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The Caucasus: An Introduction (2010)

by Thomas de Waal(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0195399773 (ISBN13: 9780195399776)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

review 1: De Waal has a very readable, engaging style which is key if you're going to cover 110 years of very convoluted history. It focuses on the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) which is a bit of a shame but ultimately necessary to keep it short and as readable as it is. Lots of fun nuggets (Stalin didn't go to his mother's funeral!) and good threads of history. Some detail is necessarily removed, but not enough to get really frustrating.I'm sure some people are going to accuse it of bias because, well, that's what people do. But I found it remarkably even-handed in a place where it's nearly impossible to be even-handed. It's a great refresher for those who need to get up to speed because they're focused on the 1920's Caucasus (read: me) and a great introduction ... morefor people who are afraid of stumbling into an insanely fascinating region without any foreknowledge.
review 2: Unfortunately the book didn't manage to capture the taste of the food or the majesty of the mountain views, but I guess you can't ask for everything.It's basically an introductory textbook, but it was a surprisingly good read. De Waal's writing is clear and fast moving and he knows the region extremely well. The book covers the region's modern history in exactly the right depth you want from an introductory book. I also liked his objective perspective. Among the insanely bitter ethnic conflicts of the region he was able to present the history without sounding pro-Armenian, pro-Azerbaijani, pro-Russia. He's anti-bloodshed, but that's okay with me. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating region. less

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