Black Garden

Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War is a 2003 book by Thomas de Waal, based on a study of Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. It consists of a history of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since 1988 combined with interviews conducted on the ground in the aftermath of the war.
The book won the Outstanding Academic Title 2003 award from Choice Reviews.
Reviews.
The book received a positive reception among critics and academics. Neal Ascherson in "The New York Review of Books" described "Black Garden" as "admirable and rigorous", while Dr Amer Latif in "Parameters" wrote that Thomas de Waal "has ...[produced] a book that is both a poignant chronicle and a lucid, evenhanded analysis of the intricacies of this conflict".
The book was particularly praised for its balanced approach given the ethno-nationalist nature of the conflict. In "African and Asian Studies", Samuel Andoh wrote that "most articles on the conflict tend to partial towards one side or the other, putting the blame on Armenia or Azerbaijan ... "Black Garden" ... is probably one of the few exceptions."
Writing in "Foreign Affairs", Robert Legvold praised de Waal for providing "a deeper and more compelling account of the conflict than anyone before ... one likely to exercise give-no-quarters partisans on both sides." "Time" magazine reviewer Paul Quinn-Judge expressed the same sentiment, calling "Black Garden" a "brilliant book ... [which] will infuriate blind partisans on both sides ... it will not be surpassed for many years."