Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan

Dark Shadows is a compelling portrait of Kazakhstan, a country strategically located in Central Asia, sandwiched between Russia and China. It explores how President Nursultan Nazarbayev transformed the economically-struggling state into a swaggering 21st-century monocracy and features a colourful cast of characters. The new edition includes two additional chapters on the aftermath of Nazarbayev's fall from power, the Chinese government's repressions against Kazakhs of Xinjiang, and an Afterword reflecting on the tumultuous events of January 2022 in Almaty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 21 April 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Dark Shadows is a captivating portrayal of Kazakhstan, a country that is relatively unknown in the Western world. Strategically situated in the heart of Central Asia, sandwiched between Vladimir Putin's Russia, its former colonial ruler, and Xi Jinping's China, this vast oil-rich state is carving out its place in the global landscape as it grapples with its complex past and present. Journalist Joanna Lillis paints a vivid picture of this emerging nation through her extensive reportage, spanning 17 years of on-the-ground coverage, and her travels across the length and breadth of this enigmatic country, which lies along the ancient Silk Road and at the geopolitical and cultural crossroads where East meets West.

Featuring tales of murder, abduction, intrigue, betrayal, extortion, and corruption, this book delves into how President Nursultan Nazarbayev transformed himself into a potentate and the economically struggling state he inherited at the fall of the Soviet Union into a swaggering 21st-century monarchy. A colorful cast of characters brings the politics to life, encompassing strutting oligarchs, sleeping villagers, principled politicians, striking oilmen, crusading journalists, and courageous campaigners. This new edition includes two additional chapters that cover the aftermath of Nazarbayev's fall from power in 2019; the Chinese government's repressions against the Kazakhs of Xinjiang as part of its crackdown on Muslim minorities; and an Afterword that reflects on the tumultuous events of January 2022 in Almaty.

Traversing dusty deserts and majestic mountains, taking in glitzy cities and dystopian landscapes, Dark Shadows conjures up Kazakhstan as a living, breathing place, full of extraordinary people living extraordinary lives.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755626694
Edition number: 2 ed