I just finished Robert Kaplan's, "Eastward to Tartary: Travels in the Balkans, Middle East and the Caucasus." I found the book very enjoyable, but unusual in that Mr. Kaplan seems to drink an awful lot of plum brandy and chai tea.
Seriously, though, I found the discussion of the regions very interesting. Most of the history of the regions date back to within the last 50 or so years, but Mr. Kaplan sure has quite a grasp of the history of these diverse regions.
All in all, I found Nicholas Griffin's, "Caucasus: Mountain Men Holy Warriors" more interesting in that the study was much more geographically isolated and it took a deeper look at the history of the region (going back around 200 years). Both of these journeys have caused me to check out yet another book on the region which I will report on shortly.
All of this reading will hopefully increase my enjoyment of an Oregon World Affairs Council event I will be attending this Thursday regarding Georgian (the country) wine and political issues at a local Russian restaurant. As with the event with Dr. Saltzel, I will report back after this event.
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