Anyone wanting to know about this region should not look further than this book; simply put, it is an excellent introduction to understanding this region and its people.
And once again, it shows that numerical strength does not naturally equate to success as now the Russians have been dealt two very harsh blows by the Afghans and now the Chechnyans.
The first half of the book is quite a slow read as the author paints a picture of what is a patchwork of cultures packed into a very small area. However, half through the book and onwards, he start to describe the actual war there and the book becomes more easy to read.
My only criticism is the title of the book; it is too sensational implying a "crusade" type war...and this is very much incorrect!
I highly recommend this book!