Discordant Neighbours: A Reassessment of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian Conflicts

George Hewitt has drawn from a wide variety of sources, including those in Georgian, a language he until recently taught. The author has the advantage of actually having been to both Georgia and Abkhazia, and having the ability to judge the Georgian political situation in their own words, rather than the words of journalists and Western politicians who may understand a little Russian at best. Starting with the historical location of the Abkhazians (mentioned by the ancient Greeks) and Ossetians (believed to be descendants of the Scythians and Alans), the author shows that their territorial arguments for their independence are better than those of Kosovo. This hypocrisy is lost on Western academics, however. By documenting the political evolution of the region over roughly a century, Hewitt demonstrates that the difficult situation Georgians are facing is entirely their own fault. The chances of reunion, according to Hewitt are zero. Only time will tell if these regions will one day reconcile their differences, and engage peacefully, as Britain and Ireland now do.