After reading Tajikistan: The Trials of Independence (see review), my perspective of this region was broadened immensely with Calming the Ferghana Valley. An in-depth study of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan (with particular focus on Northern Tajikistan) and Kyrgystan, the book acts as more of a petition, or call to action, to secure stability in these regions before the continued fragility, confusion, and disintegration of the political and social structure influences an irreversible course toward explosive upheaval.

The recent events in Afghanistan have demonstrated how far-reaching the effects of socio-political unrest can be. They have also demonstrated how strategically valuable these countries can be, being located in the middle of the tumultuous Asian continent. This book is a first attempt at staving off the violent actions and reactions that may or may not occur as a result of the unrest. But with the bombings in Osh, Kyrgystan; the kidnappings and "disappearances" in Tajikistan, and the secret unrest in Uzbekistan, it does not take much influence to convince one that the unrest may be more violent than diplomatic.
I'm just a guy from Minnesota, USA. I have never been to any of these places and probably never will go. Reading this book, however, gives me an apprecation for the struggles that these people encounter every day--both on an individual level and on the governmental level.
The land is a beautiful land, ranging from deserts to spectacular mountains. The people there have a desire to succeed and, with a little of our help, as proposed in this book, perhaps they will.
Read it--Learn a little about this world that you live upon!

Then and Now: Kyrgyzstan is great for research. I used it for a school project, and it told me almost everything I needed to know.

The thorough review of ethnic conflict in Osh of Kyrgyz Republic in 1990.
Osh is the Kyrgyz city in Ferghana Valley, the troublesome part of Central Asian region. More than 100 nationalities inhabit this region, which is shared by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
This book is the review of bloody ethnic conflict that happened in the last years of existence of Soviet Empire. Kyrgyz and Uzbeks have clashed for issue of land distribution in Osh city. As the result of more than 2 month violence hundreds of people were killed, thousands were wounded and many houses were arsoned.
After collapse of the Soviet Union KGB has opened its Osh events archives. This book contains KGB reports on pre-conflict situations in Osh and Uzgen, provides official KGB reports of background of the crisis and how it developed after June 4, 1990-the actual date of the beginning of riots and violence in Osh and Uzgen.
The overall situation in Kyrgyzstan, then the Soviet Republic of Kirgiziya, and the stand of the government in Frunze during and after the riots are provided in details. Official KGB photos of the scene in Osh , Kara suu and Uzgen are also included.

The book is in Kyrgyz and Russian.

"Over The Edge" is the story of a kidnapping of four American rock climbers in August 2000, in a remote valley of Kyrgyzstan. The terrified young climbers were held hostage for six days by Islamic militants of the Islamic Movement Uzbekistan (IMU).

Greg Childs is one of mountaineering literature's best authors. But he is neither an expert on terrorism or georegional politics of Central Asia. In "Over The Edge", his first attempt outside the realm of pure mountaineering literature, Childs falls flat.

The book fails when Childs tries too hard to defend himself and his version (according to the climbers) of the adventure story. Throughout the book, he subsequently bashes any inquiry or criticism about the controversial 'truth' of the kidnapping.

Childs actually had exclusive access to all the climbers, guaranteed by a healthy monetary advance. He could have used this unique privilege to evolve and focus on the harrowing adventure the climbers endured.

Instead, he often choses to focus on himself and his relationship to the story. Childs seems to beg the reader not to ask questions, shut up, and accept his version of the tale as the finite truth. For a good writer, this is an elementary mistake.

"Over the Edge" certainly is an 'over the edge' tale of the ego-centric "Ugly-American" at his/her finest. But it is certainly not the next "Into Thin Air".

The reader from Ohio recycles the same tired slander that has dogged this book since its beginning as an article in Outside magazine. It is not true that the four climbers spoke only to Greg Child. Two of the climbers held a press conference upon their return to the U.S., and all of the climbers gave interviews to many publications, including Climbing. It is true, however, that the climbers gave complete access and the full story of their ordeal only to Child. As for the persistent and malicious rumors that the climbers changed their story or somehow lied about what happened, Child's book definitively establishes that poorly translated articles in the foreign press, in conjunction with a campaign of gossip and innuendo on the part of several American outdoor journalists, have kept alive the notion that something was not right with the story Greg Child and the climbers have been telling. However, a recent Dateline NBC broadcast (iwith lengthy interviews with all four climbers, including Jason Smith) confirmed that Child has been right all along -- and it featured a crucial interview with the kidnapper who was pushed off a cliff during their escape, and who confirmed that the climbers had been truthful all along. This is an excellent book about the ethics and costs of adventure.

This is a great book about 4 climbers kidnapped in a foreign country by Afgani rebels. While in the middle of a climb, the climbers are forced down at gunshot. They live the next 10 days in a series of firefights with death all around them. To make their struggle even tougher, there is little food and the climbers are forced to bed down during hours of light in very cramped quarters. The climbers are aware they are in desparate straits as the kidnappers execute a soldier while in the middle of a gun fight. Eventually the climbers escape but that's only half the story.

Their story is so unbelievable and information is so unreliable that their credibility is severely questioned. This book goes into detail about this controversy and I think does an excellent job of showing how it developed. ...

Based on the controversy you're either going to believe the story or not. To me, it's very believable. The climber characters are classic young Americans and the author does a great job portraying their close relationships and this eventually cracks. I stongly recommend this book if you like climbing or stories of adventure.

I am returning this item because:
-Proper names are not spelled in standard English forms (the publisher of this map is in Germany)
-It is difficult to read the map - it is a topographic map, which is unnecessary and makes it difficult to find and read the cities, notes etc. printed in red.

Even if one is familiar with the region it is difficult to find things on this map!