Customer Reviews

The New Great Game: Blood and Oil in Central Asia

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One may agree or disagree with the political arguments Lutz Kleveman makes about U.S. energy imperialism in Central Asia, but his evidence is certainly startling and compelling. This makes the book very timely, especially in light of another oil war being in full swing in Iraq, and it should be part of the public discourse.

But what I really loved about The New Great Game is the amazing journey the author took me on! He actually traveled to all the countries he writes about, often risking his neck, from Chechnya to Afghanistan. This is first-hand reporting at its best, really allowing the reader to see, hear, smell, and feel the places and people Kleveman encounters - be they warlords or oil tycoons. Some of them I will not forget in a long time. And all the while Kleveman keeps his sharp eye and clear mind for who and what is important for the oil story.

I seriously and whole-heartedly recommend this wonderful book!

The Central Asia region, symbolically centered on the vast raw material resources in and around the Caspian Sea, was the subject of the "Great Game" struggle of colonial times, during which Russia and England spent generations trying to extend their influence into this mysterious, inaccessible, and often lawless region. In recent years, Central Asia has again been thrown into a battle among far greater powers, due to the international drive for new supplies of fossil fuels and the war against terrorism. The United States has taken England's place in machinations with the Russians, while the emerging regional powers of Iran and China are becoming involved, with everyone trying to extend their political influence in the region and to secure energy supplies. In this book Lutz Kleveman utilizes the historical concept of a "New Great Game" to describe how Central Asia is again looming large in the world's strategic geopolitics (and petropolitics). Kleveman's conceptions of a "New Great Game" are reasonably effective, but this background argument operates only as a rather thin shell around a travel diary and short-term war reporting.

Kleveman definitely traveled to many intriguing and downright dangerous locations while researching the book. He met with opposition leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, dictators and demagogues in the former Central Asian Soviet Republics (including the bizarre personality cult in Turkmenistan and the shamefully overlooked human rights violators of U.S. ally Uzbekistan), and oil company plutocrats in Azerbaijan and Russia. Kleveman also took very intriguing forays into the not-so-axis-of-evil stability of Iran, and the obscure Uighur lands of Western China. Kleveman's politically-inclined travelogues to these dangerous or inaccessible trouble spots is highly reminiscent of the works of Robert D. Kaplan, though frankly Kaplan is better at it and has a keener eye for geopolitical realities. Overall, Kleveman misses many opportunities for larger informative insights, especially in the way he merely alludes to the true economic goals of the superpowers as they claim to be combating terrorism and stabilizing nations. Kleveman starts with some pretty believable arguments on these matters but fails to really support them with corroborating evidence. This is especially true in the book's problematic epilogue, in which Kleveman finally attempts to deliver the grand geopolitical and economic insights that he had been leading up to throughout his travel reporting, but unfortunately comes across as a rather opinionated second-guesser. [~doomsdayer520~]

This is one of the most brilliant books I have read in years!
Ever feel that the Bush administration's is hijacking the War on Terror to pursue U.S. oil interests in Iraq and Central Asia? Well, the journalist Lutz Kleveman traveled to the frontlines and oil fields to find out. What he discovered on his fascinating journeys from the Caucasus all the way down to Afghanistan is eye-opening..
And what an adventure tale this book is, too! The author beautifully weaves his bold political analysis into gripping travel writing. His encounters with the power players in the region, be they Russian oil bosses or Afghan warlords, make for a great read. I enjoyed every page of it!

Over the past couple of years I have become increasingly interested in learning about where the things we take for granted in a consumer society come from. Beyond every label (Or non-label in the case of gas/oil - why not?) of "Made in XXXX" is a story I want to know more about. This has been one of my travel themes during my recent world travels over the last 2 years around the world where I was on the road for more than 1 year - most recently 7 months straight.

