Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry

by Peter Nasmyth

This book is the first comprehensive cultural and historical introduction to modern Georgia. It covers the country region by region, taking the form of a literary journey through the transition from Soviet Georgia to the modern independent nation state. Peter Nasmyth traveled extensively in Georgia over a period of 5 years, and his lively and topical survey charts the nation's remarkable cultural and historical journey to statehood. This authoritative, lively and perceptive book is based on hundreds of interviews with modern Georgians, from country priests to black marketeers. Mountains and Honour will be essential reading for anyone interested in this fascinating region, as well as those requiring an insight into the life after the collapse of the old Soviet order in the richest and most dramatic of the former republics.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction, Geography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 1998

Reviews

[Sportyrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once happened upon a charming hamlet in Europe. It was so quaint I felt like a poet would have lived there at some point - and one did.

Whilst I’m not into poetry, I do appreciate places that may have inspired them. The heading of the book reminded me of that feeling I had about the poet’s hamlet.

The book took a while to get into as I have read quite a few books where a Brit goes to a country for a year and writes about it. This was different. The author loves the nation of Georgia so much that he travels there numerous times and spends time living there.

He basically writes a multi-layered travelogue. He is more interested in people and their opinions so he interviews lots of people on a range of things. He really created a good sense of the Georgian psyche. One clever thing he did was to revisit lots of places and compare (indirectly) the lead up to the revolution and the aftermath. It captured the sentiment of the people.

The description of the landscape was phenomenal. Plenty of photos provided. I didn’t realise the land was so diverse, had good bird watching areas and lots of small hamlets crossing the Caucasus Mountains. A minor theme covered the history of where poets lived or visited.

Although he didn’t promote himself overtly, it was kind of him to set up learning centres for children. He also runs a cafe/bookshop there.

This was a good read. Good for those who like seeing the full timescale of countries transitioning towards democracy.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for understanding the transformation of Georgia from the 1980s as a part of the Soviet Union to today. The British author Peter Nasmyth operates Prospero's Books on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi and has been visiting and living in Georgia since the 1980s. He has written a walking guidebook on Georgia, a country the size of Ireland with a very diverse geography with unique endemic wildlife and a fascinating history. Chapters detail with different regions and with key moments in Georgia's recent history, including her troubles with neighboring Russia. Definitely worth reading if you want to visit this intriguing country.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

When past World Cups came along, I recall cheering for Georgia (as I had for similarly richly attired, as if in heraldry, Croatians) simply because of their splendid uniforms. And I think viewing the late, preening Anthony Bourdain traipsing across its Caucasian redoubt enticed me to muse about gruff but attractive hosts serving what looks downright appealing cuisine, even if like Nasmyth I avoid eating flesh. Which must have made awkward moments as the Georgians are famed for hospitality.

The natives are also synonymous with pride, rooted in their understandably warrior-based, wary mentality, as their precarious frontier ramparts mark Eurasia, long between Russian and Ottoman superpowers. A natural setting demanding endurance, trust in strangers, and reliance on friends, all add up to a civilization ancient in its beliefs in Christ while open to pagan and esoteric influences.

We see glimpses of this, but I suspect as does Nasmyth that much cannot or will not be revealed to outsiders. And since he compares the emerging tourist economy to that of Nepal half a century prior it's tough to balance the need for a way for the citizens to want to stay rather than emigrate, and to cater to the newcomers hiking in with the threats this poses to morality, aesthetics, and dignities.

Nasmyth translates too few passages from astonishingly chthonic literary forebears, justifying his volume's full title. More of this would have been welcome, and suggestions in a supplement about where English-language audiences might turn to learn more about an enclave very few of us would have been aware of, outside the dogged, unfortunate, inescapable, association with "Koba" Stalin.

The book's subtitle grabbed me. I have never met anyone from here, although from nearby Armenia, there's hundreds of thousands who have emigrated to neighborhoods around me in my native Los Angeles and Southern California. So with total ignorance, I opened this quite detailed account of the period roughly from the end of the Soviet occupation to 2017, amidst political upheaval, two lost wars, civil strife in South Ossetian and Abkhazian enclaves, and regime changes as better known Eduard Shevardnadze and his "colorful" successors Misha and Bidniza jockey for control over a land caught in mountainous jaws, between Russia and Turkey, near the Black Sea and bloody Chechnya.

