"In Black Garden, Thomas de Waal tells the full story of this tragic quarrel and its aftermath for the first time. He travels the length and breadth of Armenia and Azerbaijan, talking to veterans, refugees and the inhabitants of ruined towns and villages. He recreates the story of the descent into conflict of two former Soviet neighbors, its disastrous consequences and the confused efforts of the "Great Powers" - Russia, France and the United states - to bring peace to the Caucasus."--BOOK JACKET.

These are all words that describe the singular appeal of plants with black (or near-black) foliage, flowers, or fruit. For some gardeners, they are curiosities that yield a special thrill when closely examined. For others, they are invaluable for creating sophisticated designs in which dark leaves and foliage provide essential contrast with brighter elements. Whatever the source of their somber magic, these dusky denizens of the plant kingdom are irresistible to gardeners-or indeed to anyone drawn to nature's more unusual manifestations.

"This collection of articles from the Soviet and Russian press paints an intriguing portrait of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Unlike Western media outlets, this conflict has been a mainstay in the Soviet, then Russian press. The present collection of articles--carefully translated, edited, and culled from a vast repository of Russian-language press curated by East View--presents in book form for the first time in English some of the most important material that has appeared from 1988 to the present. By bringing together this unique collection, East View Press aims to provide readers with the immediate context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the lens of Moscow, along with some insight into its complex historical, political and ethnic underpinnings. Black Garden Aflame will be of interest to specialists and general readers alike"--

Günther Wizemann's series The Black Garden comprises forty-three paintings created between 2003 and 2013. Strongly influenced by the Russian modernists Kazimir Malevich and Aleksander Rodchenko, Wizemann has long mulled the question of what one could possibly paint in the aftermath of the modernists. Italian artist Mario Merz's statement-making installation, Che Fare?, which sought to push the boundaries of art beyond traditional painting and sculpture, has been equally influential on Wizemann's practice. The Black Garden was created as a possible response to these questions. Published as a collection for the first time, the paintings that make up The Black Garden are the result of long artistic processes that involves layering oil and resin to produce an inner and an outer image on the canvas. They are accompanied here by essays that place the series--Wizemann's largest to date--within art historical context and reveal literary connotations along with formal and conceptual relations, ranging from the Renaissance to Wizemann's contemporaries. Wizemann is a fascinating figure on Switzerland's art scene, and this richly illustrated book offers an accessible introduction to his most recent work.

An exciting and refreshing call to arms, The Planthunter is a new generation of gardening book for a new generation of gardener that encourages readers to fall in love with the natural world by falling in love with plants.

This new edition of The Caucasus is a thorough update of an essential guide that has introduced thousands of readers to a complex region. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the break-away territories that have tried to split away from them constitute one of the most diverse and challenging regions on earth, impressing the visitor with their multi-layered history and ethnic complexity. Over the last few years, the South Caucasus region has captured international attention again because of disputes between the West and Russia, its unresolved conflicts, and its role as an energy transport corridor to Europe. The Caucasus gives the reader a historical overview and an authoritative guide to the three conflicts that have blighted the region. Thomas de Waal tells the story of the "Five-Day War" between Georgia and Russia and recent political upheavals in all three countries. He also finds time to tell the reader about Georgian wine, Baku jazz and how the coast of Abkhazia was known as "Soviet Florida." Short, stimulating and rich in detail, The Caucasus is the perfect guide to this fascinating and little-understood region.