I am flipping through this book now and wishing that I remembered even a tenth of its contents. "Black Sea" is an amalgamation of travelogue and history, and an excellent narrative about the many peoples and cultures that have lived--and, in some cases, still live--on the shores of the Black Sea. The writer, Neal Ascherson, describes personal trips to different parts of the region, and incorporates these experiences with historical background that he has amassed over the years.There are loads of tidbits in this book like the following:In 1864, the Russian armies finally broke tribal resistance in the north-west Caucasus. Much of the Moslem population of Abkhazia and coastal Georgia fled or was expelled into the Ottoman Empire, and many Lazi were swept along in the disaster. A small number still remains in Georgia. But their distinctiveness--like that of the Mingrelians--is resented by Georgian politicians and intellectuals who insist, inaccurately, that Georgian is their 'mother-tongue' and that Mingrelian, Lazuri and Svanetian are mere 'dialects'…(200)While reading this, I probably knew what 'Lazi' and 'Mingrelian' referred to; sadly, I now have no idea. This is, in part, due to the fact that Ascherson crams a lot of history into this slim volume, and much of this history is spread across a diverse collection of cultures. Without some real, scholarly grounding in this subject, it is hard to keep track of everything that Ascherson tosses into the pot. This shortcoming can be absolutely maddening, too, because the subject that Ascherson delves into is so fascinating, so rich, and so connected to so many other pieces of history.I can't fault Ascherson for overloading his book (though I can direct some of my strongest jealousy towards his knowledgable person, grrrr), and besides, doing so would only be petty in light of the fact that he really pulls this book off with skillful structuring and good writing. "Black Sea" stands out as one of those great history books that you are so glad you've read, even if you remember so little from it. Then again, what better excuse to return to it?
The Black Sea has been a meeting place of East and West, and Christianity and Islam. The author describes many ethnicities that are not well known, but which have interesting histories. The Hemsinli are a Muslim people who speak Armenian. Because their ancestors converted to Islam, they were not deported or killed during the Armenian genocide of the twentieth century. Another small group is the Lazi, who live in Turkey, but speak a language related to Georgian. They speak Lazuri at home and Turkish in public. Some European do-gooders are trying to preserve their language and culture by giving them an alphabet and trying to make their Lazuri language their public language. But this is getting the Lazi in trouble with the Turkish authorities, who fear separatism. Sometimes it is best to maintain a low profile. Polish heraldry appears to have originated in the tamga signs of the Sarmatians, an Indo-Iranian people of the steppe north of the Black Sea. In years past, the Polish szlachta nobility claimed to be descendants of the Sarmations. The horsemen wearing iron mail armor of the age of chivalry originated with the Sarmatians. The Ossetians, living north of the Black Sea in Georgia, are their descendants. The Black Sea was explored by Greeks looking to buy fish. They eventually colonized the shores of the Black Sea. The Greeks south of the Black Sea, in Anatolia, were called the Pontic Greeks. Some of the Greek myths were set in the areas around the Black Sea. For example, the myth of Jason and the Argonauts seeking the Golden Fleece was set in Georgia, then called Colchi. Euripides set his play Medea in this same area.
Do You like book Black Sea (1996)?
I found this book by luck in a cozy Goderich store, "The Book Peddler". Read it on a wild beach of Lake Huron - a kin landscape with the desolate Black Sea shores, those haunted by the old Scythians and Sarmatians. Neal Ascherson handcrafted a captivating mix of history, travel and anecdotes, mostly centered around Crimea, with some excursions to Constantinople and Trebizond. An easy but very consistent read. Recommended especially for those who see History in black and white, heroes and evils. This book may change their opinion. Starting with the Scythians and ending with Yeltsin's Russia, you are presented with a multitude of unfinished conflicts, intermingles and cultural intercourses. Scythians and Athenians, Amazons and Sarmats, Genoans, Venetians and Turks, Tatars and Kossacks, Poles and the Regiment of Jewish Hussars, The Greek dream of another Romania in forgotten Trebizond, Odessa and Constantinople, hidden treasures and pogroms. All this human bustle is dwarfed by the severe landscapes - the Black Sea, the endless steppe and the mighty mountains. This lecture may provide you a more nuanced view about contemporary events such as the War in Ukraine or the danger of unhealed wounds and unforgotten dreams for a new Byzantium.
—Cezar
If you are travelling, and only looking for a book to occupy your mind occasionally, this is not the right book. Exactly, for this reason I could not manage to complete reading this book because it requires a lot of attention and thinking. Full of facts about the Black Sea Region, the ethnicities that live in the areas surrounding Black Sea.This book needs to be read very attentively and a background information about the region will be very helpful for the reader that is ready to open up to this amazing region and gain an in-depth knowledge about it.I am still adamant to finish it one day as it is a must-read for me.
—Humeyra2013
I'm only about a quarter-way through this book, but I am rating it now because there could be no better time to read it than now, during the Olympic games in Sochi! That is because Sochi is located on the Black Sea; and if you are like me, your knowledge of the peoples and historic drama of the Black Sea region is pretty thin. I think author, Neal Ascherson, does a wonderful job of bringing to life centuries of human drama in the context of the unique Black Sea habitat. You will have a much greater appreciation of the political backdrop to the 2014 Olympic games after reading Ascherson's narrative. The effect on me in reading this history is to feel a deep concern that the world will see in these Olympics a proud showcase of the Black Sea heritage. With or without the Olympics, you will not want to put this book down until you have finished it cover to cover.
—Charlene Mathe
