{"product_id":"the-ghost-of-freedom-charles-king-9780195177756","title":"The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus","description":"The Caucasus mountains rise at the intersection of Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. A land of astonishing natural beauty and a dizzying array of ancient cultures, the Caucasus for most of the twentieth century lay inside the Soviet Union, before movements of national liberation created newly independent countries and sparked the devastating war in Chechnya. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCombining riveting storytelling with insightful analysis, \u003cem\u003eThe Ghost of Freedom\u003c\/em\u003e is the first general history of the modern Caucasus, stretching from the beginning of Russian imperial expansion up to the rise of new countries after the Soviet Union's collapse. In evocative and accessible prose, Charles King reveals how tsars, highlanders, revolutionaries, and adventurers have contributed to the fascinating history of this borderland, providing an indispensable guide to the complicated histories, politics, and cultures of this intriguing frontier. Based on new research in multiple languages, the book shows how the struggle for freedom in the mountains, hills, and plains of the Caucasus has been a perennial theme over the last two hundred years--a struggle which has led to liberation as well as to new forms of captivity. The book sheds valuable light on the origins of modern disputes, including the ongoing war in Chechnya, conflicts in Georgia and Azerbaijan, and debates over oil from the Caspian Sea and its impact on world markets. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRanging from the salons of Russian writers to the circus sideshows of America, from the offices of European diplomats to the villages of Muslim mountaineers, \u003cem\u003eThe Ghost of Freedom\u003c\/em\u003e paints a rich portrait of one of the world's most turbulent and least understood regions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Charles King\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0195177754\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780195177756\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press, USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/11\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.44lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.43h x 6.59w x 1.13d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2008 pg. 84\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2009","brand":"Charles King","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43946273308927,"sku":"9780195177756","price":56.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_b492c8d2-7655-48ce-be9d-a585380a600d.jpg?v=1681512309","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-ghost-of-freedom-charles-king-9780195177756","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}