Rafis Abazov teaches at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Currently the home of large oil and gas reserves, Islamic terrorists, and new democracies, Central Asia is of growing visibility to Americans. In this atlas, Rafis Abazov provides 50 two-color maps, each accompanied by explanatory text, that graphically illuminate the region's history tracing back to the 8th-7th centuries B.C. From the spread of Islam to the invasion of the Mongols, the area has been at the crossroads of some of the world's most important developments. The atlas serves as a useful reference, valuable for its clarity and wealth of information. Book jacket.