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The Caucasus: An Introduction 2nd Edition

by Thomas de Waal (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 144 ratings
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This new edition of The Caucasus is a thorough update of an essential guide that has introduced thousands of readers to a complex region. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the break-away territories that have tried to split away from them constitute one of the most diverse and challenging regions on earth, impressing the visitor with their multi-layered history and ethnic complexity. Over the last few years, the South Caucasus region has captured international attention again because of disputes between the West and Russia, its unresolved conflicts, and its role as an energy transport corridor to Europe. The Caucasus gives the reader a historical overview and an authoritative guide to the three conflicts that have blighted the region. Thomas de Waal tells the story of the "Five-Day War" between Georgia and Russia and recent political upheavals in all three countries. He also finds time to tell the reader about Georgian wine, Baku jazz and how the coast of Abkhazia was known as "Soviet Florida." Short, stimulating and rich in detail, The Caucasus is the perfect guide to this fascinating and little-understood region.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0190683090
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0190683092
  3. Edition
    2nd
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 3, 2018
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.1 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  8. Print length
    312 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"His book is a factual exploratory work for the interested western readership, which helps to navigate through the complicated political network of the countries of the South Caucasus of great geopolitical importance." -- Margit Kószegi, Eurasian Geography and Economics

"Thomas de Waal is a very astute author with a special sensitivity to the outside world ... His writings, therefore, are surely a must read ... it has also the potential of influencing western thinking about the Caucasus for generations to come." -- Krzysztof Strachota [translated by Iwona Reichardt], N/A, New Eastern Europe

"A compact but rich book examining the southern side of the range, where combustible difficulties afflict three small post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. ...If ever there was a place that needed a competent and even-tempered guide, this was it. Mr. de Waal provides one. Currently an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he has traveled through and written of the Caucasus more than most any outsider since the Kremlin's grip over the region loosened during the Soviet collapse. His book contains history and knowing flair:..will likely have many lives. Why? The wars that broke out in the 1990s are not over. Mr. De Waal's book is welcome now, and most useful. If one of the wars flares up again, it will be essential." -- The New York Times War Blog

"Assiduously researched and lucid primer. While it may be easier for the distant academic to be dispassionate, de Waal is more than that. Through the past two decades, he has written extensively on, and from, the region for British newspapers and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. He is also the co-author of Chechnya, probably the best contemporary volume on that violent Russian republic. The Caucasus reflects a depth of understanding of the region that doesn't stray into the didactic. In recent years, other volumes have appeared on the South Caucasus, notably Charles King's The Ghost of Freedom, and Thomas Goltz's diaries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. But de Waal has produced the most important work. And, as with any good book, it leaves the reader hungering for more." -- Foreign Policy

"Nobody has dealt with today's Transcaucasia as lucidly as Thomas de Waal." --Times Literary Supplement

"Well-written, accessible and engaging...[De Waal's] magisterial histories are an essential part of a comprehensible explanation of the intractable problems that beset the region." --International Affairs

"Thomas de Waal has written one of the most vivid, clear-minded accounts of the history and current troubles of the lands between Russia and Turkey.The Caucasus defines easy explanation, and de Waal deftly untangles the webs of mystification and obfuscation that have so often marred our understanding of why this rich and beautiful region, a cradle of diverse civilizations, has failed so miserably to realize its promise." --Ronald Grigor Suny, Professor of Social and Political History, and Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan

"Europe and Asia, mountains and flatlands, Christians and Muslims, ancient cultures and modern states--the Caucasus has long been a classic borderland in many senses. Blending first-hand reporting, historical narratives, and original research, The Caucasus is an indispensable guide to the fractious politics and complicated histories of the region's nations and peoples." --Charles King, Professor of International Affairs and Government, Georgetown University, and author of The Ghost of Freedom

"This is the definitive text for anyone interested in this complex region. De Waal describes the deep roots of current conflicts and his analysis of the present situation is right on target. It should be required reading for anyone involved in Caucasian affairs." --Richard Miles, former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Georgia

"The Caucasus is a mini-encyclopedia, and de Waal a peerless guide for navigating this mountainous maze of tangled enmities and ethnicities." --Andrew Meier, author of "The Lost Spy: An American in Stalin's Secret Service"

Book Description

An update to the essential guide which introduced thousands of readers to this complex and fascinating region

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (December 3, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190683090
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190683092
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 144 ratings

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Thomas de Waal

Thomas de Waal

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Thomas de Waal is a Senior Associate on the Caucasus at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has worked on Russia and the Caucasus as a journalist, author and expert for almost 20 years.

