This timely study is the first to examine the relationship between competition for energy resources and the propensity for conflict in the Caspian region. Taking the discussion well beyond issues of pipeline politics and the significance of Caspian oil and gas to the global market, the book offers significant new findings concerning the impact of energy wealth on the political life and economies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The contributors, a leading group of scholars and policymakers, explore the differing interests of ruling elites, the political opposition, and minority ethnic and religious groups region-wide. Placing Caspian development in the broader international relations context, the book assesses the ways in which Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey are fighting to protect their interests in the newly independent states and how competition for production contracts and pipeline routes influences regional security. Specific chapters also link regional issues to central questions of international politics and to theoretical debates over the role of energy wealth in political and economic development worldwide. Woven throughout the implications for U.S. policy, giving the book wide appeal to policymakers, corporate executives, energy analysts, and scholars alike.

"It is refreshing to read a collection of twelve highly professional papers compiled by Ebel and Menon that address in considerable depth the complex and varied issues of Energy and Conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The book presents the results of a year-long project within the National Bureau of Asian Research, which involved both academia and industry. The result is excellent. This is an important book that marks a milestone in the developing awareness of the commercial, social and political realities that surround high-risk energy investment in the Caucasus and Central Asia..." - Royal Society For Asian Affairs

"This excellent collection is highly recommended to readers interested in the political economy of Caspian Sea oil in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Articles, most written by well-known international experts, are clear and informative." - CHOICE

"The volume's twelve essays bring together well-known scholars and specialists to provide a thorough and detailed review of the region and the larger issues affecting the nexus. Each essay provides a detailed account of the energy issue and interests at stake. The volume also includes important contributions on the lessons of OPEC for the energy producers of the region, the trends and limits of regional cooperation, and the influence of the Afghan civil war." - International Affairs

"This timely study is the first to examine the relationship between competition for energy resources and the propensity for conflict in the Caspian region. Taking the discussion well beyond issues of pipeline politics and the significance of Caspian oil and gas to the global market, the book offers significant new findings concerning the impact of energy wealth on the political life and economies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. It realistically explores the shifting balance of religion, politics, ethnic groups, and societies in the region." - Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society

"It is refreshing to read a collection of twelve highly professional papers compiled by Ebel and Menon that address in considerable depth the complex and varied issues of Energy and Conflict in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The book presents the results of a year-long project within the National Bureau of Asian Research, which involved both academia and industry. The result is excellent. This is an important book that marks a milestone in the developing awareness of the commercial, social and political realities that surround high-risk energy investment in the Caucasus and Central Asia." - Royal Society For Asian Affairs

"An excellent introduction to the region and the energy sector." - Development and Change