Reviews (6)

Scary but important
This book is not for the coffee table; this book serves as a horrifying pictoral record of the death and misery of the wars in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s.This is neither for voyeurs looking for war pornography, nor for the faint of heart.Many of the images are greatly disturbing.Rather, it is for those of us who want to understand the depths of evil that these wars represent, and for those of us who know people whose lives were shattered by them.

Haviv hanging with tough guys
Blood and Honey presents pictures from the Balkan wars of the 1990s--Croatia to Kosovo.They are not organized in any particular manner, and the subjects range from wounded soldiers to refugees to atrocities.
Great photos. Poor text.
I have always enjoyed Haviv's beautiful photographs. He has an incredible eye. But the text in this book is very poor. Sudetic comes across as a Yugo-nostalgic fool. Once again the writer uses myths from World War Two as justification for the present day conflict. If we are going to bring up WW2 then lets also bring up Serb duplicity and collaboration with the Nazis. (See the Nedic regime). As well as the whole slaughter of non-Serbs, primarily Muslims and Croats by the Chetnik forces of Serb General Mihajlovic, prior to 1941. The writer does not take into account Communist Tito's massacres at Bleiburg, and the death camps such as Goli Otok and Gradiska. (For comparisons see Pinochet). Yugoslavia was not a utopian dream. It was a vicious state ruled with an iron fist and it was bound to fall apart. It was a regime ruled by one ethnic group, the Serbs, and several non-Serb cronies who were die-hard Communists. War was tragically inevitable. How could it not be, when the Serb leader Milosevic and other Serb intellectuals, wanted to carve out a Greater Serbia. (See Memorandum from the Serb Academy of Arts and Sciences). And almost succeeded. What was unforseen was the West's desperate attempt to keep Yugoslavia whole. This goes back to interest and types like former Sec. of StateLawrence Eagleburger having money/investments in the region. Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. Documentary Photo Collections    3. Eastern Europe - General    4. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    5. Essays    6. History - General History    7. Military - Other    8. Military - Pictorial    9. Military History - 1990-    10. Photo Essays    11. Photography    12. Photojournalism    13. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - General    6. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    7. History / Military / General    8. Warfare & Defence    9. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (2)

neglected classic of yugoslavia
Having just read Halberstam's latest book, mostly on Yugoslavia, I was tempted to look into the history of that former country.I found this book on my shelf and gobbled it up in one sitting. Land Without Justice
Born in Montenegro in 1911, Milovan Djilas saw his homeland folded into the communist built nation of Yugoslavia. In deceptively simple, yet lyrical, prose he explains the political, religious and racial feuds thatplay a crucial role in the region's history. Rising to leadership in thecommunist party, Djilas was later expelled from the party and imprisonedfor "slandering Yugoslavia" a.k.a. speaking his mind. This is arich, intense and unforgettable book that sheds light on the past as on thecontinuing saga of the Balkans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Historical - General    3. History: World    4. Political    5. Social life and customs    6. Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. 1918-1945    2. 1945-1980    3. 1980-1992    4. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    5. Eastern Europe - General    6. History    7. History & Theory - General    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Yugoslavia    11. 20th century    12. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. International relations    14. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (1)

a key part of the Cold War elucidated
Gray's book does a masterful job of elucidating a key part of the Cold War.In looking at the Cold War in Europe,historians, both academic and popular/armchair, often overlook what America's allies were doing as they fought their own fronts in the larger Cold War.While NATO allies like Britain, Germany, and Italy were loyal supporters of the U.S., and they played a role in Washington's strategy, they also had their own agendas.Nowhere was this more important than in West Germany.
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Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Economic policy    3. Europe - Germany    4. Foreign relations    5. General    6. Germany (East)    7. Germany (West)    8. Hallstein, Walter,    9. History    10. History: World    11. International Relations - General    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Recognition (International law)    14. World politics    15. East Germany, DDR    16. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    17. Germany    18. Hallstein, Walter    19. History / Germany    20. International relations    21. West Germany    22. West Germany; Hallstein Doctrine; East Germany; Konrad Adenauer; Walter Ulbricht; German identity; German nationalism; Cold War; Third World; Ludwig Erhard; Willy Brandt; Ostpolitik; Yugoslavia; Egypt; Syria; Iraq; Guinea; Ghana; Tanzania; India; Indonesia; Ceylon; Cambodia    23. c 1945 to c 1960    24. c 1960 to c 1970   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. Ethnic relations    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Modern - 20th Century    8. Nationalism    9. Political Process - General    10. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    11. Yugoslavia    12. Central Europe    13. European history: from c 1900 -    14. European studies    15. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (66)

Zlata's Diary
This is the true story of a child's life, Zlata Filipovic, in Sarajevo when the war in 1991 began. She writes down her life surviving in the horrible conditions of the war for 3 years. Her life was destroyed, and instead of thinking about normal 11 year old stuff like she should have been, she had to worry about food, shelter and whenever her family stepped outside the door, whether or not she'd see them again. This holds so much detail to life in Sarajevo, so much description about the horror and damage done it's a great novel to sit down and read. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy non-fiction novels about wars, strife and survival, then you'll truely enjoy this book.

ZlatasDiary- a great book Nurdan Mekan
I loved this book it is about the bosnian civil war, and how she survived it. Zlata is an eleven year old girl and she is keeping a diary about her life in the war. If you want a book about a war get this. I would give it a 4 star because it can be boring sometimes and to repetitive.

Funny!
Zlata's Diary
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Bosnia and Hercegovina    4. Children    5. Children and war    6. Children's writings    7. Contemporary Politics - Eastern Europe    8. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    9. Historical    10. Sarajevo    11. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    12. Biography & Autobiography / General    13. Biography: general    14. Bosnia-Herzegovina    15. Civil war    16. Diaries    17. Filipovic, Zlata   

Reviews (21)

A great look at the Yugoslav conflict.
Personally, I think that Misha Glenny is one of the best writers on the Balkans.I have spent three years living in the Balkans so I know something about the area.I highly recommend reading his work The Balkans first as it gives great insight into the region.However, if you are only interested in the war than this work can certainly stand alone.The book chronicles events from August 1990 to June 1993.In addition, an epilogue was added in 1996.While it does not cover the most recent aftermath for the time it covers the book is excellent.
A very good account of what happened in the Balkans
Misha Glenny's book offers a really good account of the forces which shaped the Balkan conflict. I have a much clearer idea now of the causes of the conflict, and of the various turning points and missed opportunities. This book seems very unbiased. The author seems apalled by the crimes that take place, but does not focus on attempting to list or catalog them. I do think that you will need another book to fully understand the high-level forces at work (US. UN, NATO, etc.) Perhaps Death of a Nation by Laura Silber (which I haven't read). Deliver Us From Evil, by William Shawcross does a really good job of explaining those things in the context of other events happening at the same time (Somalia, Rwanda, etc.). Also, Glenny's book is a bit dense, so it's not exactly an easy read

Uninterestingly Interesting........
I find it Unintelligently interesting how the world are now masters at our own history, especially the English,
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Subjects:  1. Politics/International Relations    2. Civil war    3. Croatia    4. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    5. Slovenia    6. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (2)

Great contribution by one of the best experts
Sabrina Petra Ramet is by far one of the most respected authorities on the subject of Balkan politics. Her skill as a political scientist and her sheer knowledge of the area and the topic come through completely in this volume. That this book got a glowing introduction by Dr. Ivo Banac - another great authority on the 20th century history of the Balkans - is a testament to its value to the literature.
great propaganda, very biased and onesided
Rewriting history the way warmongers would like it...... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1980-1992    2. 1992-2003    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Eastern Europe - General    5. General    6. History    7. History: World    8. Nationalism    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    11. Yugoslavia    12. Eastern Europe    13. Religion    14. International Relations   

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   

Reviews (5)

Lampe is an Anti-Semite
I read this book as part of my Balkan History class at the University of Maryland, taught by yours truly- John R. Lampe.
An economic historian's perspective
Although this is a general history of Yugoslavia, from ancient times up to 1992, the analysis reflects the fact that Lampe is first and foremost an economic historian.

