1. ISBN13: 9781741044775
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

Discover Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan

Find out which Georgian king wanted the world to walk on his grave
Clamber down to the snake pit once occupied by St Gregory the illuminator
Watch the clouds lift above Xinaliq to reveal 360-degree views of the Caucasus mountains
Discover why you should never toast a Georgian with beer

In This Guide:

Expert authors: three. Days of research: 143. Spontaneous on-the-road toasts: lost count
Expanded coverage of nature reserves, day walks and challenging mountain hikes

Customer Review :

Not perfect, but as good as it gets

Writing a guide book for these countries is not an easy job. In this book, information is good and extensive, but don't rely on it as your bible. Maps are not up-to-date, and this might be its biggest weakness; however, you might not find other maps anywhere in the Caucasus which are better, so get this book and use it on the way. You might want to notice that this book is ILLEGAL in Azerbaijan because of pro-Armenia information about Karabakh. At least when crossing by land, the custom control at the border will ask you which books you are bringing in. This is how I lost my book before I even got to use it in the country. But then again, don't blame Lonely Planet, blame the dictatorship.

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Review of

I've never seen this edition, but I hope this edition is better than the previous one.
That wouldn't be that hard - the last one was pretty much useless




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use it as a very general guide

I only used this book for Georgia, but it got so much wrong---including maps!--that it was almost useless.

It was good, however, for a general overview of the history and culture, and what's where. It was also used frequently to try to find the right 'mashtruka' when traveling, since routes are written in Georgian, and I could show the Georgian name to drivers to see if I was in the right van going to the right place.

Let's hope that this book is either updated soon, or a competitor decides to publish a guide to this intriguing part of the planet.

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Very Useful ...

The Caucasian countries probably constitute the last bastion of the enigmatic destinations in the world and are shrouded in rumors & unclear doubts. The time trusted Lonely Planet is your only hope and probably the only guide that'll help you plan and execute your trip. I recently came back from a short trip to Georgia and found the information remarkably accurate and undoubtedly useful. It'll serve as your lifeline whilst in the Caucasus.
I've seen some dismal review comments and whilst I respect other people's opinions, I cannot help wonder what (else) were travelers expecting? A street-by-street guide with illustrated pictures will take away all the enigmatic charm and adventure that the Caucasian countries have to offer. A trip that is planned to perfection is usually not much fun. However, the hospitality of the wonderful people and the overwhelming beauty of the country will supersede your dependence on the guide.


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GEORGIA REVIEW - Good guide

There are not a lot of guides for these countries, though perhaps one guide per country would give you more detail on each, and/or be more compact. It's not clear to me that anyone going to one of these countries would probably go to all three, especially since most Westerners go for business, or to live in one of these countries in the long-term.

Nonetheless, given the paucity of travel guides for the region and the less than developed tourism industry in Georgia (the only country I have visited out of the three), the Lonely Planet guide was invaluable. Lonely Planet has a lot of problems - few photos, difficult to read black and white maps, and a lot of worthless practical information (post offices, laundromats, etc), the descriptions and histories of the sites and neighborhoods was better than anything I would have gotten within Tbilisi, in English.

Georgia is a country in transition, so certain information was a bit out of date, particularly any area in or near the conflict zones. Can't blame Lonely Planet for unexpected wars. I had the opportunity to travel quite a bit in Georgia in the course of a week or so, with Georgians. Four out of five sites were well covered in LP, with good history and descriptions.

So, if you happen to be going to Georgian and don't speak Russian or Georgian, this LP will make your trip much better.

On another note, Tbilisi is a very lovely city surrounded by high hills and a large ruined fortress looking down into the city, with some of the nicest people I have ever met. I have had problems in many cities, "Western" and developing, where people were either rude, con-artists, outright thieves, or harassing. In Tbilisi people were welcoming and honest - even the taxi drivers! And if you are American, and afterwards an EU citizen, they tend to love you because of the events in August 2008. It's just sad that such a nice city is so far off the beaten path.

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Editorial Review :

This two-sided, folded map covers the Caucasus region of Asia in excellent detail at a scale of 1:1,000,000 (1" to 16 miles). The fully indexed map covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, southern section of Russia, and northern sections of Turkey and Iran. With beautifully detailed cartography this map uses color tinting to indicate relief and also displays numerous elevation point indicators. The map shows roads and railways, rivers and lakes, parks, beaches, distances, airports, ferries, state and local administrative boundaries, monuments, archaeological sites, and tourist sites. Legend in English, German, French, Italian and Russian. Index on the reverse side of map.

