Reviews (1)

Attractive book, great price
This is a gorgeous book on the "father-in-law" of Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Well written and gorgeously illustrated.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    5. Historical - General    6. Royalty    7. Biography: historical    8. Biography: royalty    9. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    10. Montenegro    11. Serbia   

Subjects:  1. 1804-1918    2. History    3. Serbia   

Editorial Review

Kosovo, a 55-mile-long plateau in southern Serbia bordering Albania and Macedonia, should by all rights be a historical and political backwater. A Bulgarian geographer who visited Kosovo during World War I remarked that it was "almost as unknown and inaccessible as a stretch of land in Central Africa." The observation would prove ironically fitting by the '90s, as Central Africa and Kosovo both became sites of widespread genocide, fueled by ethnic hatreds, of the deepest international significance. Noel Malcolm, a British historian and journalist who has written extensively about the Balkans (including a companion volume of sorts on Bosnia), provides an overview of Kosovo's long-standing cultural divisions in his "short history" (although, at more than 500 pages, a not so short book). Read more

Reviews (84)

Enjoyble to read, very informative !!!@
I found this book very interesting to read, it explains well and gives one a better comprehension of the Balkans.

Impressive work
Extremely good knowledge of history of the Balkans, Noel does it by masterly knitting pieces of history together. I enjoyed reading it, due to the fact that many of things written inthe book are also told by my grand father. I prefer the book to all of those interested in knowing the roots of conflicts in the Balkans.
malcolm's propaganda piece
Seems everyone jumps on the bandwagon to bash the serbs ...
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Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. Ethnic relations    3. Europe - Baltic States    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. International Relations - General    8. Kosovo (Serbia)    9. Political History   

Editorial Review

The recent war in Bosnia re-ignited ancient hatreds and led to acts of brutalitythat echoed World War II atrocities: large-scale massacres and "ethniccleansing". Bosnian Serbs, aided by Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic,systematically murdered, raped, and terrorized Bosnian Muslims as they strove to create aGreater Serbia. Now, journalist Tim Judah provides some perspective on the horrors ofthe Bosnian conflict with Read more

Reviews (29)

Miserable propaganda
Throwing usnuported by the facts claims about Serbs and intentionally distorting the truth - are the only marks of this book. Good for garbage bin, as somebody already mentioned here.

Devoid of historical seriousness or journalistic integrity
It is necessary to correct the current trend of public commentary, which tends, systematically, not to understand events in the former Yugoslavia but to construct a propagandistic version of Balkan rivalries, designed to validate the existing post-modern myths and prejudices. This book faithfully reflects the post-modern blinkers that its author has helped first create and then perpetuate in his "coverage" of the Wars of Yugoslav Succession. This book reflects his (and their) belief that the Orthodox nations of Southeast Europe - embodied in "the Serbs" - are The Other vis-a-vis "The West" in the Huntingtonian sense. The author's assumptions are prejudiced in a coarse, primordial manner.
just the facts
mythomaniacs?
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Subjects:  1. Balkan Peninsula - History    2. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    3. Europe - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Serbia    8. Serbia and Montenegro    9. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    10. Civil war    11. Croatia    12. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    13. History / General    14. History of specific racial & ethnic groups   

Editorial Review

Tim Judah lived in Belgrade from 1990 to 1995, reporting for the London Read more

Reviews (8)

Judah beats authors to the punch year after war
Overall, this is a much better book than Judah's previous work, Serbs.It appeared hardly a year after the conflict in Kosovo, and with the wealth of material that has appeared about Serbia, Kosovo, and Milosevic, it is slightly dated in its tone, though the many quotes and accounts of the happenings on the ground are valuable. Excellent coverage of Kosovo's recent history
When fighting in Kosovo began breaking out and hitting news tabloids in mid-1998, the problem was that few people knew about this region's history, let alone its location on the globe. No one could quite understand the motives of Serbs and Albanians, who were at odds with each other. When NATO began bombing rump Yugoslavia for its conduct against Kosovo Albanian civilians, uncritical (and heavily biased) media reports and press coverage were the only source of information that one could turn to for background. While this may have been better than nothing, this information was far from providing a critical and satisfactory explanation and understanding. This was the case, until Tim Judah wrote his second book, the current one now under review. Six stars out of five
No matter how much graphic TV footage we saw and how many acres of newsprint we read on the Kosovo crisis, nothing gave us enough information about what was really going on. As with any war situation, information was often unavoidably contradictory and confused, tainted with propaganda. Politicians and historians and revisionists will probably mull over the recent events in Kosovo for years before presenting their views. Read more

Subjects:  1. Balkan Peninsula - History    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Middle East - General    7. Albania    8. Civil war    9. Ethnic studies    10. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    11. History / Middle East    12. Serbia    13. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    14. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (6)

DRAKULIC AT HER MOST DISAPPOINTING
Drakulic is quite disappointing in this latest work.In the past, she has always had critical but credible insight into the many trials and tribulations her country faced - whether that was Yugoslavia or Croatia.One has enjoyed reading her books, not only for the obvious passion and openness with which they were written, but also because of her tendency to be a thorn in the side of the ruling government or authority.
Biased, but good.
These stories of people on trial, or yet-to-be-captured, for war crimes and crimes against humanity are a good introduction to the way in which war screws people up.Even good-natured, everybody's pal, types of people become animals when handed a weapon and absolute power to use it.
A Human Reaction to Inhuman Times
THEY WOULD NEVER HURT A FLY: WAR CRIMINALS ON TRIAL IN THE HAGUE by Slavenka Drakulic is a nonfiction work to follow her fictional piece about the war in the Balkans: S: A Novel about the Balkans. In this book, Drakulic writes chapters on various accused war criminals from the war in the former Yugoslavia. To write the book, she traveled to the Hague and observed the trials. She is a native Croatian, and now lives most of the time in Sweden.
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Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Conservatism    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. General    5. History - General History    6. Political Science    7. Political culture    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Psychology    10. Serbia    11. Serbia and Montenegro    12. War Crimes And Criminals    13. War criminals    14. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    15. History / General   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Civil War, 1998-1999    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Ethnic Studies - General    5. History    6. Individual Photographer    7. KFOR (Organization)    8. Kosovo (Serbia)    9. Photo Techniques    10. Photoessays & Documentaries    11. Photography    12. Pictorial works    13. Social conditions    14. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Europe    15. Albania    16. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    17. Individual photographers    18. Other warfare & defence issues    19. Photographic reportage    20. Photography / Individual Photographer    21. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. Guided bombs    2. Guided missiles    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Kosovo (Serbia)    6. Military    7. Military - Strategy    8. Military Science    9. Precision bombing    10. United States    11. History / Military / Strategy   

Reviews (40)

Something to upset everyone
General (ret) Wesley Clark's recollections of events leading up to the 1999 bombing campaign against Serbia truly has something to upset or annoy everyone.
If you have to read this book, buy it used and save some $
This is not a book, but a rambling memoir filled with too many personal comments of little substance.Do not expect an objective analysis as to the causes or the events surrounding the Kosovo conflict.Nor expect a CLEAR or INSIGHTFUL book on how military decisions are made and executed.
The lessons of Kosovo
"Waging Modern War," by Wesley K. Clark, is an account of the 1999 NATO military action in Kosovo from the perspective of the author, an American army general who oversaw the operation.Clark notes that this book is "a personal memoir" and is not intended to be "a complete record of the war."Included as supplemental features are a "Cast of Characters," with descriptions of over 60 individuals from the international group of people involved in the story; a list of the abbreviations used; a map; and an index.
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Subjects:  1. Balkan Peninsula - History    2. Bosnia and Hercegovina    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Europe - Baltic States    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Kosovo (Serbia)    8. Military - General    9. Military - Other    10. Military History - 1990-    11. Personal narratives    12. Personal narratives, American    13. Politics/International Relations    14. War & Military    15. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    16. Clark, Wesley K    17. Current Events    18. Military History   

Subjects:  1. Politics/International Relations    2. Civil war    3. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    4. Revolutions & coups    5. Serbia    6. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (42)

Excellent
Michael Parenti is one of my favorite authors, and he continues his trend of excellent and informative work in this book. The NATO "humanitarian" bombing was widely accepted at the time. There were few who challenged it. The Serbs were simply "the new Nazis" and thats all there was to it. That is why it is so refreshing to see someone make a challenge to those assertions. Whether you agree with it or not, this is an essential book to read if you are studying the NATO intervention and the conflict in general. Some other books and articles I reccomend on the topic are: NATO in the Balkans: Voices of Opposition (Available on Amazon), Fools' Crusade: Yugoslavia, Nato, and Western Delusions by Diana Johnstone (also available here),Parenti's article "The Demonization of Slobodan Milosevic", but most importantlythe Republika Srpska Bureau for Cooperation with the ICTY's report on Srebanica, based on UN and Red Cross documents, which exposes the whole thing as a fraud, but not suprisingly was suppressed.

Trash
Another shameful revisionist account from the left about the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia in which the author prefers to believe that NATO was acting in response to a desire to expand globalization instead of preventing an ethnic cleansing. Parenti's scholarship, as it is in several of his books, is very amateurish. He continually cites from totally ludicrous electronic sources such as the "World Socialist Website" to prove his claims, and rarely provides any serious evidence from the UN, or any reputable human rights organization.
good counter balance to anti serb hysteria
To Kill a Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia. Michael Parenti. Verso Books. 246 pages. Yen 3,960.
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Subjects:  1. Civil War, 1998-1999    2. Current Affairs    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Former Yugoslav republics    5. History    6. History & Theory - General    7. International    8. International Relations - General    9. Kosovo (Serbia)    10. Mass Media    11. Military History - 1990-    12. North Atlantic Treaty Organization    13. Politics / Current Events    14. Politics and government    15. Politics/International Relations    16. Public Opinion And Foreign Policy    17. Yugoslavia    18. Armed conflict    19. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    20. International relations    21. NATO    22. Serbia    23. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    24. c 1990 to c 2000   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography / Historical    2. Montenegro,Balk Eastern question,Francis Seymour,Stevenson   

Reviews (7)

