The Making of the Georgian Nation, Second Edition

A well-researched and informational book. This positive assessment is further justified by the premier academic journal in political science, the American Political Science Review, which called the book a 'tour de force research.' My only critique is that the book should have dedicated more towards the partisan structure of Georgia during the Soviet and post-Soviet period.

Much like the title implies, this is book looks at how the concept of the Georgian people was developed throughout history. Suny argues that it is largely in opposition to occupying forces that the Georgians truly created their national identity, and presents a solid case of such. Modern Georgia has been overrun by nearly every nearby force, and yet the Georgians were never removed from the region, instead thriving in it. Even non-military actions, like the economic dominance of ethnic Armenians in Tbilisi for most of its history, is shown to have played a large role, one that give the Georgians a drive to control their own destiny, and not be led by Armenians.Their own perception only increased in the years after the Russian annexation, in part due to the wider spread of nationalism throughout Europe, and an increased effort by the Russian authorities to assimilate the Georgians into a more Russian identity. Further efforts by the Soviet Union led to similar results, with the brief independence of the Georgian Democratic Republic serving as a hope for the succeeding Soviet era and occupation.The book is limited in that it was impossible for Suny to gain access to the Soviet archives at the time, and with no update after the initial breakup of the Soviet Union (the second edition does touch on the wars Georgia fought, but is unable to properly give them a proper treatment), it is unable to give a full overview. It must also be seen for what it is: the book is not a history of Georgia, but instead a history of how the Georgian people came to exist, and how the idea of what it means to be Georgian has changed. It is thus a very valuable book, and a premier work on Georgia in English.

Fascinating book!