There is a lot of interest in this region right now, but I'd recommend two books in particular. For the historical context, Sören Urbansky 's Beyond the Steppe Frontier, and for the contemporary situation, Caroline Humphrey and Franck Billé's On the Edge. The former is comprehensive but also not overly long and the scholarship is cutting edge. The latter is by two of the most prominent specialists in this field and contains a wealth of fascinating ethnographic and sociological information.

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