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Steve Looney
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Thoughtful Overview of a Reguon
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    de Waal writes well and provides a thorough background to present day ( - 3 years and update please with a Silk Road perspective) grounding on a complex region with internal and intra region complexities that mirror politics on the larger stage. Nuanced, unbiased and we'll researched. Great for a traveler who wants to go deeper and for the inquisitive who just wanna know more.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Bob Newman
    5.0 out of 5 stars From Abkhazia to Zangezur
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2019
    The mighty range of the Caucasus mountains runs between the Black Sea and the Caspian. For millennia numerous peoples took refuge in its fastnesses, to the north and to the south. Others inhabited the valleys and plains. De Waal’s book covers only those who lived on the south side, the people who today live in the modern nations of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Though those three nations may be dominated by the eponymous groups, there are many others—for example, Abkhaz, Ajarians, Ossetians, Lezgin, Kurds, and Svans. After a quick general history, the book turns to the development and political history of the three modern states---during Tsarist times; in that brief period between 1917 and 1921 when three weak, disorganized states emerged and were overwhelmed by the Bolsheviks; under Communism; and finally after the end of the Soviet Union.
    If you read newspapers or serious news magazines over the last 30 years, you no doubt ran across articles dealing with all these countries and their multitude of quarrels---among themselves and with their neighbors, Russia, Turkey and Iran. Names like Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Nakhichevan, Ajaria, Gamsamkhurdia, Shevarnadze, Ter-Petrosian, Kocharian, Aliev and a lot of others that don’t fly off the tongues of Westerners flew across the pages and often disappeared with no trace. Owing to the fickle attention spans of Euro-American news media, you probably were left wondering at times. What the _______ is going on? You did not, without some independent research, find out. For an antidote to this lack of knowledge, I advise you to get hold of this excellent book. It is extremely well-written, avoids national bias, and covers the ground in such a way that you’ll feel that at last you have some idea of the politics and problems of the South Caucasus. The author, a British journalist, obviously knows the area well. In addition to the reportage on the wars, the political struggles, and overall problems, he provides numerous riffs on such subjects as Lermontov (famous 19th century Russian writer), Rustaveli Avenue (the Ginza of Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital), how Georgian was Stalin?, Baku jazz, Shusha (the old capital of Nagorno-Karabakh), the Greeks of Abkhazia, and many other, perhaps esoteric, but highly interesting subjects. Several good maps are included, so are a bunch of typos.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • A reader from California
    3.0 out of 5 stars Intreresting book which needs some serious editing
    Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I'm giving the book itself four stars, but only two stars for the many editing errors, so that comes out to three stars.
    As far as the book itself, it is an excellent history of the Caucasus troubles, and is not too dense to read. I have been to many of the countries in the Caucasus, including Georgia and Armenia, and wish I had read the book before. It does provide excellent insight, although the past and current history of the Caucasus can be summed up by saying "every ethnic group hates every other ethnic group". It's sad and unnecessary.
    My big compliant is that there seems to have been virtually no editing on this book. There are misspelled words, missing words, extra words in sentences, etc. Why is this important? Because if the writer wants to be taken seriously as a creditable source of information, the book should not appear to be written by a fifteen year old. I hope that this is corrected in the next printing. It's unprofessional and unacceptable for a book of this caliber to be so sloppily edited.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Arman
    2.0 out of 5 stars Inexcusable factual omitions & analysis
    Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2022
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    I appreciate that the author is writing an "introduction" to the region but some historical events are treated so glibly and the author's analysis of them is so simple that the overall message of a subchapter reads historically false at its worst or incomplete at its best.

    The author does recognize in the introduction that it's hard not to offend readers when covering the region; and, in trying to minimize offense with a so-called "balanced" view likely offends most everyone.

    When faced with complexity, the author/journalist should strive to illuminate the complex not simplify it for clarity. If the task proves too difficult, then perhaps it’s more honourable to not write the book. My conclusion is that this book adds to the obscurity of the region and it would have been better if this book hadn’t been written.

    My only recompense, should the author take offense at this review, is to encourage him to try harder next time.

    I commend the author's readable style but I'd still leave, at lease this edition, to the dustbin.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Steve Geller
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good Regional Summary
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I learned a lot about this mysterious remote part of the world.
    Now I have a better understanding of the news.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lasha
    3.0 out of 5 stars Many factual errors
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2021
    Decent introduction overall, but dotted with inexcusable factual inaccuracies.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • roger doulton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best though needs updating.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a truly wonderful book and a deeply inciteful insight into the tragic history of this inspiring part of the world.
    I’m just so glad I read it before travelling to the Caucasus not least because it enabled me to know when I was listening to propaganda and when it was fact.
    Nonetheless I would strongly advise anyone thinking of travelling to the area to hasten to make a booking! Stunningly beautiful, lovely(but too much) food and wonderful people who for generations have been so badly traduced by the empires around them and their own academic and political leadership.
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  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante
    Reviewed in Spain on February 4, 2025
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    Una buena introducción a la política y la geopolítica del Cáucaso.
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  • Johannes Aigner
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books.
    Reviewed in Germany on April 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I love the writing style :)
    So interesting!
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars interesting
    Reviewed in Spain on February 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    great book, easy and quick to read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Dave
    5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book if you're visiting the Caucasus
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this after a fantastic holiday taking in Georgia, Armenia and Kyiv. We had some great guides but it was clear that there was far more to it. Their views were inevitably coloured by their life experiences which were absolutely fascinating but I wanted to know more about how the area had evolved as well as the broader political picture. Suffice it to say that it is complex and ever changing.

    Most of the books I found on Amazon were quite old, but when I discovered that this one was being updated (late 2018) I placed an advance order immediately. The fluid politics of the region mean that it is inevitably out of date already, but it covers complex topics in a balanced and straightforward manner. He is not afraid to point out when poor decisions have led to dire consequences, but this is presented in a factual way without apportioning blame.

    It's a relatively easy read and you will come away more knowledgeable than you started. You will not get this depth of information or balance when you visit, but reading it after coming home meant that things did start to click into place. Coming from a relatively stable island state, it's difficult to appreciate the ever-changing borders and the feelings of ethnic groups that have been displaced or who believe they have rights to certain lands held by others. Definitely worth buying if you have any interest in the post-soviet world.
    One person found this helpful
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