Armenian Tragedy: An Eye-Witness Account of Human Conflict and Natural Disaster in Armenia And..

Chaos caused by ethnic and territorial strife between Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijani, exacerbated by the 1988 earthquake, is eloquently portrayed by Soviet photo-journalist Rost, who admits to favoring the Armenian cause. In a foreword, Sakharov alludes to politically negative effects the conflict could have on perestroika , which he notes awoke ethnic hostilities repressed by Stalin. Accounts by victims of warfare and earthquake and interviews with leaders of both republics and the U.S.S.R. animate this wrenching report, its drama preserved in an excellent translation. The book is prophetic of the current newsmaking escalation of conflict in Azerbaijan. (Apr.)