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Review
"A brilliant biography of place."-"Guardian"
"Must certainly be among the year's most memorable non-fiction books."-"Financial Times"
"Must certainly be among the year's most memorable non-fiction books."-"Financial Times"
Guardian
`...beautifully written book which is part history and part travelogue'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First, the bad stuff - this book should really be called "What the Poles and Russians got up to north of the Black Sea" since this is what it's mainly about. There is very little about Turkey or the Turks, nothing about Romania or Bulgaria. In spite of this, I enjoyed the book a lot. It is full of fascinating facts and stories. The narrative is built around the break up of the Soviet Union but ranges across a vast area of history to give some interesting sidelights on the politics of nationalism. My favourite bits were his discussions of the Skythians, Sarmatians & "Amazons" (see also Howard Reid's "Arthur the dragon king" for related material). Also includes a very interesting & provocative discussion of the romantic myths surrounding the cossacks.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Neal Ascherson does a scholarly study of an unknown and highly mysterious geographical crossroads of several major civilizations. His scope of study ranges from the 1000 BCE to the present.
Ascherson examines early Greek settlements in the world's breadbasket, and includes such diverse settlements as the Scythians, Romans, the Karaiim, the Russian and Ottaman Empires and concludes with present day Ukraine. It includes archaeological finds include treasures that predate Homer's Troy.
The exhibit "Treasures of the Ukraine" currently in Montreal, features many of the archaeological finds discussed by Ascherson. Surely, this exhibit must rank favorably with other major excavations of antiquity.
Historical and political figures intertwine with mythology, history and geography to create a much needed understanding of a neglected land and rich diverse cultures and the diverse peoples who visited and inhabited these lands.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have just re-read this book, which was updated and republished in 2007. It is still as fresh and lively as it was when it first came out and is really the best and most readable starting point for anyone interested in this region.
It is true that the book does not deal so much with Turkey, apart from an excellent section about Trebizond (Trabzon)or Romania and Bulgaria, but it more than makes up for it with strong reportage from elsewhere, for example, with a chapter on Abkhazia.
After this book, anyone interested in moving to the next, more academic stage, should read Charles King's The Black Sea: A History.
It is true that the book does not deal so much with Turkey, apart from an excellent section about Trebizond (Trabzon)or Romania and Bulgaria, but it more than makes up for it with strong reportage from elsewhere, for example, with a chapter on Abkhazia.
After this book, anyone interested in moving to the next, more academic stage, should read Charles King's The Black Sea: A History.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Eloquent and rewarding
This magnificent book looks at the history of the peoples who populate the lands around the beautiful Black Sea. Read more
Published 1 month ago by JonP
Black Sea - a difficult read
I was looking for a simple history and description of the Black Sea prior to a Black Sea Cruise and this was the only title that seemed to fit the bill. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Andrew Gowen
Travel as the hook for a complex cultural and political history
An enthralling book looking at the peoples who have lived around the Black Sea - Cimmerians, Greeks, Scythians, Abkhazians, Alans, Sarmatians, Tartars, Turks, Georgians, Goths,... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2010 by Martin White
One of the greatest pieces of non-ficiton ever written
...Neal Ascherson's Black Sea is one of the most fascinating and brilliant books of any description I've ever come across. Five stars aren't enough. Ten stars might do it justice. Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2001
missing
It is not possible to write about the Black Sea and its history just by slightly mentioning the Turkish coast. Read more
Published on 18 July 2001
A superb combination of history and travel writing.
Neal Ascherson is sadly a rarity these days - a journalist who can move easily from the confines of newspaper writing to the broader sweep of historiography and travel writing. Read more
Published on 1 May 2001 by graeme.dibble@bbc.co.uk
Dull meandering historical-travellogue
I'm sure they make up the mini-quotes on the back of this sort of book: it is not 'Fascinating beyond words' neither is it 'A superb book...'. Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2001 by Karl Wilding
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