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.