Transcaucasia and the Tribes of the Caucasus

"Haxthausen's Transcaucasia is one of the great European travel ethnographies of the nineteenth century. Elegantly and thoughtfully written, the book is at once a window onto the rich history and culture of the peoples of the Caucasus-then newly enveloped into the Tsarist empire-as well as an entrée into the mindset and worldview of the educated European elite. Pietro Shakarian is to be commended for bringing this classic text, with The Tribes of the Caucasus, back into print, including such high-quality copies of the magnificent​​ original illustrations, and for his very helpful introduction to the book." - Dr. Nicholas Breyfogle, Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University and author of Heretics and Colonizers: Forging Russia's Empire in the South Caucasus"Haxthausen's Transcaucasia is a perceptive and frequently entertaining record of a lost world: the north and south Caucasus before Russia's final conquest of the highlands. It remains one of the essential works of travel on the region and a telling record of the cultural and geographical diversity of this ancient land." - Dr. Charles King, Professor of International Affairs and Government at Georgetown University and author of The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus"This new republication of Haxthausen's Transcaucasia is a useful addition to the English language literature dealing with the Caucasus. As a first-hand account of the region from the 1840s, it unsurprisingly shows orientalist attitudes. However, it also contains numerous details on socio-spacial and political conditions on the ground, which, when contextualized, offer a better understanding of the Caucasus. Written in a very accessible manner, it is a joy to read."