Customer Review :

Spectacular

This map is a stunning value and a real beauty. The description truly does not do it justice: in addition to the nations listed in the title (and well defined borders for the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia), the map features much of Turkey's Black Sea coast (down to Lake Van), Russia from Novorossiysk to the Caspian Sea (including contentious provinces like Dagestan and Chechnya), and the north-western tip of Iran.

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Excellent Map for Planning and Travel

Just returned from extensive visit to the country of Georgia and am pleased to report that this map was an excellent tool for familiarization and planning, as well as being an immense help getting around while there. I also had a larger scale map of Georgia alone, but this map proved more useful since it shows more of the small villages and uses the same Latin spellings as the Georgians do (major cities are also labeled in Georgian).

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Editorial Review :

Perched beside the oil-rich Caspian Sea, compact, hospitable Azerbaijan is astounding in its scenic variety. Painted moonscape deserts, snow-capped Caucasian peaks, subtropical forests and flower-filled grasslands all lie within a few hours’ drive of Baku, the artistically-vibrant, cosmopolitan capital with its UNESCO-recognized walled Old City.

Since the first edition in 1999 this map-packed book has become the definitive guide for visitors and residents alike. Now in its expanded and fully-updated 4th edition it’s more practical than ever.

• Practical information – Visas, getting to Azerbaijan, where to stay, where to eat
• Sights and excursions – Discover bubbling mud volcanoes, linguistically-unique stepped villages, ruined castles, a flaming hillside and fire-temple, iron-wood forests, water that ‘catches fire’, ‘magical’ rocks kissed smooth by superstitious wish-seekers. On foot, by car, 4WD, bus, train or horse be among the first tourists to explore delightful Azerbaijan since Noah sailed across the country 5000 years ago, his Ark carving a great gash through Nakhchivan’s Snake Mountain.
• 190 maps – Includes even more maps, illustrated with over 160 sketches and diagrams. As well as showing hotels, restaurants, bus stops etc, these maps also include landmarks at key unsigned junctions to help motorists and hikers.
• History, language, cultural tips
• Excursions to neighbouring Georgia

   

  Customer Review :

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1. ISBN13: 9780765617101
2. Condition: NEW
3. Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Editorial Review :

The author of the acclaimed "Azerbaijan Diary and Chechnya Diary" now recounts his experiences in the strife-ridden Republic of Georgia. Soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Georgia fell prey to a series of power struggles, rampant crime and corruption, secessionist wars, and the spillover of the war in neighboring Chechenya. Journalist Goltz traces these developments with the same kind of vivid, personal narrative that made his previous books so compelling. This fast-paced, first-person account is filled with fascinating details about the ongoing struggles of this little-known region of the former Soviet Union. Featuring memorable portraits of individuals in high places and low, it traces the story from 1992 through the "Rose Revolution," the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze, and the new presidency of U.S.-educated Mikhail Saakashvili.

Customer Review :

In This Case the Micro IS the Macro...

For a few years, a friend of mine (who happens to be an old friend of the author) has been recommending this book (and the other two in the trilogy) and I've been meaning to read it, but I always set it aside for another time.

Another time finally came and I was blown away. Before reading it, I had no clue how important -- strategically maybe but symbolically definitely -- Georgia is in the geopolitical chess match. What I thought would be the story of a small nation turned out to be the story of all the world.

It's been less than a year since Russia and Georgia fought a brief war at the start of the Olympics, yet it seems like much longer because the news cycle rolled over and past Georgia long ago. The one question I had last summer, the one that CNN either could not or would not answer, was: What exactly are they fighting for?

After reading "Georgia Diary," I might forgive CNN because the situation is so complicated (but fascinating) that they would still be trying to explain it today. I highly recommend this book; you will not only learn the answer to the question, but you will also walk away with so much more.

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History + Travel + the Incredibly Complex World of Georgian Politics Made Palatable = Georgia Diary

This book is a great start for anyone unfamiliar with this (relatively) tiny country in the Caucasus, whose history and politics recently reached the crossroads of world politics.

It is a book with broad historical sweep, taking the reader from the mind-blowing complexity of Georgia's history and ethnic cocktail, to the tumultuous world of post-Soviet Georgian politics. After reading this, not only can I pronounce the names Gamsakhurdia and Shevardnadze (I hope), but I understand who these figures were, and what they did.

