Reviews (6)

This book is creating more buzz among Croatians than any oth
Stunningly powerful, this tragedy and triumph of a non-practicing Jewish family portrays a happy and privileged family life dedicated to medicine and intellectual pursuits. All that changed in late May of 1941, when first German motorcycle with machine guns arrived practically in front of their home. Forced to run and hide, first from Germans and soon from Ustashe, Julius family with two sons barely survives attacks and joins resistance.
Alas Yugoslavia!
Neither Red nor Dead, an autobiographical memoir by Dr. Stevo Julius (Medvista, Ann Arbor, MI, www.medvistaa.com, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com) is a great read! The author, who is an internationally known researcher in the field of hypertension, is now the Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of Hypertension at the University of Michigan. He describes his childhood growing up in a Yugoslavia that was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. He is separated from his family, becomes involved in the Partisan resistance, and then suffers excruciating hardship under the post-war Communist regime. Despite such difficulties, he survives and even thrives under these career-threatening circumstances. A Wonder-Filled Life
Reading this book has added greatly to my understanding of a significant set of social and political events in the Balkans.It is more important, though, in providing insight into the ways in which individuals cope and grow through being part of those events.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography / Historical    2. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Eastern Europe - General    5. History / Jewish    6. History / Military / World War II    7. Biography & Autobiography    8. Communism    9. Croatia    10. Historical    11. History    12. Jewish    13. Jews    14. Military - World War II    15. Personal Memoirs    16. Yugoslavia   

Reviews (3)

Great book, but a bit short-sided
Since the Communist Party took power in 1949 several "theories" have been advanced in an attempt to understand what factors contributed to their success.Peasant Nationalism and Communist Power: The Emergence of Revolutionary China 1937-1945 by Chalmers A. Johnson advances a plausible and scholarly scenario.Johnson contends that a direct line can be drawn between the commencement of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 and the Communist Party's ascension in 1949. According to Johnson the Communist Party failed to win popular support through Marxist ideology and economic reforms, and was in decline at the time of the Japanese invasion.The invasion caused a "mass awakening", and Chinese peasants suddenly saw themselves as a nation in the face of a foreign invader.Johnson calls this newfound sense of nationalism "Social Mobilization", and he claims that the Communist Party was the beneficiary of these new nationalistic tendencies.
Review
This is an interesting book, well worth reading, and considered by many to be a "classic" amongst the Chinese Revolution literature.Although dated, it is still an important read for anyone endeavoring to fully comprehend the Chinese Communist victory in 1949.In this book, Chalmers Johnson argues that the peasants' nationalist orientation, in response to the Japanese invasion, underpinned the Communist Party's success.In other words, he contends that a peasant nationalist movement established the Chinese state, rather than a socialist one, and that nationalism outweighed other factors that may have also played a role.
Communism or Nationalism?
In this well written thoughtful work Chalmers Johnson makes a strong case for what he sees as a more accurate approach to Chinese Communist history and the reasons for the success of the CCP where the KMT failed.Forthose of you who may be wondering how it was possible for the CCP to gofrom nearly being wiped out in Jiangxi to conquering all of China, this text has many feasible answers.It is also a clear study of the use ofsocial mobilization and Nationalism in communist propaganda in both Chinaand Yugoslavia.Johnson uses many Japanese sources, supporting his claim for the influence of the Japanese invasion of China(1931 or 1937depending on your point of view) as a leading cause for the success of theCCP.For those who are interested in contemporary Chinese history andAsian geo-politics this book is GREAT! I would recomend it to anystudent of Asian studies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Nationalism    7. Peasantry    8. Revolutionary    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. General    6. Performing Arts    7. Women's Studies - General    8. Films, cinema    9. Jewish studies    10. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (1)

A must if you want to understand Yugoslavia
This is the sixth book I've read about Yugoslavia since we bombed Belgrade this spring.It should have been the first.Like most Americans, I had virtually no knowledge about this important part of the world.What I readin the media only confused me.This author gives a concise overview ofYugoslav history up through the 80's, and he presents his information in aninteresting & lucid way.(It is interesting to read his views onKosovo, in light of recent events which took place ten years after thisbook was published.)If I had read this book first, the information in theother books I've read would have been much more useful to me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Yugoslavia    7. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    8. History / Europe / General    9. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    10. Yugoslavia--History    11. c 1700 to c 1800    12. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. 1911-    2. 1945-1980    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Djilas, Milovan,    7. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    8. General    9. History    10. History - General History    11. Statesmen    12. Yugoslavia   

Reviews (5)

