Central Asia, Iran & Pakistan
Neither East Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran
The recent opening of Iran has been met by the curiosity of a number of writers wanting to understand and illuminate a country that has been shrouded by a lack of access--and by prejudice--for three decades. ... more
The Iranian Labyrinth: Journeys Through Theocratic Iran and Its Furies
As Tehran faces a crisis in its escalating showdown with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding its nuclear program, renowned Middle East expert Dilip Hiro clears the way through the labyrinth ... more
A terrifying examination of how Iran's president (a radical Shiite zealot) believes he has a "divine mission" to usher in the apocalypse and thereby herald the second coming of a Shia Muslim messiah-and ... more
The Resurgence of Central Asia, Islam or Nationalism
Kazakhstan, Kirgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have all become independent states in central Asia, following the break-up of the USSR. All have Muslim majorities and ancient histories, ... more
Allah's Bomb, The Islamic Quest for Nuclear Weapons
The peril of nuclear proliferation is urgent and intractable, argues journalist Venter (Iran's Nuclear Option, etc.) in this sprawling exposé, which examines the supply and demand side of the international ... more
Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia
Bissell's first journey to the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1996 was cut short by heartache and illness. Memories of that failure dog his return in 2001 to write about ... more
