Russia's attempt to consolidate its authority in the North Caucasus has exerted a terrible price on both sides since the mid-nineteenth century. Michael Khodarkovsky tells a concise and compelling history of the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas during the centuries of Russia's long conquest (1500–1850s). The history of the region unfolds against the background of one man's life story, Semën Atarshchikov (1807–1845). Torn between his Chechen identity and his duties as a lieutenant and translator in the Russian army, Atarshchikov defected, not once but twice, to join the mountaineers against the invading Russian troops. His was the experience more typical of Russia's empire-building in the borderlands than the better known stories of the audacious kidnappers and valiant battles. It is a history of the North Caucasus as seen from both sides of the conflict, which continues to make this region Russia's most violent and vulnerable frontier.
"By the end of Michael Khodarkovsky's Bitter Choices... Atarshchikoc will reside as a hero in your memory.... Khodarkovsky's insightful reporting of Atarshchikov's experiences in this regard offers unusually detailed and remarkable observations that are rarely found in Russian history and literary works about Caucasus.... This is an important read for those conducting research on nineteenth-century Russian and Caucasian history, and could also be useful as a secondary source for those working on Russian literature about the Caucasus. In terms of teaching, Khodarkovsky's impressive body of knowledge and attentive research make this a solid volume for use in its entirety and in an advanced course in Eurasian or Russian history and/or culture."
Rachel Stauffer,
"Readers familiar with Michael Khodarkovsky's two previous books on the Kalmyks and the Steppe Frontier will look forward to reading Bitter Choices.... In his conclusion Khodarkovsky seeks to explain why the Russians have failed until the present day to bring peace to the region. All this makes a fascinating story, and we must be grateful to the author for telling it so well."
