Customer Reviews

Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?

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This book is a winner for both armchair travelers and those with a serious interest in international geopolitics. Intrepid journalist Ted Rall has become an expert on the obscure lands of Central Asia. This vast but little-covered area covers the five former Soviet republics known collectively as the "Stans," plus parts of Afghanistan and non-Chinese far-western China, all of which are strongly integrated in culture and history. Here Rall reports, with both journalistic insight and a brutally engaging writing style, about his extensive trips through the region. In an often rip-roaring read, we learn about the various horrors of traveling in Central Asia (the corruption and diarrhea there are both among the worst on Earth), while also gaining knowledge on the region's complex politics and infighting. Rall also provides enjoyable coverage of some of the region's offbeat personalities, locations, and culture - such as Turkmenistan's incompetent dictator Turkmenbashi, or a bizarre sport called buzkashi in which many meatheads die painfully for fun and glory.

Central Asia will soon be a world quagmire that will make the Middle East look like a hissy fit. Age-old ethnic tensions, corrupt dictators, irredentist meddling, and the hangover from Russian and Soviet brutalization will all soon combine with the worst of energy politics, as Central Asia's immense fossil fuel resources attract money and influence from power players. Ted Rall usefully clarifies what's really happening in Central Asia from the ground, and points out the geopolitical disaster that will occur if we merely view the region through the lenses of terrorism (i.e. everyone who disagrees with America is in league with Al Qaeda) or petropolitics (i.e. nations are given benefits or sanctions based merely on how much fossil fuel they can offer). Overall, this book is held back a bit by Rall's occasional tendencies toward hyperbole. His political points become repetitive as the book rumbles along, and the later chapters on energy and military matters get bogged down in simplistic conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, Rall's graphic novellas about his journeys add a great amount of fun to this book, but his regular four-panel political cartoons just aren't really that enlightening. Finally, the book is very richly illustrated, especially with candid photos of Central Asia's regular folks - but the maps are cramped and incomprehensible, which is a real problem if you like to see the precise locations of all the interesting places Rall talks about. [~doomsdayer520~] ]

This is a jolly good read. The mixture of travelogue and political analysis is quite a surprising combination.

In this book, you will learn:
(1) Why Crocodile Dundee would not last five minutes in Central Asia (p.179);
(2) How to talk your way out of being shot by the Taliban (pp.130-137);
(3) How to stage a revolution without really trying (p.156);
(4) When a toilet stop in a minefield is a good idea (pp.180-181);
(5) What international sport considers the use of AK-47 bad form but not illegal (p.274);
(6) How not to photograph a rampaging horde of wild Mongol horsemen (p.276);
(7) How to survive eating in the world's worst restaurant (pp.109-113);
(8) Why "problema" is the most common word in Central Asia;
(9) Why drink driving sometimes is a good idea (p.199);
(10) How to pick up women or die trying (p.218).

Ted Rall has a writing style that blends serious political analysis with comedic understatement. Mr. Rall is keen to see that the USA does not spoil its chances for positive influence in Central Asia and thereby get access to the vast oil and gas reserves there. However, the Russians, Chinese, and Indians appear to have different ideas.

After reading this book, I am of the opinion that there is no way I am going to visit Central Asia. Apparrently, Mr. Rall is going back again soon.

Ted Rall's book is worth reading, for a damning self-portrait of an "ugly American" version 2006--huckster, radio host, cartoonist, coldly cynical, thrill-seeking, slumming Ivy Leaguer, brimming with smug condescension and contempt for those he encounters on various tours through Central Asia over the past decade.

Rall waltzes through some of the most violent and tragic regions on earth apparently in search of laffs, thrills, and chills. He gets them. A form of 21st century slumming, adventure tourism is the theme, including a brief kidnapping by the Taliban. Yet lives of ordinary Central Asians apparently matter little--he boasts of paying thousands of dollars in bribes to bump Central Asians from reserved seats on an airplane in order to escape with his tour group from a potentially violent attack. Despite claiming that the Central Asians were in no danger (if so, why were they leaving, and why had they bought tickets?), his message is clear: "I'm number one."