One of the things I've learned more about is the oil and gas industry. From visiting the reasons for our oil dependency as shown at the Petersen Auto Museum in LA, which chronicles the rise of the automobile and visiting the largest Toyota (Camry) plant in the US in Kentucky. Continuing to where oil is sourced by crisscrossing Texas, visiting Spindletop (Where oil was first found in Texas) and the refineries of East Texas, exploring natural gas rich Qatar, visiting the wealth of the UAE, or seeing the price of cheap oil in Jakarta, Indonesia I feel I am a little more informed than most.

Since returning home I watched the entire 4 VHS set of the Prize by Daniel Yergin which covers the entire modern oil industry (1850s-present). As I was at the library looking for other books on resources I came across the New Great Game.

Once I started, I could not let it down.

Mr. Kleveman engages the reader immediately. He talks with so many influential people and visits every country in the region that one can't but help realize that he knows his stuff. All of these countries (Mostly the Stans of Central Asia) are well off the travel map for tourists. His first hand on the ground research is of much value and illuminates the players and the intricacies of the area from both a historical and oil standpoint. In fact, his writing and descriptions make me want to visit the region myself now to continue my discovery of where things come from. $2.50 flights in Turkmenistan here I come! (To be sure, I corroborated this on a travelogue from a couple who traveled through the Stans recently)

I will agree with an earlier reviewer that the book seems to drag a bit as Mr.Kleveman explored the last two countries on his list - Pakistan and Afghanistan, but perhaps I was just suffering mental overload at that point as I had pretty much barreled through this book in a couple of days. Or it could just be the feeling that I/we might have already heard about those countries enough - as they have been in the news so much. But, the other Central Asian countries have not been in the news, that is why this work is important.

While the author's final section - Epilogue: Angry Young Men started well, I thought the 2nd part of it could have been rewritten in a different tone. Though this would only make me mark this book review down to 4.5 stars.

One top Amazon reviewer earlier admonishes the author because of a difference between FOR or BECAUSE OF OIL. While the difference in words is appreciated, the actual reality doesn't matter much. I suggest the reviewer read "All the Shah's Men" about the coup in Iran a while back, or actually visit a number of countries where oil is sourced. Preferably those where instant oil wealth isn't exactly a trickle down proposition such as Nigeria, Angola, Indonesia, or many of the Stans for that fact. Intentions to stabilize? As long as the black stuff gushers out and flows I suppose.

While some (An executive of a major oil firm mentions it in the book I believe) may say that what the oil wealth does to a country isn't the responsibility of the oil company, where do we draw a line? Should we just wash our hands of everything? Isn't that an argument drug growers in Colombia or weapons dealers around the world can use? Fine, we don't need to get involved and we should just take the oil, but then let's not complain about Colombia supplying cocaine either. Supply and demand right?

Anyways - the maps in the front and back I found were most useful in pointing out where the author went and where the places of interest (Pipelines, fields) are. I only wish the author included some photos in the book itself. But, he has posted plenty of interesting ones on his website from his Central Asia travels. www.newgreatgame.com

The author ends the book on a great last sentence - SUV and painkillers. I'll add sprawling cities and lack of public transport. The book Carfree Cities by J.H. Crawford may be a more constructive place to look for the future. Or a visit to how people live in Denmark, Netherlands, and Singapore (Right across from Jakarta!) Or taking a look at how Australia is changing by act of government will(From suburbia to higher density housing).

The book is interesting. The trouble is, the author appears to be a bit gullible for a seasoned journalist. I work in the Caspian oil industry. Some of the items the author presents as 'fact' are just plain wrong. He tells one story about the offshore life of a driller, "Thomas", whom he met in a bar in Baku. It is obvious to me that some drunken rig-hand was spinning him a line, and Kleveman swallowed it. Similarly, he gets the facts wrong about the Iranian gunboat incident; it involved a seismic vessel, not a rig. It makes a huge difference.

Knowing that he got wrong some simple facts that it would have been very easy to check, I have to question the rest of the book. What else is he stating as fact with little or no verification?

Also, the author's opinion and agenda are apparent. The book is not objective. If you bear these points in mind the book can allow some insight into, say, why the Russians are so adamant to hang on to Chechnya, etc. But, as another reviewer said, you can get the same information by reading the newspaper; probably with a broader scope and less bias.