Nasmyth isn't a "born writer" in that I feel in this he labored hard to make a narrative that could combine personal encounters, travelogue across its vertiginous territories, a survey of its artistic legacy, religious diversity--hinting at indigenous animist pre-Christian faith, and cultural allure.

He generally succeeds and among the short shelf in English of books on this region, his appears to be the best. I wish he'd delved into the language more, how he came to master it, and between the lines, how his bookstore in Tbilisi and his making a living there fared as cellphones, digital mono-culture, and capitalism amidst an often mafia-run cabal and black markets conspired despite his own efforts to make this appealing land his new home. It stops too suddenly, almost mid-thought.

But, given the paucity of quality literature on this fastness, and despite the loss of its architectural and ecclesiastical heritage due to gentrification, attempted makeovers for Moscow investors and tasteless ex-pats, and its devastation by pillage, artillery, and greed in the breakdown of order not only after the withdrawal of the Communists, but after the millennium, it's still a best first bet. It's the fourth edition of what appears to have become a standard contemporary resource on the region.

[Sofia Svensson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intressanta ögonblicksbilder och resor, väldigt omfattande över hela Georgien. Ger en, vad jag tror, väldigt bra inblick i 80-90-talets förändringar. Tyckte om sättet han skrev på, vanligtvis tycker jag reseskildringar kan bli så exotifierande och adjektiv-tunga men han lyckas blanda intryck med riktig kulturhistoria på ett bra sätt!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covering several trips to Georgia at key times in its history, Peter Nasmyth gives first-hand accounts of some of the most important moments of independent Georgia. First arriving in 1989 after the April 9 tragedy, he returned in 1991, and again in the late 1990s and in 2003. Each section covers a region of the country, with his descriptions of it and interactions with people he met, explaining in great detail the things he saw. As someone who traveled to several of the regions Nasmyth did (though many years later) it was surreal to read descriptions from him, and how accurate they were; he did a great job of describing them, and despite the distance in time they are largely the same now.

This is an excellent travel book on Georgia, and for someone planning to visit, or looking to understand life in the latter Soviet and early post-Soviet era, it is a great read. It's also worth noting that Nasmyth is the founder and owner of Prospero's in Tbilisi. While any expat in Georgia will know of it, Prospero's is the only English-language bookstore in the country and a meeting point for many foreigners.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book, recounting the two decades that the author has visited, worked in, and lived in Georgia. It thoroughly deepened my understanding of and interest in the country's tumultuous and ancient history, its diverse and aggressive culture and its beautiful landscape and art. A very thoughtful book.

I wish there had been a bit more detail about more recent politics and the conflict with Abkhazia in 1992-1993, but I suppose you have to be careful about writing such things in a somewhat temperamental country in which you own a bookshop and would like to stay. And besides, politics aren't really the point here. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the country.

[Lucy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book and recently updated to cover up to the present day.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - had a great balance of factual information about a fascinating country and it's many cultures which was interspersed with anecdotes about the authors' travels through Georgia.

Could easily have been dated and merely a travelogue but its updates have kept it relevant and you get the sense of Georgia coming of age throughout the book.

The Author clearly loves Georgia and it shows but the book is not one sided.

Would highly recommend.

[Adair McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. What started out as simple curiosity turned into a small love for a country I have yet to visit. Peter Nasmyth keeps the writing interesting and I was hooked from the beginning. I've met a few Georgians (which prompted me to read this book), and they are exactly as the author describes. The most hospitable people you will ever meet, and it is especially true of their "four-hour" supras.

I really enjoyed this book.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m travelling to Georgia this month for a week hiking in the mountains. Knowing next to nothing about the country beyond vague snippets of information I’ve gleaned from news reports over the years this book served as a proper introduction to a country I have yet to know.

The author is a longtime Georgiaphile having travelled there in his early adulthood and returned many times since. He’s also a poet of sorts and seems to have been attracted to Georgian culture due to their tendency towards heartfelt expression artistic and otherwise.

