Part travelogue, part history. Not sure what the point of the travelogue is really - there are some interesting encounters but the travelling group dynamic parts don't really seem to add much. Both aspects lack any kind of critical analysis or insight.
While there is a lot on Shamil, there are some anti-mythic or anti-hero facts and anecdotes included, which for me saves those sections. There is also a tantalizing section on Shamil Basayev, though again not particularly deep or well-analyzed.
Overall, a bit incoherent, rather like the group he is travelling with, but with some interesting points or passages that set it apart from some of the other books on the topic.
Includes a small bibliography for further reading.
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