by Peter Zeihan
First published 2011
The ancient Caucasus mountains have witnessed centuries of imperial ambition, but now three powers converge simultaneously on this fractured region. Post-Soviet Russia pushes south while Islamic Iran extends its influence northward and Republican Turkey moves eastward. Each nation brings its own agenda to a landscape already crowded with competing ethnic groups who have spent generations maneuvering against both each other and their would-be overlords. The protagonist finds himself caught between these massive geopolitical forces as they inevitably gravitate toward the contested border zones. Local populations must navigate not only their historical rivalries but also the designs of three ascending powers, each determined to control this strategic crossroads. The story explores how ordinary people survive when empires treat their homeland as a chessboard, revealing the human cost of great power competition in a region where survival depends on reading the shifting balance of forces.
Genres: historical-fiction, war, adventure, political-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Setting: Caucasus, Iran, Russia, Turkey
Period: Post-Soviet
136 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace