Charles van der Leeuw – författare

Situated fatefully between the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains and the waters of the Caspian Sea, the republic of Azerbaijan’s journey to modern statehood has been an eventful one, influenced by the great empires and cultures of world history. Originally published in 2000, this book was the first English-language work to provide an overview of the history of Azerbaijan from the first evidence of inhabitation in prehistoric times, through the khanates of the Middle Ages, to the post-Soviet republic. Emerging from the ruins of the ex-Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, as one of the world’s centres of oil production, has seen increased strategic and cultural significance. Drawing on a wide range of sources, the author pays particular attention to the way in which the Soviet Union and oil industry have shaped the nation, while devoting a special section the factors that created the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The control of energy and its resources is linked deeply to the desire for power, and the quest for oil and gas tells a particularly dramatic tale that reflects mankind’s often stormy progress through history. Hydrocarbons and their discovery as a utility found their cradle in the Caucasus and Caspian region. After a century of booming production became curtailed by decades of Cold War isolation and Soviet mismanagement the story continues as the region becomes a key player in global energy production. Originally published in 1998, this book charts the history of the fossil fuels industry in this pivotal region from ancient civilizations through to the new millennium. This was the first overview to be written of the world’s original oil and gas industry. It also details how oil – and to a lesser extent – gas has developed from a mere commodity into a potent strategic-political tool.