Houman A. Sadri, PhD, associate professor of political science and coordinator of the UCF Model United Nations Program, will speak about his recently published book at the UCF Barnes & Noble bookstore at 5 p.m. on April 19.

Dr. Sadri’s book, Global Security Watch: The Caucasus States, examines the political and security conditions of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia in relation to both Regional and Global Powers.

From the author:

Written from a multidisciplinary perspective, Global Security Watch – The Caucasus States is the first serious study to investigate the 21st-century security concerns raised by the Caucasus states of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia—states that interact with the Great Powers in a region that has become even more significant as a new energy corridor for the West. Following a review of the geographic and historical characteristics of the South Caucasus region, the book examines the political and security conditions of each Caucasus state, providing a highly detailed analysis of the political roots of security challenges, the key players, and the farthest-reaching effects of events and leaders. A final chapter summarizes the main security concerns of all three states for the future. Beyond the policy significance of this work, readers will find it useful for examining the relevance of the Clash of Civilization theory to a geographic region that led previous generations to formulate theories such as the “Great Game” and the “New Great Game.”

Features include:

  • Biographies of all major Azeri, Armenian, and Georgian leaders
  • Key documents such as the constitutions of all three Caucasus republics and the Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire Agreement
  • A chronology of major political events in each Caucasus republic from independence to the present
  • Tables and graphs of trade patterns
  • Maps and photographs
  • A glossary of key terms
  • Book reviews:

    “This comprehensive survey of the Caucasus provides at once both domestic and international perspectives on the dynamics affairs of the region. Sadri’s analysis affords indispensible insight into the pivotal role of the complex and variegated region. Sadri explains the how the region’s contrasting cultures and often conflicting political agendas interact amid competing commercial and political influences. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the background of the Caucasus as we look ahead.” – Gregory Gleason, Professor of Security Studies, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

    “The Caucasus and Caspian Basin now stand as one of the world’s most vital geopolitical zones. Sadri has deftly encapsulated both the promise and perils of this strategic crossroads, and his study should be required reading for all who seek to understand and shape American foreign policy in the region.” – Reuel R. Hanks, Professor of Geography, Oklahoma State University & Editor of the Journal of Central Asian Studies

    “Houman Sadri has produced a reference work that will prove indispensable for students, journalists, policy analysts, and business people alike. I know of no other single volume that contains such comprehensive, up-to-date, and reliable information on the Caucasus–a region of vital geopolitical and economic importance both to the U.S. and to neighboring countries. The inclusion of maps, trade statistics, biographies, and important documents adds extra value to Sadri’s impressive summary of key security issues in the region.” – Robert Donaldson, Trustees Professor of Political Science & former President University of Tulsa, Co-author, The Foreign Policy of Russia: Changing Systems, Enduring Interests