I read the book in a few relaxed days sitting by a Polish lake on holiday with my family: being quite a dense tome I was surprised how quickly it went by. Overall I really enjoyed the way it was written - I feel like I know a lot more the land I’m shortly for and how it came to be the way it is today.

As a child of the 80s I enjoyed being cast back to that unique era when the Cold War was ending and so much of the world was opening up to us westerners again. I feel somewhat nostalgic for that time and this book did a good job of capturing the feelings of optimism and the uncertainty that to my mind seem to have mixed in equal measure throughout the old soviet bloc at that time.

Truth to be told, as the book wore on (and this could well be due to the pace at which I read it) I became a little tired of the level of detail both about religion and politics and honestly I found it hard to truly take it all in. With that said I got the general impression and that was enough: someone with more mental stamina than myself will likely take more from it.

I’m looking forward to seeing the place first hand now and to getting a feel for what the latest chapter in the history of this fascinating land has brought to be (this edition of the book was published in around 2017 and time has doubtless not stood still since then…). Anyone looking to get a feel for the history and culture of Georgia will not regret picking up this book.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was long looking for a good book on Georgia before my trip here, and I believe that this may be the best one.

The book covers the author's many trips and experiences in Georgia. He started off as an inquisitive tourist in the Soviet Union, curious about the mysterious country on the other side of the Caucasus Mountains that inspired so many world-famous authors. After his first trip to Soviet-era Tbilisi we join in on decades-long journeys through most regions of Georgia and major events in the country's post-Soviet history, from revolutions to wars. The reader is introduced to a diverse set of characters that the author met on his travels, each one unique and illustrating different aspects of Georgian national and regional identity.

In many ways, the author also preserves a lost world. As Georgia continues to modernize, much of its cultural heritage is preserved, but also much is destroyed and absorbed into a global monoculture. He laments the destruction of famous architectural sites and describes certain areas before they became accustomed to modern tourist culture. The descriptions of the places he has been are detailed and excellent. I have visited many of the places mentioned in the book, and the author describes them way better than I ever can.

The book is well-written, and the sense of enchantment conveyed by the author easily carries onto the reader. While at the core a travelogue, the book's descriptions of history, culture, literature, modern politics etc. through the eyes of an inquisitive foreigner makes it an all-around great read.

[Willa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A travelogue written by a British author with experience living and touring Georgia across its tumultuous recent history. The author wrote about his visits from the late 80’s to the late 2010’s, giving the reader an easy-to-understand walk through the modern history of the country, from its last days in the Soviet Union to its early days of corruption and sovereignty to some of the more bizarre elements of the present day political landscape.

This book introduces a western reader to the basics of Georgia — a wide range of groups under the Georgian nationality (Svaneti, Tusheti, Khevsureti, etc.), the conflicts in Ossetia and Abkhazia, relevant historical contexts (notably Queen Tamar’s relevance in the country today, Soviet structural influence, the April 9 massacre, the rose revolution, and recent political evolution from corruption to more stable democratic processes), and regions you might wish to visit (Mestia, Ushguli, Batumi, Kutaisi, the Georgian Military Highway, and Tbilisi). I would recommend using the book as a bridge into learning more about all these topics and as a way to dip your feet in for an upcoming trip if you have one. Alternatively, the book is also an interesting first hand account of recent history as it unfolds from the eyes of a foreigner.

On a maybe separate note, I found myself souring to the concept of expat travelogues as I was reading and that particular style of centring an author’s curiosity. I think this is more of a personal qualm, which is why I stuck with 4/5 stars — the book did well what it was intended to do!

[Ken Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for a visit to Georgia in June 2024, a visit from which I have now returned.

The author is British, but has spent much of his life in Georgia, and owns an English-language bookstore in Tbilisi. His book elucidates the history of Georgia from the time of the fall of the Soviet Union until the publication in 2017. The book assumes a certain familiarity with the early history and mythology of Georgia, which I did not possess. I would have welcomed an early chapter which covered King David the Builder, Queen Tamar, Prometheus, and Jason and the Golden Fleece.

