Review by Choice Review
For much of its modern history, Central Asia has been a theater for competition among great powers. During the 19th century, the great game, as it was called, was between the Russian and British Empires. The current great game is among Russia, the US, and China. However, as Cooley (Barnard College, Columbia Univ.) points out, unlike the earlier great game that was played as a zero-sum competition between Russia and Britain, today's rivalry among Russia, the US, and China is a variable-sum game that allows these outside powers to coexist with one another's interests and policies in the region. All three countries, for example, have pursued their own version of a "counterterrorism" policy in Central Asia, which has allowed them to establish cooperative relations with Central Asian states while, for the most part, ignoring gross violations of human rights by the region's autocratic regimes. Central Asia has also been a conduit for logistical supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan. The author considers China to be the big winner among the outside powers in Central Asia as it has emerged as the region's largest trading partner and main source of investment. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduate, graduate, and research collections. N. Entessar University of South Alabama
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