In the past Great Game, canny potentates, shahs and princes played Tsarist Russia and Imperial Britain one off the other through a series of proxy wars, treaties, and backdoor politicking that went on well into the twentieth century. Now, although the sun has set on the British Raj, the stakes are higher, and Russia and her "federation" continue to wheedle and deal, this time with oil as the prize. New players, namely the US and China, have stepped into the fray, and the Game has escallated into more than just a few stray spies skulking through the Hindu Kush.

Kleveman rightly sees the area of the Stans as being the new center of the world. He takes us through areas previously behind the Stalinist iron curtain--and fast becomming the Islamist curtain--to storied "countries", their people and leaders, and the iron grip that the past still imposes on the present. It's thrilling reading, and sobering, too. If politics and economics move too fast to make this book current in ten years, it will still maintain its place as one the best overviews of the central Asian geopolitical scene available to the lay reader in English.

Lutz Kleveman's book "The New Great Game" explores the exciting world of money, oil, war, and political intrigue that is modern Central Asia. The title is a reference to the grandiose chess-like struggle between Russia and Britain for control over Central Asia in the 19th century, where possession of bountiful, empire-making India was at stake. In that time period, rogues and renegades, politicians and emmisaries, viceroys and emirs all charted out an extravagant drama that contributed immeasurably to the course of history. Kleveman argues "The Great Game" is far from over: there are new players and new stakes in the New Great Game of the 21st century.

Interviewing everyone from oilmen to military commanders to revolutionary leaders to madrassa students, Klevemen unravels a huge, complex net of motivations and intents that underlie the beehive of political and military activity that buzzes over Central Asia. It effectively digs beneath the veneer that is presented to us by the media which obscures the happenings of the region: true, there is a war on terror in the area, true, Muslim fundamentalism is a factor there. However, the everyday layman usually knows very little beyond this sensationalistic coverage from news outlets, and this does little justice to activity in Central Asia which may, as with the original Great Game, seriously determine the course of history. Looking back in time, we acknowledge soberly that economic factors have been one of the most enduring, reliable, and strong influences in determining historical events. The quest for tea, spices, and opium drove colonialization. Industrialization marks one of the most jarring technological shifts to have ever occured to mankind. Today, current events often is discussed in the language of globalization. However, it is very easy to forget that economics remains the preeminent determinant and that current events often have economic motivations that loom over ideological ones. Kleveman's book is superb in that it brings us back to this vital understanding.

New Great Game players like Iran, China, Russia, and the United States are poised to stake their claims on the world's last fronteir in oil reserves in Central Asia, and geopoltically, Central Asia is where the these powers' spheres of influence converge. A cultured awareness of the political, military, and economic undertakings that are being carried out in this area right now, and an understanding of the historical consequences of these events will make a person a more informed global citizen. Kleveman's "The New Great Game" is an excellent place to start in seeking this awareness.

Make no mistake, behind the unassuming prose and relatively short length of this book lies an extremely astute and sharp analysis of the politics, history and significance of the caspian region.

Like Michael Klare's "Resource Wars", the great strength of this book is that Kleveman focuses first on the distribution and location of the natural resources underlying the region (here mostly oil) and then "follows the money" to see how they shape the politics and intrigues within each country, and between them and the larger forces of the global economy.

Kleveman seems to have an extraordinary ability to weave together history, personal observations, current affairs, and interviews into chapters that contain the essence of the information. I was particularly impressed with his knack at obtaining audiences with key players in politics and the oil industry who appear to speak very openly to him giving nuggets of insight unobtainable elsewhere.

The bottom line is that this is an understated book, very easy to read, and essential.I cannot recommend this book enough, and I just hope this is the first of many books in the same vein by Kleveman. His capacity to cut through the crap and actually say something is truly remarkable. I would love to see him do something similar with Western Africa (where he apparently has done some reporting), the South China Sea, Eastern Europe, Latin America, etc...

