UNKNOWN SANDS

By John Kropf

As an independent country strategically located between the hot spots of Afghanistan and Iran, with one of the planet's largest natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan remains virtually unknown to the outside world. Unknown Sands penetrates this remote and harsh land. Turkmenistan was once the world's most feared territory. Since the time of the Mongols, the nomadic tribes of its vast desert wasters were deemed ungovernable. Russians and Persians were captured as slaves and carried off by the fierce Turkmen. This is a personal story that blends two years of adventure with Turkmenistan's tumultuous history to present an intriguing profile of the country and its people. This former Soviet territory offers a target-rich environment for the unusual including a surreal cult of Presidential personality, ancient ruins of the Silk Road, and a unique, mystical brand of Islam. With no current literature available, this book can be expected to feed the growing appetite for information on this increasingly important country and could be well positioned should events there change.

Hardcover: 224 pages

ISBN: 0976356511

Publisher: Dusty Spark Publishing (February 20, 2006)

Publisher's website: http://www.dustyspark.com/