Customer Reviews

The Making of the Georgian Nation

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Suny is a renowned, respected and responsible scholar. He is a third generation American of Armenian descent, but this has nothing to do with some small-minded reviewers' paranoia about "Armenian propaganda". Even some of his Armenia-related books, such as "Looking Toward Ararat: Armenia in Modern History", are not wholeheartedly accepted in Armenia proper, because local scholars tend to consider Suny's views as being utterly Americanized and therefore to some extent detached from the Armenian reality. Readers need to understand that in a multi-ethnic society, such as Georgian, there will inevitably be people representing Georgian majority as well as non-Georgian minorities, who will exhibit distress and disappointment with this or that passage or chapter in the book. Readers should also be aware that the U.S.-based Association on the Study of Nationalities has included this book in the series of best publications on nationalities inhabiting the Eurasian landmass.

For those who are anxious about an Armenian-American having written a book on Georgia, I, for one, would be interested in reading an alternative perspective by one of your own scholars who published a similar book in the U.S. Who could you recommend?

Ronald Suny presents the story of how the Georgia Republic became an independent nation. I worked for two years in Georgia and this book helped me understand Georgians, their pride in their culture and long history and their antipathy to Russia.

Suny writes well --the book reads like a novel even though it is carefully researched.

I felt motivated to write this review because the number of low scores from critics with an agenda. Readers new to the subject must understand that the always-turbulent history of the Caucasus makes for acrimonious debates and intensely-politicized historiography where the most basic facts are routinely challenged. Richard Grigor Suny, a highly respected authority on questions of national identity in the post-Soviet space, cuts through all this mess with a frank and evenhanded anaylsis. The first portion of the book is straight-up narrative history, much of which material that few nonspecialists come across, yet it is laid out plainly and conveniently for any interested reader. The rest traces the roots and rise of Georgian national consciousness in modern times, always accounting for the complexities of an ethnically diverse scene and Russia's commanding influence. It is a book that will satisfy few ideologues seeking to fight historical battles over again, but I highly recommend it to anyone who has been ensnared by this unique region of the world and is looking for so more in-depth reading and a genuine education in the subject. I later found myself constantly referring back to my memories of Suny's book while studying nationalism more broadly in an academic setting.

The book is accentuated with pan-Armenian agenda. Yet another effort of Sunny to undermine Georgia and promote Armenia. And as historical facts become major stumbling blocks for carrying out his agenda, Sunny gets rid of history and invents fairy tales. Just a friendly reminder to Sunny - himself an Armenian American: Armenians are not native people of either Caucasus or Europe. Their ethnic origin is Indo-European. So is their language. True, they are the people who have been plundered and abused, but they are not the only ones. Also, the fact that their statehood has survived is due to one extraordinary and one disgraceful fact. First the extraordinary: for the past 12 centuries Georgia defended Armenia and its statehood (independence) was maintained by Georgia pro bono. Now the disgraceful one: in the early stages of the USSR, Armenia cut a deal with Russia. Here are two simple proofs (although plenty others may be furnished, these should suffice):

a) To this date Armenian army takes part in the Annual Moscow Red Square army parade.
b) Throughout the Soviet Union Armenians were exempt from military service as "an endangered race" - this featherbedding is no coincidence.

This book represents yet another deliberate effort of Mr. Sunny to INVENT history. The author has preconceived biases against Georgia and the Caucasian civilization, and he is in the habit of butchering history to fit his imaginations, illusions and make-beliefs. The final product of his labor is a book of fantasies rather than facts.

Besides lack of scholarship, clear biases against Georgia, and fictitious story-telling, the book is a pulpit of Armenian propaganda. It tries to undermine basic facts of European history by eliminating its original civilization, Georgian (Iberian-Pelasgian) civilization from it and replacing it with Armenian hubris. Mr. Sunny (who is of Armenian descent) forgets that Armenian civilization, if such a thing indeed ever existed in the boundaries of Europe, just like the Armenian people, is not native to Europe, but it is rather Asiatic in its origin, as well as its basic principles (to this date). Armenia, Armenian language and culture are Indo-European - originated in Asia and through hook and crook, bloodsheds, conquests and robberies transplanted in Europe. No wonder a small, cultured and ancient Christian nation, such as Georgia, becomes an inconvenient stumbling block which has to be eliminated from history - Armenian transplantation can never be completed without first removing indigenous European culture - Georgia from history books. Mr. Sunny has most rigorously endeavored to accomplish just that, but in vain - his stories have more holes in them than a drum of Swiss cheese. I would recommend reading this book which from a historical perspective describes numerous capital fallacies of Armenian historiographers from ancient days to present. The book describes how almost all Armenian historiographers and historians tried to eliminate Georgian culture from history and inserted Armenian hubris and falsehoods (but they got cought!): Thompson, Robert W. (1996). Rewriting Caucasian History: The Medieval Armenian Adaptation of the Georgian Chronicles: The Original Georgian Texts and the Armenian Adaptation. Oxford Oriental Monographs. Oxford University Press.

Georgia is an ancient nation with the highest literacy level in the world, with its own alphabet, distinct European music full of oomph and gusto, more ancient Christian churches and monasteries per square mile than anywhere else on the face of the earth, and amazing cuisine. Wine and vine culture also take their origins in Georgia - unlike this pseudo-scientific book, many truly scientific books have been written on this topic (McGovern, Patrick, E. (2007). Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture. Princeton University Press. Also see: McGovern, Patrick, E. (2010). Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages. University of California Press). People of Georgia in general have a natural libertarian attitude and cherish their freedom and independence over everything else. They show remarkable propensity and devotion to philosophy, literature, poetry, art, music and liberal sciences. Most important, they are devout Christians. Georgia was the first nation to accept Christianity (another inconvenient historical, or I'd even say a historic, fact for Armenians and their propagandists).

As an alternative to this book, I would suggest reading the following: Freedom and Prosperity in the 21st Century. The book accurately describes Georgia's social and economic propensities, most unique and most positive political idiosyncrasies and history. This particular book was published in the United States by Georgian International University Press; and it was endorsed by the Economic Association of America, the Laissez-Faire Fraternity.

NOTE: Mr. Sunny's book has been criticized by the U.S.-based reputable organization - the Laissez-Faire Fraternity, the Economic Association of America - "based on the lack of scholarship and predominantly biased value judgments that dominate the book's philosophy" (2011).

If you do not know the true story of the Georgia and therefore cannot judge how biased and misleading this book is, better DON'T READ IT!!

I was surprised how a book with scientific pretensions can possibly contain such amount of disinformation. I just wonder if the author has no idea of the subject or if it is deliberate.

Such a waste of time and money!!!

Unfortunately, the author portrays hismelf not as a scientist searching for answers to the posed questions, but as a propagandist of the flawed theory and intentionally distorted facts. The book contains numerous historical inaccuracies, which are used for flawed extrapolations.

Look for alternative resources and volumes.

I read through this book and got amazed how the Indiana University even considered attaching its name to it. Because this is total falsification of the Georgian history and straightforwardly an INSULT to any person who has ever had any positive emotions towards Georgia. Don't waste your time, this book will mislead you.

I was horribly disappointed by this book. The author misconstrues the truth to an extreme extent. Sadly, I have noticed that many Georgian propogandists are striving to do this with their own history nowadays. From examples like denying the fact that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are inhabitated by completely different and separate ethnic groups, from twisting data and dates to suit their purposes altogether, I would highly advise anyone looking to read about this region to take this book and others like it with a grain of salt. Stick to credible resources and do your research before you buy such trash.