A moving example of how history can be written. Smith's account of the historical background to the conflict reads like a novel, but better, because it also has the intimacy and immediacy of an eyewitness account. He has given us a memorable, well-researched account of a peculiarly horrible war.

Literary Review

This is a riveting book, written with almost seamless elegance. But Allah's Mountains is not simply a reportage. In a commendable effort to go beyond the present facts, Smith has delved deeply into the broader Caucasian context, steeping himself in the knowledge of its myriad peoples, cultures and languages

International Affairs

Fluent and persuasive prose...admirably clear.

New Statesman

Sebastian Smith's Allah's Mountains is a riveting battle by battle account.

The Tablet

Excellent, readable, insightful.

Jane's Intelligence Review

Smith's book is exceptionally well-written, alternating between hard reporting and more personal vignettes that give the flavour and emotional colouring of the area.

The Moscow Times