I was expecting a sort of "Between the Wood and The Water" set in the Caucasus, but it turned out to be not so much of a posh-boy jaunt with heartwarming characters, and much more gruelling. Lots more fear (bears and wild boar, and the constant scanning for Islamist fighters), lots more unpleasantness - the food is shit much of the time, the accommodation terrible, the police and bureaucrats corrupt and menacing. From time to time he appreciates the beauty of his surroundings, but he also details the physical discomfort of lots of walking - feet, legs, hips...
And in the background there's his PTSD from his experiences in actual terrorist episodes in Beslan and elsewhere.
So not an easy read, or a good one for night-time, but worth the time.
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