A riveting read, part-travelogue, part-modern history monograph, I highly recommend Georgia Diary. Some of the author's arguments may be controversial--such as his revisionist perspective on, and partial rehabilitation of Lavrenti Beria. Apart from this oddity, though, there is not much to complain about. Some passages are tragicomic, such as his vivid description of a toilet cubicle which resembled an upright coffin, and had me laughing out loud. Other parts will have you gripping the book. For example, the reader will learn such handy conflict-zone tips, including how to break into the back of a (Soviet-era) helicopter--if the need ever arose--and how to manage a horde of scared refugees.

The epilogue to the expanded hardback edition is especially helpful in coming to terms with what the Russo-Georgian War of 2008 was about, and what it means for Georgia and for international security in general. Georgia Diary wholly deserves five stars out of five.



Rating :

Compelling reading

A gripping account of Georgia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Goltz achieves a good balance between the adventure of his personal experiences in the area, and the historical, cultural and political background of his subject matter. It's very enlightening without ever feeling academic, and very lively without ever feeling indulgent.

Having traveled in Georgia and lived in Abkhazia in '98-'99, the 'travelogue' aspect of the book brought back vivid memories, and rang true to what I saw and experienced. What I lacked then, but Goltz provides in spades, is a broader historical background and analysis of Georgian history and the Abkhazian conflict (Goltz is obviously well-read in a number of disciplines, and vividly draws on cultural as well and political history).

Though definitely in the realm of 'war porn', Goltz' account is nonetheless refreshingly light and humorous - there's a boyish 'oh boy' quality to his writing, unlike the heavier adolescent angst and drama evident in most 'war porn'.

(On a such a contentious subject, there is probably no way to devise an objectivity that satisfies all parties, but as someone with no dog in the fight, his account strikes me as scrupulously objective)

Heartily recommended - a vivid, easy read, but with real depth.

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Excellent book - extremely informative and highly enjoyable

Incorporates a vast wealth of detail into a narrative that nevertheless remains lucid, engaging, and highly entertaining. Plenty to offer both the specialist and the general reader. Great preparation for anyone traveling to Georgia.

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Generally poor read by a generally poor writer

This book was obviously a side-project for Goltz who was much more interested in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan. His work "Azerbaijan Diary" was much better written and researched but was still a very biased view and Georgia Diary is a very incomplete picture of the conflicts in Post Soviet Georgia.

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Editorial Review :

After working for Time magazine in London, Wendell Steavenson spent two years in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Stories I Stole captures the exuberance of a fledgling nation of local despots, mountain tribes, blood feuds, and an unlimited flow of red wine. From President Shevardnadze's rigged elections to horse races high in the mountains; from the eerie roadside artifacts of the Soviet era to the farcical power outages in the dead of winter, here is Georgia: weird, invigorating, and still coming to grips with the legacy of its most famous son, Joseph Stalin. Far more than a travel book, this is a scintillating menagerie of true stories peopled by vivid -- and sometimes insane -- characters. In the beach resort of Sukhumi, once the destination of every fashionable Russian but now wrecked by civil war, Wendell plays hangman with a secret policeman. In the capital, Tbilisi -- ensconced in Levan's Magic Room or lounging in the steam baths -- she hears about the latest duel or kidnapping. In Khevsureti, the meadows are dotted with blue-painted beehives and yellow flowers, while just over the border there is war in Chechnya. Stories I Stole is a candid, engaging, and quietly lyrical book about a land and its people.

Customer Review :

Depressia

I think too many people were impressed with the quality of the prose and jumped to give this book a 5 without really considering the content.

