The Foreign Service Journal, November 2006

Caudill lived outside the embassy compound, trav- eled widely and participated in the local life and cul- ture. He was rewarded with important insights into the reality of Saudi Arabia behind the mask of official clich- es maintained by the ruling family. History will show, he believes, that American leaders should have paid more attention to these realities. Mark Caudill joined the Foreign Service in 1991. He is currently vice consul in Istanbul. Carrizo: Portrait of a New Mexican Family Victor A. Abeyta, BookSurge Publishing, 2005, $15.99, paperback, 310 pages. In this reminiscence and tribute to his parents, Victor Abeyta brings to light a slice of New Mexican history and a way of life that has vanished. The authors’ mother and father are the central characters whose lives, along with other major figures of the homestead, are traced against the social and political background of the 20th century. Two wars, the Great Depression, changes in land-use laws and the advance of technology all left their marks on the family. The narrative is crisp and very well-writ- ten, making this book of genuine interest to the gener- al reader as well as a valuable contribution to regional and social history. Victory Alejandro (Alex) Abeyta is a retired senior FSO who served from 1969 to 2002 in Mexico, Por- tugal, Uruguay, Spain, Canada, El Salvador, Colombia and Washington, D.C. He wrote this book while in Moscow, where his wife, a Foreign Service officer, was on assignment. Braddock’s True Gold: 20th Century Life in the Heart of Fairfax County Marion Meany and Mary Lipsey, with Gilbert Donahue and John Browne, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, 2006, $25.00, paperback, 168 pages. This is a beautiful and unusual coffee-table book that looks at the history of Fairfax County’s Brad- dock District through the eyes of more than 60 of its longtime residents. Supplemented with a variety of excellent maps and photographs, the narrative captures everyday life in the community from the 1930s through the 1980s — their shops, workplaces, schools, modes of transportation and special events. “The 168 pages of oral histories, photos and maps document the passage of Braddock, and the surrounding county, from an out- back of dairy farms and sawmills to a mega-suburb. Even longtime residents are likely to learn something,” says The Washington Post review of June 22. Retired FSO Gilbert Donahue served as digital archivist, contributing the graphic design, pho- tographs, captions and cover design for the history pro- ject, which began in 2004 when Braddock District Supervisor Sharon Bulova organized the first of a series of town meetings on the topic “A Look Back at Braddock.” The book is available at the Fairfax County Government Center Maps and Publications Sales Office, (703) 324-2974. Unknown Sands: Journeys Around the World’s Most Isolated Country John W. Kropf, Dusty Spark Publishing, 2006, $26.00, hardcover, 224 pages. For centuries, Turkmen- istan was the world’s most feared territory, the fierce nomadic tribes of its vast desert wastes deemed ungov- ernable. Today the country is independent, sits atop one of the planet’s largest natural gas reserves, and is strategically located between the hot spots of Afghanistan and Iran — but is still virtually un- known. This book begins to bring this remote country to life in a most engaging way. The author skillfully blends his own two-year adventure there with the history of Turkmenistan to present an insightful and accessible profile of the country and its people — from the bazaars to the ancient Silk Road and Oxus River, the country’s unique brand of Islam and the post-9/11 confrontation with the Taliban. FS spouse John W. Kropf served in Turkmenistan as country director for USAID from 2000 to 2002. A government attorney specializing in international law, he had worked at the State Department for eight years prior to his wife’s posting to Ashgabat. He is currently director of international privacy programs 66 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 6