"The colorful illustrations of this informative and very accessible introduction to the archaeology and cultural history of Afghanistan make it the most attractive volume available on its subject matter. Simpson is an archaeologist and assistant keeper of the ancient Iran and Arabia collections in the British Museum, and he displays a thorough, insightful understanding of the underlying complexities of Afghanistan's location as the 'crossroads of Asia.' ... Simpson also emphasizes the significant contributions of the indigenous peoples themselves to Afghanistan's history, rather than interpreting their lives and destinies as simple products of external intervention and determination...the book definitely belongs in any university or public library collections on Afghanistan. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries."

"With this slight cultural sampler, Simpson...looks past the recent turmoil in Afghanistan to explore the rich history of the "Crossroads of Asia." The book, using many impressive photographs from the British Museum, features important archeological finds illuminating pivotal economic, cultural, and political events of this mountainous land with its fertile area of the southeast, boasting a bounty of metals and minerals as well as a thriving opium cash crop. An army of archeologists from around the globe discovered priceless pottery and other daily objects, graves, coins, and sculpture from ancient societies throughout Afghanistan, from the Achaemenid age to the years of Alexander the Great and the Islamic dynasties in medieval times."