Georgia is a fascinating and to my eyes mysterious place. To a Westerner (and particularly someone from the US), a country whose golden age is a millennium ago is a puzzle. Georgia’s history since that time is consumed by the push-and-pull of the neighboring Persian, Ottoman, and Russian empires, with the current bogeyman being Russia. Georgia looks now to Europe (the EU and NATO) to balance the threat of Russia.

From this book, and later conversations with Georgians, I view the post-SSR history of Georgia as a series of eight-year cycles. Some political force appears as a “savior”, is placed in power by the populace, and then becomes hated over the succeeding 8-year period. They are then replaced by another “savior”, and the cycle repeats. The remainder of 2024 will show if the era of Georgian Dream is coming to a close.

[Wang Yu · Rating 3 out of 5]

一段1982在莫斯科的偶然谈话，让作者对格鲁吉亚产生了兴趣。这似乎是一个在苏联这个庞然大物里，成功保护了自己文化的度假胜地。于是，从参加旅行团开始，他在未来一二十年里，反复回到这个国家，完成了这本围绕游历体验的旅行文学作品。

八九十年代的格鲁吉亚，处在苏联解体前后，游客稀少，和今天区别很大。作者有更多机会，感受格鲁吉亚人的直爽性情，慷慨仗义，热血好斗。这个民族历史悠久，地处几个大国的边境要冲，一直存续到今天，有很强的夹缝中求生存能力。对西方的所谓现代性，既向往，又怀疑，恐怕拥抱现代性，就和自己的文化根基断了联系。

这是一种怎样的文化呢？带有明显的前现代特征：重人情，怀疑现代化的“系统”，好客好面子，丰富的酒文化，男权，东正教传统。在山区Svaneti，有不少酒驾命丧山间的司机，他们在事故发生地建起神龛，纪念逝者。当然，神龛里准备了大量的酒精饮料，供路过的司机享用。

对苏联和俄罗斯，格鲁吉亚人抱怨帝国对他们文化的破坏，不常提起苏联的好处：基建，医疗，能源补助，更好的受教育机会。一个屈居在帝国之下，有着强烈自豪感的民族，很难不产生类似的情绪。讽刺的是，他们对自己境内的少数民族，奥塞梯人和阿布哈兹人，也采取了类似的文化压制。

作为斯大林的老乡，格鲁吉亚人对斯大林有复杂的感情。即使斯大林对乡亲的清洗和流放从没手软，格鲁吉亚还是爆发了对赫鲁晓夫清算斯大林的抗议。作者很惊讶地在高加索山谷深处，看到了一尊斯大林的雕塑。强人引发的崇拜，经常超越了善恶判断。

整体上，作者的视角是西方的外来者。这成了一个普遍问题，对于小一些的国家和民族，不容易找到当地人的作品。或者说，对于旅行前的概览，也许外来视角的书籍是最好的选择。

[Aaron Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant account of Georgia. It covers everything from the people, politics, culture and its diverse landscape. The author really gets a sense of the frustrations and elations that the Georgian people have experienced in recent history since he has travelled there extensively since Soviet times. A brilliant read from start to finish.

[Sabine Schryvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read when or while travelling to this gorgeous country. Good insight into the soul and mind of the Georgians in different eras, making you understand the things you see and hear so much more.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great telling of Georgia by an expat who clearly loves the place. Since we're here we can see the places he described from years ago and how they've changed. Want to see more of the country when we can! Also wish there was a woman's book with more about the daily life here (a complementary tone).

[James Salvatore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strangely nostalgic for me, considering the author’s experience with the country begins a decade before my own. And yet there is a certain overlap, as if I once saw the world depicted in early chapters of this book, blurred on the horizon, departing.

[Robert Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - a sweeping yet personal overview of a fascinating nation, people and culture.

[Lesha Symons Ervin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely interesting. Sounds like a a beautifully interesting country with beautifully interesting people!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is tremendous.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another memoir of Georgian culture and the grim life here in the 90s. Would have liked it better had I read it before the other one. But I still enjoyed it.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to this ancient, multifaceted, tempestuous land, and the political and cultural forces that shape it today.

