I commend to you Towers of Stone: The Battle of Wills in Chechnya by Wojciech Jagielski.
Edward Lucas writes:
"FORMIDABLE, useful in war and, though picturesque, impractical in peacetime, the stone towers that dot Chechnya’s mountains could be regarded as symbols of its people. Wojciech Jagielski’s book sets new standards for gritty reporting of Russia’s most miserable corner, and the dreadful damage done to it by both outsiders and the Chechens’ own leaders."
Before and since our drive up the Georgia Military Highway to the Georgia/Russia border three years ago, we've read a lot about Chechnya. This book may be the most compelling. It's under $14 in paperback. (See also The Man Who Tried to Save the World by Scott Anderson and Chienne de Guerre by Anne Nivat.)
The stone towers in the photo below, which appear across the Georgian countryside as well, are situated along the Georgia Military Highway in the Republic of Georgia, maybe 50 kilometers or so south of the border, north of which the Chechen capital of Grozny is maybe 100 additional kilometers.
See more photos from the Republic of Georgia in the Georgia Gallery at EarthPhotos.com. Read more about our visit to Georgia here on CS&W.
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