A commendable survey
Lampe's "Yugoslavia as History" is probably the first book that deals with the entire history of Yugoslavia from its inception in 1918 to its collapse in 1991. While discussing pre-1918 developments and (very summarily) post-1991 events, he focuses his discussion on Yugoslavia as it actually existed, doing a commendable job of viewing past events on their own terms rather than through the prism of present-day events (the primary flaw of many recent historical works written both by former Yugoslav and outside scholars, commentators, etc.). Lampe's primary expertise is economic history, and this is evident in his strong analysis of Yugoslavia's frequent economic problems, which would be a crucial factor in the country's eventual downfall. However, this means he often gives short shrift to the cultural, social and intellectual antagonisms which gave expression to the country's underlying problems. Also, while socialist Yugoslavia's decentralized political structure did foment the development of separate economic, social and intellectual cultures, there were also many factors that bound Yugoslav citizens and did create a some sense of community (he only touches on sports and film, but almost completely ignores literature and pop music). Indeed, this appearance of a rudimentary common culture was what made Yugoslavia's violent breakdown so shocking to people in the county itself and to outside experts. Even so, "Yugoslavia as History" is a very strong survey of the country's troubled history and a very useful resource for students and others - it is much, much better and more informative than the many "instant histories" (a term I think Lampe himself used in a journal article) which appeared in droves once Yugoslavia did break up and the war started. The book is also, by the way, a very good reflection and summary of the main streams of American historiography on the former Yugoslavia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. Europe - General    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    8. History / Russia (pre- & post-Soviet Union)    9. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    10. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    11. c 1000 CE to c 1500    12. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Balkan Peninsula - History    3. Civil War, 1944-1949    4. Civil wars    5. Communism    6. Eastern Europe - General    7. Europe    8. Europe - Greece    9. Europe - Spain & Portugal    10. Greece    11. History    12. History - General History    13. History: World    14. Spain And Portugal - History    15. European history: from c 1900 -    16. Southern Europe   

Reviews (12)

Almost comically misguided and pro-Serbian
The reader from Zagreb already pointed out some of the many factual errors and erroneous conclusions which this book is rife with. The author seems especially error-prone when straying away from Tito himself to attempt making larger conclusions about the events in the region and their sources and consequences. 3.5 Stars
Richard West's book on Tito is more than anything, a study of the relationships among the inhabitants of eastern europe rather than a biography. Nevertheless, the book is well written, informative and at many times entertaining. It is crucial to understand the history of the area known to many as the powder keg of europe in order to learn about Tito. West does a good job of depicting the complicated relation between not only Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, etc. but even more importantly - the Muslims, Catholics, Christians, etc. I am glad that West was so staunch in his disapproval of the Ustasha - whose methods repulsed even the Nazis. However, he seems to be one-sided in the sense that Serb extremist atrocities are rarely mentioned and not as detailed. The struggles of Eastern Europes does not have good or bad guys. Both Serb and Croat extremists have performed horrendous acts on their own people and will have to look back on their history with deep sorrow and regret. To be fair, both sides have also had many strong character leaders attempt to end the violence. Many of which paid with their lives. Tito was the only person to unite the region. I wish West had even more access to Tito to provide a better picture but I guess there are other books that are more precise. In the end, the first 3/4 of the book are solid but the last section regarding the state of the Balkans after Tito seems rushed and is rather forgetable.

