Armenia (Cultures of the World) [Library Binding]

Sakina Dhilawala (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997 | Series: Cultures of the World

Discusses the history of Indiana, as well as its present, its people, and its places of interest.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7-10--All three titles present information on geography, history, government, lifestyle, festivals, and other social and cultural topics. The rigidity of the series format seems to limit the authors of Armenia and Ukraine, which tend to read like reference books. However, Kagda manages to tell an interesting story in Lithuania, by writing gracefully and eschewing the use of too much detail, a fault that often makes the other two volumes too dry. In fact, parts of Armenia may overwhelm some readers who are not already familiar with the country's history and religion. Ukraine has many serious misstatements, instances of incorrect punctuation, and odd choices of vocabulary. There is even a chart purporting to show the Ukrainian alphabet, but has nonsensical symbols instead. All three volumes have very good color photographs but limited glossaries of only one page. The books on Armenia and Ukraine in the "Then and Now" series (both 1993, Lerner) are much more cohesive and readable than the volumes considered here. While Lithuania is excellent (except for two mistakes about the language) and offers more historical depth, readers wishing a more personalized account of the country's situation in the early 1990s may wish to consult Stephen Chicoine and Brent Ashabranner's Lithuania (Cobblehill, 1995).

Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 128 pages
• Publisher: Benchmark Books (NY); 2 edition (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761406832
• ISBN-13: 978-0761406839
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,901,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting introduction to Armenia, its culture and language, June 6, 2011

By 

Craig Rowland (Mississauga) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Armenia (Cultures of the World, Second) (Library Binding)

Armenia by Sakina Dhilawala is in the juvenile "Cultures of the World" series. I am interested in the Armenian language. This book is likely fine for a twelve-year-old doing research on Armenia, as the author goes into great detail about the religions and traditional foods found in the country. As expected I found the chapter on the Armenian language and its unique alphabet most interesting. There was a point of ambiguity in regards to the explanation for the downfall of the first Armenian republic:

"At the end of World War I, after the rise of the Bolsheviks in Russia, an independent Republic of Armenia was declared in Russian Armenia in May 1918. However, external forces, especially pressure from Turks, led to the collapse of the republic in 1920."

Five pages later, however, this explanation was given:

"The Russians were galvanized into taking action. In 1918, an independent Republic of Armenia was formed under the Dashnaks. For two years, the Dashnak administration struggled with the republic's economic problems, while fending off attacks from the Turks and fighting for international recognition. In December 1920, the Dashnaks turned over the administration to the Communists, forming the Soviet Republic of Armenia."

The first passage gives the impression that the first Republic of Armenia collapsed against Armenian will. The second passage suggests that the ruling Armenian administration voluntarily handed over the government to the Soviet Union.

Beautiful colour photos as well as the inclusion of an Armenian folk tale, "The Wise Weaver", were enhancements to a descriptive history of the Armenian land and its people.