The Afghan crisis has grabbed the attention of the entire world, and underlined the desperate need in the West for a better understanding of the region and its challenges in the face of increasingly militant interpretations of Islam.  Covering Afghanistan and the Islamic crescent of ex-Soviet republics - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan - Martin McCauley draws on his vast knowledge of the region to provide a clear introduction to its history and its people.