Caucasus: A Journey to the Land between Christianity and Islam

Description

A rugged land between the Black and Caspian seas, the Caucasus is a battle ground for a fascinating and formidable clash of cultures: Russia on one side, the predominantly Muslim mountains on the other. In Caucasus, award-winning author Nicholas Griffin recounts his journey to this war torn region to explore the roots of today's conflict, centering his travelogue on Imam Shamil, the great nineteenth century Muslim warrior who commanded a quarter-century resistance against invading Russian forces. Delving deep into the Caucasus, Griffin transcends the headlines trumpeting Chechen insurgency to give the land and its conflicts dimension: evoking the weather, terrain, and geography alongside national traditions, religious affiliations, and personal legends as barriers to peaceful co-existence. In focusing his tale on Shamil while retracing his steps, Griffin compellingly demonstrates the way history repeats itself. Caucasus Contents Acknowledgements and Thanks Foreword Jagged Land Based in Baku Back in Time Reverberation Living History Born in the Land of Splintered Stars Three Hundred Tongues The First Imam Heading North The Consolidation of Power Lying in Wait Gambits and Guile Staggered Borders and Soft Lands Titled Characters Georgian Nights Hostages of Worth Walking over the Past Guests of the Mountains The Highwire of History Towards Freedom Tours and Travels Driven from the Mountains The Echoes of Blood Into the Black Garden The Shadow of Shamil The History of Hostages The Resurrection of Shamil A Time to Leave Epilogue Notes Bibliography and Further Reading Index