One quarter of the earth's surface is mountains, and about 10% of the population resides in them. Given the inclement weather, difficult travel conditions and relative isolation, this is perhaps unsurprising. In No Friends but the Mountains, journalist Judith Matloff does explore a surprising statistic: approximately 85% of the world's conflicts over the past two decades have been fought in mountain areas.
A professor of conflict reporting at the Columbia School of Journalism, Matloff is intimately familiar with this disproportionate reality, learning firsthand as she covers clashes in 39 countries over five continents. While altitude appears to nurture danger, the causes are many and fascinating, borne of different cultures, environments, traditions and politics.
Whether the discord is violent at its core (drugs, traditional vendettas), based on spiritual connections to land, or the product of diminishing resources, harsh topography tends to breed self-sufficient, insular communities that don't take well to rule by others. No Friends but the Mountains travels straight to the heart of eight mountainous regions as distinctive as their surrounding terrain.
Each region is steeped with centuries of politics, religion and culture. Matloff's lively writing keeps the dense subject matter from getting bogged down, and her accounts of perilous trips into hot zones are akin to an adventure novel. In addition to macro views, Matloff highlights the stories of individuals to provide a more personal perspective and connection. As distant as they may seem, mountain conflicts have global consequences. Understanding is crucial, and No Friends but the Mountains is an essential work on the fundamentals of high-altitude warfare. --Lauren O'Brien of Malcolm Avenue Review