T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed The Oath : The Remarkable Story of a Surgeon’s Life Under Fire in Chechnya on + 273 more book reviews
This important book provides a raw, real portrait of the devastation wrought by war, even upon a culture which has sadly become all too familiar with it. This account revolves around the experiences of Khassan Baiev, a Chechen from a small, mountainous province sometimes called "little Switzerland" because of its harsh terrain and unforgiving climate, where generations of semi-nomadic farmers and pastoralists have wrested subsistence from the land. It's also a crossroads, situated in a strategic position between East and West. Baiev recounts his early life, which from the start was seemingly charmed: he was a renowned athlete, and then became a medical doctor, notwithstanding the overarching prejudice and discrimination he encountered, which prevailed even before the Russian-Chechen War in the mid-1990s.
The most moving aspects of the book are the war stories Baiev recounts with terrifying and devastating accuracy and detail. "The Oath," referring to the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians to help all who need it, allies and enemies alike, subjected him to life-threatening peril. Pursued by both Russian and Chechen fighters, who accused him of helping the enemy, Baiev's existence was a tenuous one. Notwithstanding his experiences, Baiev retains his humanity, demonstrating no animosity toward either Russians or the others, sometimes even fellow Chechens, who threatened his life and those of his family members. From taking in Russian soldiers that he befriended, to risking his life to assist a Russian doctor in escaping his captors who were planning to execute him in retaliation for the murder of a fellow fighter, Baiev's courage under fire is almost superhuman.
Perhaps most importantly, this book brings much-needed attention to this greatly neglected region of the world, which gained prominence only in a negative light, unfortunately: its most famous residents seem to be those who have committed unspeakable atrocities, from the separatist hostage-takers who seized a Russian theater, resulting in more than a hundred deaths, to the Boston Marathon Bombers, whose parents Baiev actually hosted when they first arrived in the US, in Boston, in the early 2000s. The book certainly humanizes the Chechen people as a unique culture, noting many of their customs and highlighting their fierce commitment to family and community. It also demonstrates that, in contrast to the frequent assumption, that there is no one way to be Muslim. Many of the traditions of the Caucasus region are very distinct from those of other Muslim communities.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in geopolitics and current affairs, as it offers detailed information about a much-neglected topic, and highlights in stark detail the horrors of war. Hopefully this region will enjoy an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity, despite its troubled past.
The most moving aspects of the book are the war stories Baiev recounts with terrifying and devastating accuracy and detail. "The Oath," referring to the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians to help all who need it, allies and enemies alike, subjected him to life-threatening peril. Pursued by both Russian and Chechen fighters, who accused him of helping the enemy, Baiev's existence was a tenuous one. Notwithstanding his experiences, Baiev retains his humanity, demonstrating no animosity toward either Russians or the others, sometimes even fellow Chechens, who threatened his life and those of his family members. From taking in Russian soldiers that he befriended, to risking his life to assist a Russian doctor in escaping his captors who were planning to execute him in retaliation for the murder of a fellow fighter, Baiev's courage under fire is almost superhuman.
Perhaps most importantly, this book brings much-needed attention to this greatly neglected region of the world, which gained prominence only in a negative light, unfortunately: its most famous residents seem to be those who have committed unspeakable atrocities, from the separatist hostage-takers who seized a Russian theater, resulting in more than a hundred deaths, to the Boston Marathon Bombers, whose parents Baiev actually hosted when they first arrived in the US, in Boston, in the early 2000s. The book certainly humanizes the Chechen people as a unique culture, noting many of their customs and highlighting their fierce commitment to family and community. It also demonstrates that, in contrast to the frequent assumption, that there is no one way to be Muslim. Many of the traditions of the Caucasus region are very distinct from those of other Muslim communities.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in geopolitics and current affairs, as it offers detailed information about a much-neglected topic, and highlights in stark detail the horrors of war. Hopefully this region will enjoy an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity, despite its troubled past.
