenistan or Armenia would hijack American foreign policy more than radical Islam or Iraq has. Kaplan's arguments that a NATO border that ends at Hungary and does not include Romania is both an echo of the pre-WWI balance of power and a precursor to rifts in the 21st century are now irrelevant with Romania joining NATO. At the same time, his warnings that the economic wastelands of some of these countries are fomenting Islamic fundamentalism are prescient.
In his acknowledgements, the author thanks a young diplomat who helped Kaplan in Turkmenistan. The same diplomat helped me on my journey through that part of the world. Hey, maybe I can convince Random House to finance a sequel. How does "Central Asian Stories" sound? No? It's one thing to travel and have the ideas; it's quite another to publish a compelling travelogue. Kaplan has done this, and he has earned my respect.
Rating:
Summary: A very important book
Review: Most Americans are woefully ignorant of the countries east of Europe, and especially of those in the Near East. This book, by the author of "Balkan Ghosts", does its best to inform us about a lot of places that aren't really very familiar to us, although they have become much more important in the past two months since September 11. This is a travelogue-political-historical guide to a vast region stretching from Hungary to Turkmenistan, covering most of the countries in between. There are incisive conversations with important folks, and just regular ones. A bit of history of each place is given, and the author does his best to fit each one into the context of the times. He makes a good case that we are so uninformed about this region that there is almost no chance of the US intervening there if further acts of ethnic violence happen, or if there are governments toppled. A lot of this book is concerned with the results of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it is sobering to see that not all of those results were positive, especially for those people living in the area under communist domination. To be informed, fully informed, about this very important area of the world, even if you don't agree with all of the arguments of the author, I urge you to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Kaplan does it again
Review: Once again, Kaplan uses his lucid writing to bring the Third World to life. Although this book is not as great as Balkan Ghosts or The Ends of the Earth, it is still an excellent read.
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