A writer's incredible journey through the Islamic heartlands.In the early 1990's, Christopher Kremmer arrived in Afghanistan to meet the communist-backed president, Mohammed Najibullah. On the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, mujahideen rebels were massing, yet the carpet dealers of the old city continued to ply their timeless trade.So began a writer's true-life odyssey through a crescent of Islamic nations and regions. Following the historical and cultural threads of the Oriental carpet, the Muslim world's best-known commodity apart from oil, we plunge into a world where even the simplest motif on a rug can be filled with religious, tribal and political significance. But while life inside the bazaars and teahouses bustles with bargaining and gossip, outside, nations crumble and leaders fall.The Carpet Wars is the story of a remarkable ten-year journey across the world's most misunderstood and volatile region. But more vividly, it reveals Islam's human face, wracked by turmoil, but sustained by friendship, industry and humour.Born in Sydney, Australia, Christopher Kremmer has spent the last decade exploring Asia and writing about it for print and broadcast media. His award-winning first book, Stalking the Elephant Kings, unearthed the skeletons of communist rule in South-East Asia.