Page date:1 May
2004
Valery Tishkov. 2004. Chechnya: Life in a War-Torn Society.
With a Foreword by Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Berkeley: University
of California Press.
This book illuminates one
of the world's most troubled regions from a unique perspective--that
of a prominent Russian intellectual. Valery Tishkov, a leading
ethnographer who has also served in several important political
posts, examines the evolution of the war in Chechnya that erupted
in 1994, untangling the myths, the long-held resentments, and
the ideological manipulations that have fueled the crisis. In
particular, he explores the key themes of nationalism and violence
that feed the turmoil there. Forceful, original, and timely, his
study combines extensive interview material, historical perspectives,
and deep local knowledge. Tishkov sheds light on Chechnya in particular
and on how secessionist conflicts can escalate into violent conflagrations
in general. With its balanced assessments of both Russian and
Chechen perspectives, this book will be essential reading for
people seeking to understand the role of Islamic fundamentalist
nationalism in the contemporary world.
Valery Tishkov is Professor of History and Anthropology and
Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology at the
Russian Academy of Sciences. He has published many books in Russian
and is also the author of Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Conflict
in and after the Soviet Union: The Mind Aflame (1997).
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directly from the publisher.
Table of Contents
Contents
Foreword by Mikhail S. Gorbachev
Preface
1. Ethnography and Theory
2. Indigenization, Deportation, and Return
3. Contradictory Modernization
4. Chechen Images
5. The Road to War
6. Dzhokhar: Hero and Devil
7. The Sons of War
8. The Culture of Hostage-Taking
9. Violence in Secessionist Warfare
10. The Impact on Family Life
11. Religion and the Chechen Conflict
12. The Myth and Reality of the "Great Victory"
13. An Ideology of Extremes
14. Chechnya as a Stage and a Role
Conclusion
Notes
Main Characters
Research Partners, Informants, and Cross-Reviewers
Select Bibliography
Index
302 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 1 map
Clothbound: $50.00 0-520-23887-7 £32.95
Paperback: $19.95 0-520-23888-5 £12.95