Great history of the Balkins
This book is very well researched and is one of the only books not to carry any ethnic bias.It is a history review rather than a documentation of Tito the man.It starts just after the Toman Empire collapsed and ends just weeks before the recent fighting of the 1990s.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1892-1980    2. 1945-1980    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    7. Historical - General    8. Politics and government    9. Presidents    10. Tito, Josip Broz,    11. Yugoslavia   

Reviews (5)

If You're Not Selectively Outraged, You're Not Reading Verso Press
Alexander Cockburn (I know how it's pronounced, but how appropriately named) is the typical apparatchik hypocrite, and this book, if nothing else, is valuable as "Exhibit A" in that argument.
A Fine Account of the Empire
Generally speaking, this account lives up to the high standards of CounterPunch's usual work: timely, witty, committed, and analytically sophisticated. It's main drawback is that it won't be anything new to those who have paid attention, and its undoubtedly small printrun, non-corporate marketing budget, and invisibility to an establishment press (that it critiques so well) will limit its distribution and appeal--which is a great misfortune. That said, it is an excellent place to start for those who need basic data and smart interpretations of current events.
They Told You So
Bush's war on Iraq has degenerated into a bloody occupation, signified by war crimes, slaughter of civilians and US soldiers engaged in Sadean rituals with Iraqi prisoners. The justifications for the war have been proven to be bald-faced lies. Thousands have perished and Iraq as a nation is worse off than it was under Saddam. This war was supported by both political parties and the corporate press. But not Cockburn and St. Clair, and the team of writers at CounterPunch, which called it right as the war was being planned, sold and unleashed. A similarly bleak saga has played out in Afghanistan, where a cruise missile war was launched on an impoverished nation under the grip of a regime the CIA had put in power in the first place. Mullah Omar and Osama are still at large, heroin production has soared and the nation is controlled by warlords and misogyinistic religious zealots. Again, the press and the Democrats went along for the ride and haven't looked back at the carnage left in the wake of the war. Cockburn and St. Clair predicted and show why the Afghan war was doomed to backfire on US interests and the civilians of that desperate nation. Imperial Crusades doesn't spare Clinton and his gang, either, which orchestrated an illegal war on Yugoslavia, under the rubric of "humantarian intervention", which ended up killing thousands of civilians, propping up Kosovar terrorists, unleashing religious zealots and looney sectarians. Both Kosovo and Yugoslavia remain in dire straits and the humanitarian bombers have moved on to other causes. This book is written as a journal of the past 12 years of unremitting war by the imperial forces of the US and their allies in the press. It was CounterPunch which first exposed the fabrications of the New York Times's Judith Miller. This book holds no punches and plays no favorites. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Afghanistan    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Imperialism    8. International Relations - General    9. Iraq War, 2003    10. Middle East - General    11. Military - United States    12. Modern - 20th Century    13. Politics and government    14. U.S. Foreign Relations    15. United States    16. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    17. International relations    18. Iraq    19. USA    20. World history: postwar, from c 1945 -    21. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (1)

it was the best book i ever had read-i am from Mostar
I am from Mostar and i know how is to be in war. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Balkan Peninsula - History    2. Biography    3. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    4. General    5. History    6. Personal narratives, Bosnian    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hercegovina)    10. Siege, 1992-1996   

Reviews (2)

The apogee of the bureaucracy
Djilas' book written in the nineteen fifties was a real bombshell for the top of the CP's and in leftist circles in Europe. It exposed the communist countries as regimes ruled by a very small oligarchy of high level party members (sometimes by only one person, the party secretary). They were totalitarian dictatorial States.
The Nucleus of His Thoughts
This 1957 book of ten essays contains no index. I found some essays thought provoking, others not. "The Essence" is the shortest chapter, and gives a sample of his thoughts. The basic philosophic ideals of Communism, dialectics and materialism, did not originate with Marx and Engels. They can be traced back to ancient Greece: the primacy of matter to Democritus, the reality of change to Heraclitus. Marx wanted to discover the basic laws of society, like Darwin's laws (p.2). The major flaw of Communism is their belief of sole knowledge of the laws of society, and their sole right to control society. This is a dogmatic religion (p.3). Society and individuals strive to increase and perfect production; this causes conflict with others, and competition to survive. Natural and social barriers must be changed to eliminated. Classes, parties, and political systems are an expression of this ceaseless movement (pp.11-12). Read more