Not being an expert on central Asia or U.S. oil policy, I can't comment on whether the author has all his facts straight. But he makes an excellent case that the U.S. may well be headed for deep kimchi in Asia and the Middle East with hubristic actions and attitudes. And I disagree that the average person will get as much from the newspaper as in this book. Kleveland provides a comprehensive overview of the what key people in the region are thinking about U.S. oil policy there, with lucid insight about oil politics in Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and other nations with a stake in Caspian sea oil. Since the author writes about his personal experiences as he visits key politicians, war lords and power brokers in many of these countries, the reader gets a bird's eye view of what may "really" be going on in the minds of leaders there. This perspective is unique, and one gets the sense that the truth is being told. It's not something you hear on the nightly news, and it's not pretty. The writing is exceptional - the book is hard to put down.

Reading this book is an easy way to learn about Central Asia through the first-hand impressions of an intrepid journalist. Lutz Kleveman travels through dangerous countries, interviews ministers, ambassadors, and business executives, and also gathers impressions from men and women in the street. The themes of this narrative center on the rich oil and natural gas resources of the region, the prevalence of corruption, bad government, and ethnic tension, and the conflicting strategic interests of the US, Russia, China, and Iran.

The narrative starts on a depressing note. Kleveman visits Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where he finds that "upscale boutiques and picturesque minarets...cannot mask the strong stench of oil, that never dissipates, day or night." US firms hope to build a pipeline to Turkey, but political instability looms as a risk. The Azeris still seeth over the loss of Karabakh in the mid-90s war with Armenia, and Kleveman finds proud nationalists who advocate war to seize back the region.

Georgia is truly discouraging. Once the most beautiful of Caucasian cites, Tblisi now exudes at best a "moribund charm." The author discovers that "corruption and nepotism have reached catastrophic levels, destroying the country and society at almost every level." Kleveman tours Abkhazia, which he finds heavily garrisoned by Russian soldiers as a potential blocking move against Western-sponsored pipeline projects. The author visits with Chechnyan refugees in Ingushetia and hears nightmarish accounts of violence, chaos, and corruption in Chechnya.

On a more positive note, a side trip to Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province finds that Uighurs (indigenous Muslims) are benefiting from improved living standards in the booming economy, although ethnic tensions with Han Chinese persist. And Kazakhstan seems poised to benefit from the immense Kashagan and Tengiz oil fields, which between them may contain in excess of 50 billion barrels of crude. Kleveman wonders how much of this will trickle down to the people, the majority of whom live in poverty.

In Afghanistan, he finds disenchantment with the US. A tribal soldier tells him, "We Afghans know very well that the Americans did not come here to help us - they are here because they need Afghanistan to get access to the oil and gas at the Caspian Sea." As one might expect, anti-Americanism is rampant in Pakistan's tribal territories. Kleveman interviews a retired Pakistani general, the former US ambassador, and a senior leader of the country's Islamicist party. Surprisingly Kleveman reports pro-Western sentiment in Iran, where he senses that the revolution has discredited fundamental Islam in the people's eyes. But Iranian hopes for a pipeline to the Tengiz field in Kazakhstan run aground against US sanctions, which no oil firm dares break.

Kleveman ends the book with what some will take to be an anti-American diatribe. He argues that "American arrogance of power will not fail to affect relations" with the countries of the region, which now suspect that "the Bush administration [is] using its war against terror in Central Asia to seal the American Cold War victory against Russia, to contain Chinese influence, and to tighten the noose around Iran." He senses a huge change in perception of the US, which was "admired and loved" in the aftermath of the Cold War, but whose policies are now perceived as "arrogant, aggressive, and outright imperialist." He worries that "the region's impoverished populaces, disgusted with the United States' alliances with their corrupt and despotic rulers, [will] increasingly embrace militant Islam and virulent anti-Americanism."

Whether the reader agrees with Kleveman's conclusions or not, one has to respect his fieldwork. For those interested in this poorly understood but strategically important region of the world, the book provides useful data and impressions.