[Dafydd Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivid introduction to a fascinating country.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blend of history, political analysis, and lyrical description of Georgia’s landscapes, architecture, and people. A bit too essentializing at times but otherwise well worth the read.

[Lupa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Georgia in the Mountains of Poetry
by Peter Nasmyth

I downloaded this book before my trip to Georgia.
I've long been fascinated by this region because there has always been enormous hostility among the neighbors fueled by major world powers. It's evident that Georgia has protected itself through its religion and a script and language that have no parallel in the world.
A lengthy read with a level of detail that overwhelmed my interest. As a travel narrative, it was tiring, lacking the critical sense of a people who didn't seem as friendly and festive (more akin to a Mediterranean people) as portrayed in the book. Not that I consider it a negative aspect, but a characteristic of the people crucial to understanding and explaining a region like the Caucasus, where there are no friendly countries.
It's acknowledged that the book underwent extensive research, and the author is keen on showing this. Perhaps the reading experience could have been better and more fluid had the information and data been more concise.
I bought the book influenced by reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, where the book was said to "get into the soul of the Georgian," yet, despite the author's attempts to achieve this by describing his experiences, he fails to share and engage the reader in this experience.
Some information was updated in the latest editions, which greatly helped in understanding the current political aspect of the country after several civil wars.
Peter currently lives in Tbilisi and seemingly owns the property where the Prospero’s English bookstore is located on the beautiful Rustaveli Avenue. This experience could have been explored, not in an academic manner as the book seems to be, but as a chronicle portraying the daily life of the people and the city.
The book is divided into two parts:
1- Pre-independence
In this section, labeling Georgia as "...one of the world’s most hospitable natives..." is far from the truth, particularly because the Caucasus environment has historically been hostile.
Historical, prehistoric, and mythological aspects are interwoven with the writer's contemporary experience. Writing in this manner might seem interesting, but ultimately, it becomes quite tedious as the layers of knowledge don't attract and make the reading slow and unengaging.
2- Independence
In this part of the book, we follow the civil war, the power shifts among various factions (detailed with names and dates).
The same feeling I had from the first part repeats here. Less is more.
Additionally, there are two appendices:
About Oil and Logistics
Surprisingly objective and interesting. It places Georgia in a strategic position on the world's geopolitical board and helps understand the logistical importance of this country and the enormous potential for development considering the substantial investments being made by the European Union and the United States.
Historical aspects were highlighted (related to Alfred Nobel's brother, Shell company) and illustrated in a pleasant and fluid manner.
About Architecture
Not so much a comment or evaluation of the interesting Georgian architecture with its charming balconies, but more of a critique of rampant urban development that overlays the new over the old.
Finally, as a whole, after reading and traveling:
I recognized a people with an immense need to detach from their Soviet past and their belligerent neighbors despite shared and intertwined histories.
Of the two aspects I felt were missing in the book, one was the relationship with its neighbors, and the second was the extremely withdrawn nature of the people (the word "hostile" would have been more appropriate, but I found it too harsh) toward tourists and tourism.

[Neil Farren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by this country ever since I was a kid. I got a copy of this book last christmas and I found it very informative. I seriously wonder why people in Georgia admire Stalin when forcefully invaded and killed georgian people in order to make it part of the soviet union?

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a travel diary, though this book is more like a historical perspective + travel diary rolled into one. The author does a great job bringing to life his adventures throughout Georgia, aided by some excellent photographs. As someone who visited and fell in love with the country, it was so fun to read about Nasmyth do the same and essentially give into it and make Georgia a very significant part in his life. I think it also handles modern Georgian history in a sensitive way and was quite helpful in informing me about recent events and their historical basis.

I will say that there isn't much mention of ancient Georgian history, which I was hoping to learn more about. However, my understanding is that there are relatively few formal historical works on those times translated into English.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A contemporary account of Georgia during the difficult years just before and after the fall of the Soviet Union, with literary allusions librally sprinkled in. Amazing bibliography that spans Tolstoy, Pushkin, Dumas, and many others, including travelogues written in the 18th and 19th centuries by Europeans who visited the country.

[Lesha Symons Ervin]

Great history and cultural background of Georgia!