Subjects:  1. Communism    2. History & Theory - General    3. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism    4. Politics - Current Events    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Soviet Union    8. Yugoslavia    9. Marxism & Communism   

Reviews (3)

Mussolini's War in Yugoslavia
The Italian occupation of the former Yugoslavia during World
An objective study
Professor Burgwyn's excellent study of the Italian invasion of Yugoslavia during World War II is likely to be the definitive work on the subject for some time to come. Chronicling Mussolini's invasion requires a great deal of patience and judiciousness, since the cast of characters is large and the main plot breaks down into numerous sub-plots. Moreover, giving an objective account of what happened is not easy, since many observers who write about this murky period have axes to grind. Burgwyn, however, does not base his work mainly on secondary sources. Digging in official archives, he has fashioned a concise and clear narrative out of refractory material. His book, as a leaading historian of the period has said, is an important contribution to the history of World War II.

Very fine, but...
This is a good and useful book. It is about time that somebody wrote it. I don't think it's hard enough on the Italians, but how can we complain about historians when the real crime was that there was no Nuremberg for the Italians. Modern Italy is built on a lie about World War II and Prof. Burgwyn has performed a wonderful service in starting to chip away at that lie.
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Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. Europe - Italy    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: World    6. Military - World War II    7. European history: Second World War    8. Germany    9. History / General    10. History / Military / World War II    11. Italy    12. Warfare & Defence    13. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (4)

Disappointing
Since Yugoslavia disintegrated, there have been dozens of books written about the region, its history and the troubles there. Some are good, a few are excellent, but most are lacking. Sarajevo Daily sadly falls into the latter category.Gjelten uses the cities daily newspaper Oslobodjenje as a metaphor for the the destruction of Yugoslavia and as an example of the painful bloodletting Sarajevo experienced. The idea works to some extent, and the book is well written - Gjelten is a journalist, after all. But it is the way in which the topic is approached that left me wanting. There is no doubt that the violence in Sarajevo was heart-wrenching. Yet one cannot help but think that events there are greater than the daily challenges of a newspaper and its staff. A better book by far is Misha Glenny's The Balkans.

Sarajevo Daily : A City and Its Newspaper Under Siege.
Having worked for IFOR and SFOR as an Army negotiator and now married to a Bosnian, I am compelled by appreciation to comment on the profound depth and accuracy Mr. Gjelten achieved in exposing the psyche and drama of thiswar through individuals he met there.Although the book centers on thenewspaper and the city, it is also the story of most of Bosnia - theheroes, the villains, the heartbreak, the insanity, the desertion oflife-long friends or spouses due to nationalism fueled by propaganda. Propaganda that generated fear and hatred. I have heard similar storiesfrom other parts of Bosnia.To my knowledge, this is the only book thatprovides such a clear portrayal of the way it was (and in some ways, theway it still is).I am saddened that the book was not financiallysuccessful enough to remain in print.I would definitely recommend it toany persons, particularly Civil Affairs types, that go to Bosnia and dealone-on-one with the people there.I apologize that I have neglected toremark that Mr. Gjelten also wrote this book in a very readable style andhe is an excellent story-teller.For me, it is one of those books that Iwill be reading repeatedly over time.

Best narrative of life in Sarajevo during the siege and war
I served in Bosnia with IFOR from Jul to Dec 96, and visited Sarajevo.I wished I had known of this book before I went, because it was the best narrative of the war I have read.This book was superb because it helped me feel what the Sarajevans felt, and see through their eyes what life was like in their city during the long siege.It also helped me better understand the mixture of cultures that was so abhorent to the Serbs who tried to crush this wonderful city.I am truly glad they failed.Sarajevo today is a bustling thriving city, and it will triumph over the unconsciousable attempts of its enemies to destroy it.This is largely due to the courageous efforts of people like those who produced Sarajevo Daily. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Bosnia and Hercegovina    3. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Journalism    7. Journalism and the war    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Sarajevo    10. Yugoslav War, 1991-