Description

pp. 240, b/w photographs, “A great American writer, referring to his native South, said that the past is not forgotten; it’s not even the past. He could easily have been referring to the tortured Caucasus. For over two millennia, the region has endured constant invasions and internecine tribal, religious, and ethnic violence. Presently, the Chechnya conflict is prominent in the news, but struggles between Armenians and Azeris, Sunnis and Shi’a, and various political factions are ongoing. Griffin journeyed to the Caucasus to examine the legacy of Iman Shamil, a legendary fighter who resisted Russian occupation in the nineteenth century. Yet, he discovered most of the current conflicts have roots even deeper in the past, and that past is alive in the hearts of Caucasians. Griffin is a fine writer with a sharp sense of both humor and irony. This memoir of his journey is filled with revealing episodes that are often amusing and sometimes frightening. This work is part history, part travelogue, and part lament for people who cherish their past but remain imprisoned by it.”