Although Rall clearly has talent as a writer and cartoonist, as well as determination and guts, he apparently lacks human compassion for the people in the region he exploits in his business ventures.

I make sure I read all of Ted Rall's columns, and I'm always amazed. A lot of writers write about subjects you already know about, they just word it differently from the others and throw in a few extra tidbits. Not Ted! When you read him you always learn massive amounts of facts and information that you didn't even realize you should know about. After reading him you wonder why you've never heard about these important topics. You will not regret buying this book if you're already familiar with Mr. Rall's work. If you're not, you're in for an eye-opening experience.

Ted Rall is one of our leading political thinkers. He has made a number of investigative trips to the countries in Central Asia. Why should we care?

Well, these countries are sitting on a sea of oil and natural gas. These former Soviet republics are getting the royal treatment from Russia and China. Superpowers are jockeying for position to lock up access to all these energy resources.

Since 9/11 the US Government has been sucking up to the various monstrous dictators of the area. Remember Saddam Hussein? We used to like him because he was taking on Iran. Rall thinks we are making some big mistakes in our approach to Central Asia.

For example; we are allowing these dictators to hand over their "terrorists" so that we can lock them up in our CIA prisons. These "terrorists" are often human right advocates and gutsy individuals who are trying to speak out against their murderous rulers.

Rall suggests that we should be making friends with the people of Central Asia by helping them out rather than pouring money into the pockets of their corrupt dictators.

What's at stake? Our future access to all that energy.

A very entertaining and fascinating account of several difficult journeys throughout Central Asia in the 1990s when many of the "istans" were faced with independence from the former Soviet Union. The author, a cartoonist, includes samples of his newspaper drawings as well as descriptions of trips in the region. He also provides useful information about each country.

Ted Rall travels to Central Asia - Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. He traveled a few times by himself while he was doing a radio show in LA. Then he went on behalf of the U.S. state government to Turkmenistan and on his own to Afghanistan via Tajikistan to cover the 2001 Afghan invasion.

The book goes into the history, current political situation and culture of this region of the world which we do not know much about. We read about a world where there are military checkpoints, not much development, corruption and different cultures. We learn that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have vast amounts of untapped oil reserves which the United States, Russia and China are all vying to get. Since 2001, the U.S. has also opened military bases in these countries.

He details environmental problems such as Kazakhstan is Russia's Nevada and Russia does nuclear testing there. He goes into Central Asia's versions of 9/11 and Tiananmen square. Also we learn about some customs and interesting games played by people in Central Asia. The book has some enlightening and funny comic strips in it. Rall has a genuine appreciation of the history and culture of these regions.

Rall's conclusion at the end is that when democratically elected leaders such as Askar Akayev from Kyrgyzstan are toppled by U.S. backed revolutions and dictators who bow to the U.S. are instilled; this will lead to a repeat of a 1979 Iranian style revolution in these countries. That is one conclusion, the other one is that countries are turning a blind eye to gross human rights violations like murders of political opponents or boiling dissidents while at the same time cozying up to dictators to gain favor and eventually access to oil. This will create resentment in the long term. He says if people in the United States don't care about these countries, that is fine, as long as we withdraw from the region completely. Another conclusion is that foreign aid is pouring into Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan since they have proven oil reserves. Meanwhile Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are borderline failed states. Rall states these countries are a "package deal" and if one or two countries remain volatile, it will affect neighboring countries. Silk Road to Ruin is a must read book to learn about this underreported part of the world.

Ted Rall is best known to me for his inciteful and incendiary cartoons. I had no idea he is also an intrepid traveller and perceptive and wildly funny observer of human behavior. What a great, funny,interesting and depressing book.

At a publisher's party an editor asked his newest staff writer to pitch him an idea for the wildest adventure travel piece he could think of - and Ted Rall proposed a setting in post-soviet Central Asia. His drive along the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul, sans benefit of research and set plans, results in a blend of graphic novel images and text descriptions which works together for vivid insights in Silk Road to Ruin. This could've been featured in our Travel section but should reach far beyond the usual travel audience, with its inclusion of excellent graphic novel elements throughout.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch