This is a book which, at first glance, may seem to be at best very much on the periphery of the subject of the Great War. But the Caucasus was and still is one of the world's most strategic regions; the book is a very useful tool for any student looking at the part of the world starting at Istanbul and carrying on to Afghanistan. An added bonus is that it is written extremely well and on its own is a exceptionally good read. Highly recommended for any student seeking to correlate the history of the whole region of the Middle East with what is happening in the world today.