Although Steavenson is obviously a creative and observant writer, I would not recommend this book as the "travelogue" or "introduction to Georgia" that it is often vaunted as. Travelers hoping to visit Georgia will find more information on the effects of the 70-year soviet Russian regime and an unnerving lack of attention towards the other millennia or so of Caucasian social and cultural development. During her 2 years in Georgia, Steavenson also chose to study Russian (admittedly a good move as a journalist due to the greater prevalence of Russian speakers in Europe as a whole) rather than Georgian, and while Russian vocabulary surfaces every few pages, the only Georgian word she really seemed to adopt was "depressia," which she applies more times than any other reference to Georgian in the entire book.
I also doubt that travelers would find "Stories I Stole" helpful, as Steavenson is consistently vague about locations she visited, rarely being more specific than a district or province; places of interest seem to take a backseat to her personal life and her gripes, which range from the verbose "endless post-soviet limbo facing a grey crumbling, concrete future," "everybody was tired and cold and it would never change," "without much imagination...wallowing in tradition and wine," to the blunt "s---hole" and "f---ed up"; Steavenson's rosy conclusion is that "there is nothing that can be done about it."
Although she occasionally admits "yes, well there are some nice parts," Steavenson mainly concerns herself with cynical remarks regarding Transcaucasia's doom to "devolution" and speaks sarcastically about hopes for peace. Several chapters don't even take place in Georgia, which she "fled" for Istanbul, Cairo, and Baku (Azerbaijan)--cities which she describes with a much kinder tone, even exclaiming "here was civilization".
While reading descriptions of her colorful local acquaintances, I wondered several times if, in her quest to "steal" interesting stories, Steavenson didn't intentionally scrape the drunkest and most immoral strata of society; when not too wasted to move, the majority of her friends seemed to spend their time fighting, paying off officials, cursing their lives, and bumming money from each other. I know several Georgians living in Tbilisi today, and while not entirely "western," I have never known any of them to spend their days in cold, lightless rooms chainsmoking as they throw back bottles of contraband vodka while polishing their submachine guns. It is good to keep in mind that Steavenson wrote describing circumstances in the Caucasus between 1998 and 2000, so readers should be aware of increasing irrelevance in many of the situations, especially since the Rose Revolution reforms.
I think Steavenson's book is excellently demonstrative of the tradition/modern clash most Americans find unnerving when they travel to developing regions, as well as the rampant level of openly-acknowledged corruption that westerners tend to be sheltered from. In the back of the book is a very helpful brief history/ethnographical study of Eurasia's people and regions (I recommend reading this first, as it sheds some light on cultural/social nuances that non-natives are not aware of) and an extensive bibliography of books about Caucasia for further reading.



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The Hangover

This was an interesting, and at times exciting, book on the recent history of the Georgia. We had a guest from Georgia stay with us right after I finished reading the book and she verified just about everything in it. It's written in the same world-weary, ironic style as other travel writers like Paul Theroux. If you like that kind of dry, dark wit, you'll like this book. If you like your travel writing a la Conde Nast, you won't make it past the first chapter. So many of the tales start with a night of heavy drinking and smoking that it was not long before I began to feel my head throb and my throat get raw vicariously.

I would have given the book five stars if the author had left out the two-and-a half chapters about her boyfriend. I found them distracting from what was otherwise a great book.

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You'll fall for Ms. Steavenson's stories

I admire Wendell Steavenson for this effort. Tbilisi intrigued her - it was a pin on her map and the germ of her idea (go some place unique; collect some killer stories; write a compelling travelogue). Many have thoughts like that...Ms. Steavenson carried it out. She paints a balanced, compelling pastiche of life in Georgia as it struggles out of its post-Soviet torpor. The only shame is that Ms. Steavonson isn't around to cover the Rose Revolution in which Eduard Shevardnadze is displaced by Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement. That was 2003 and Steavenson had her work published in 2002. Missed it by that much.

"Stories I Stole" is like a mash-up of two other works I've read: Matthew Brzezniski's "Casino Moscow" and Tony Hawks' outstanding "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis." If you liked either of those works, you'll fall for Ms. Steavenson's stories.

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Be carefull, readers!

The author happened to meet rather strange characters that make her end up with a pretty inaccurate impressions about the country. I grew up in this country, and I spend half year there every single year, and yet I could not recognize any of the features decsribed in this book. Hence - be carefull, readers. If you are just looking for a "story" - the book might be perfectly OK, and it reads well, but please, do not believe it gives you an accurate picture of the country!

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Was Wendell Steavenson paid by the russians to write this book?

This book reminds me of western journalists proudly standing on Red Square in Moscow and "accurately" reporting about events in Georgia (and I've seen quite a few of these reportages on CBC, CNN, BBC...)...
Characters and stories are so far-fetched, use of Russian words (banya, babushka, shashlyk...) so extensive that I really wonder if Ms.Steavenson visited Georgia at all.
Definitely this is not the book to read if you really want to get acquainted with Georgia and its people (or with the real causes of ethnic conflicts for that matter)...
Don't waste your time and money.

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