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A History of the Caucasus
Oxford University Press
February 2008
On Sale: February 11, 2008
320 pages
ISBN: 0195177754
EAN: 9780195177756
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
The Caucasus mountains rise at the intersection of Europe,
Russia, and the Middle East. A land of astonishing natural
beauty and a dizzying array of ancient cultures, the
Caucasus for most of the twentieth century lay inside the
Soviet Union, before movements of national liberation
created newly independent countries and sparked the
devastating war in Chechnya.
Combining riveting storytelling with insightful analysis,
The Ghost of Freedom is the first general history of the
modern Caucasus, stretching from the beginning of Russian
imperial expansion up to the rise of new countries after
the Soviet Union's collapse. In evocative and accessible
prose, Charles King reveals how tsars, highlanders,
revolutionaries, and adventurers have contributed to the
fascinating history of this borderland, providing an
indispensable guide to the complicated histories, politics,
and cultures of this intriguing frontier. Based on new
research in multiple languages, the book shows how the
struggle for freedom in the mountains, hills, and plains of
the Caucasus has been a perennial theme over the last two
hundred years--a struggle which has led to liberation as
well as to new forms of captivity. The book sheds valuable
light on the origins of modern disputes, including the
ongoing war in Chechnya, conflicts in Georgia and
Azerbaijan, and debates over oil from the Caspian Sea and
its impact on world markets.
Ranging from the salons of Russian writers to the circus
sideshows of America, from the offices of European
diplomats to the villages of Muslim mountaineers, The Ghost
of Freedom paints a rich portrait of one of the world's
most turbulent and least understood regions.
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