Today Afghanistan is considered a setting for conflict and turmoil, but the country has a long, rich history, largely a result of its designation as a center of migration and trade and its succession of empires. Simpson (senior curator, Iranian and Arabian pre-Islamic collections, British Museum, UK) provides a lavishly illustrated cultural history of the country from about 2500-2000 BC through to the present and, in doing so, a look at the people and art of the area. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)