Where's the Serbian point-of-view?
This is pro-Albanian propaganda. Nobody knows about the Albanians' "ethnic cleansing" of the Serbs that went on for the past 30 years. Serbs were driven out of their homes by the Albanian mafia and nobody could do anything about it because the communist government allowed it to go on unpunished. Nobody even talks about the Albanians that were killed by other Albanians because they believed that an independent state of Kosovo was not in the best interest of the Albanians. UN investigators that were sent into Kosovo after the recent bombing found only 2,200 bodies in mass graves. They didn't even know how many of those bodies were Serbs and how many were anti-secession Albanians. When this report was released, the US state department lowered its figure of 100,000 Albanians dead to 10,000 Albanians dead. If you want a better perspective from a more reliable source. Watch "Children of Kosovo: 2000" it shows the perspective of the children of Kosovska Mitrovica, which has both Albanians and Serbs living in it. It's made by a famous Hungarian film-maker so you cannot think that it is directed to any one side.

Balanced and informative
This book analyzes the gradual rise in ethnic tensions in Kosovo, a region of the former Yugoslavia ruled by Serbia but populated primarily by Albanians, in the years between the death of Tito and the collapse of Yugoslavia.
A bedtime story
So, Slobodan Milosevic has been toppled.. Guess that means all will now be peaceful in Kosovo!Read more

Subjects:  1. Causes    2. Civil War, 1998-1999    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Europe - General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. International Relations - General    9. Kosovo (Serbia)    10. Political History    11. Ethnic studies    12. History / General    13. Political control & freedoms    14. Southeast Europe   

Reviews (14)

I wanted more
First let me say that I have the utmost respect for Paula Huntley and her husband, for what they did, and for the lives they touched. Her writing was just enough to show the day to day lives of these people who have gone through so much. I wish more people would take a more active role in the world around them. It would be a better world if they did.
Both more and less than it�s cracked up to be
The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo is a wonderful tale of the virtues and rewards of volunteering to help those in countries less fortunate (at least for the present) than the US; at the same time, it's not exactly great literature or great writing. However, that's not what it's advertised to be, and it's not the aspiration of the author to compete with the writers of great literature. For how it came to be (a collection of emails to friends and family during the 8 months the author spent teaching English in Kosovo), this book more than meets its goal. Couldn't put this down...
I learnt a lot from and was infinitely moved by Paula Huntley'sjournal of the eight months she and he husband spent working in post-war Kosova.Understated, beautiful writing and none of the straining for effect that mars so many memoirs.She was clearly writing straight from the heart.I rarely do this but as soon as I finished the book, I found her website and donated something to the scolarship fund for young Albanian Kosovars.A fascinating and inspiring story of some very resilient people. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Description    3. Description and travel    4. Diaries    5. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    6. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    7. History    8. History: World    9. Huntley, Paula    10. Kosovo (Serbia)    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Travelers    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Orthodox Churches    2. Church and state    3. Eastern Europe - General    4. History    5. History of doctrines    6. Nationalism    7. Religion    8. Religion - World Religions    9. Religious aspects    10. Srpska pravoslavna crkva    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Eastern Europe    13. Political control & freedoms   

Reviews (3)

Not quite as advertised...
If I could give half stars, this would get 3.5/5.
The "Other" Resistance
Even though this book is now out of print, I still feel the need to write this review in addition to the other excellent one posted here.Guerrilla Radio is the inspiring story of B92 radio station and their decade long quest to end the regime in Serbia while at the same time offering the public hope.As a student of international relations, it also offers a fascinating look at what really happens to the resistance fighters without weapons when temporary "interventions" by foreign powers end up making situations much worse than they already were.If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, BUY IT IMMEDIATELY.

An outspoken voice against the genocidal Serbian dictator
Guerrilla Radio by Matthew Collin (London Editor of "The Big Issue") is the incredible but true story of the Serbian pirate radio station B92. This was an unlicensed radio broadcast station which began in the late 1980's for the simple purpose of playing music, but it quickly evolved into become an outspoken voice against the genocidal Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. A powerful story of people's refusal to be silenced, culminating with the eventual end of Milosevic's regime in October 2000, Guerilla Radio is a strongly recommended and revealing example of the determination of human will and spirit against all efforts to shut it down, disrupt its broadcasts, and otherwise silence an underground resistance to an horrific tyranny. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. B92 (Radio station : Belgrade,    2. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    3. Eastern Europe - General    4. Genres & Styles - Rock    5. History & Criticism - General    6. Music    7. Music and the war    8. Political aspects    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. Protest movements    11. Radio - History & Criticism    12. Radio stations    13. Serbia    14. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995   

Reviews (3)

Straight-forward if Somewhat Repetitive
V.P. Gagnon present a refreshing analysis of the breakdown of state structures in Yugoslavia and the rise of so-called "ethnic wars". It is a much needed diversion from the heavily skewed and highly inaccurate appraisals of Balkan societies as portrayed by Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts or even Mischa Glenny's the Fall of Yugoslavia, in which the jouralist-writers portray the entire region as a place awash in ancient hatreds, pre-modern superstitions, and primitive tribal communities.