Great Book!!
I love this book. Great concept - it's not about some foreign Magnum photographers coming in to Sarajevo for a few days and publishing a book but the exact opposite! It's Sarajevo photographers portraing their country going through horrible change. Jebenhim majku njihovu cetnicku
Neka znade dusman kleti da ce i nas kucnut' cas. Ako ima boga nece vise nikada cetnicka ruka zuluma ciniti. Dabogda im otpale obadvije. Neka vakih albuma, nek svijet vidi sta su radili jebo ih caca koljacki. Powerful and original idea
I recently came across this book and a testament to its power is that I am not personally or particularly involved or interested in the Sarajevo conflict but found myself deeply impacted by these photos and accompanying text.I found this to be a wonderfully original idea--to have a compilation of photos from native photographers as opposed to the standard international reporters.It gave a unique perspective. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Bosnia and Hercegovina    3. History    4. Photo Essays    5. Photoessays & Documentaries    6. Photographers    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. Sarajevo    10. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hercegovi    11. Siege, 1992-1996    12. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Europe    13. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    14. Balkan wars    15. Bosnia    16. Bosnia-Herzegovina    17. Photographic reportage    18. Photojournalism    19. Yugoslavia    20. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. 1918-1945    2. History    3. Regimental histories    4. Serbia    5. Srpski dobrovoljački korpus    6. World War, 1939-1945    7. Yugoslavia   

Reviews (3)

Making Sense of a Mess
Beyond being a lively and dramatic account of the variety of expatriot politics within the different Croat, Serb, and Kosovar diasporas -- and between them and their homelands -- "Homeland Calling" explains much of the fractious politics within and between the remnant units of Yugoslavia; and it deftly touches on critical Euro-American policy making as well.Hockenos' concise and well-placed summaries of both remote and recent historical events set the stage for understanding the first-hand accounts of key participants' maneuvers that he so carefully weaves into his text."Homeland Calling" goes a long way toward clarifying the complexities of a crucial decade of Balkan politics and war.

Homeland Calling
"Homeland Calling" by Paul Hockenos records the role that the diasporas played in the Balkans wars in the 1990s.Hockenos' enthusiastic and intriguing account of the individuals that he introduces to the reader rapidly struck a chord. His characters often seem larger than life -the man next door turns out to be a character in a Graham Greene novel, organising underground networks and smuggling arms to support an ethno-national ideal.Hockenos provides a peephole into the workings of these intricate networks and provides an insight into the motivations behind these actions.What of the role of these diasporas in the post-conflict Balkans?Hockenos explores the dilemma of the willingness to support the war, but reluctance to help build the democratic institutions which would ensure a lasting peace. Examining Diaspora Communities
Hockenos does an excellent job investigating the diaspora communities outside of the former Yugoslavia which were so instrumental in affecting the region.The depth of access is impressive.Hockenos makes solid connections between the diaspora communities and the former Yugoslavia, both contemporarily, during the Second World War and inter alia.This subject was just waiting to be written on, other writers of the region have temptingly made passing references but Hockenos packeged it all up.Although Hockenos made a valid disclaimer concerning objectivity and bias he obviously has strong feeling about nationalism and his own views of what happened in the former Yugoslavia are apparent.The intent of the book was as much an indictment of nationalist diaspora communities as it was an analysis.Hockenos is clearly hostile to the Croat nationalists and sympathetic to the Kosovars.However, here he is in multitudinal company and I don't think Hockenos, himself, would shy away from an anti-nationalist moniker.A deeper investigation of the Serb communities in Western Europe and the Croat communites in South America would add much to an already good work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1980-1992    2. Causes    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Eastern Europe - General    5. Emigration & Immigration    6. Foreign countries    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. International Relations - General    11. Nationalism    12. Politics and government    13. Serbia and Montenegro    14. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    15. Yugoslavia    16. Yugoslavs    17. Civil war    18. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    19. Immigration & emigration    20. Southeast Europe   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    2. History - General History    3. 20th century    4. Europe    5. European history: from c 1900 -    6. History / Russia (pre- & post-Soviet Union)   

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Ethnic conflict    3. General    4. History & Theory - General    5. International organization    6. Pluralism (Social sciences)    7. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Security, International    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. State, The    13. Lebanon    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    3. Europe - Italy    4. History - General History    5. Modern - 20th Century    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Anthropology    9. Croatia    10. European History    11. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    12. Italy    13. Slovenia    14. Social Science / Anthropology / General    15. Social groups & communities    16. Social, group or collective psychology    17. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Reviews (1)

war upon war; and it may not be over yet
Rogel gives a brief recap of the Yugoslav wars. Plural. Fascinating to see how a relative success story during the Cold War managed to fragment so thoroughly after its end. There is the usual account of the tortured history of the region, stretching to the Field of Blackbirds where the Slavs were defeated by the Turks.
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Subjects:  1. 1980-1992    2. 1992-2003    3. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    4. Eastern Europe - Yugoslavia    5. Europe - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Politics and government    10. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    11. Yugoslavia    12. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. History / Europe / General    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Warfare & Defence    16. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    17. c 1990 to c 2000   

Subjects:  1. Atrocities    2. Bosnia and Hercegovina    3. Campaigns    4. Eastern Europe - General    5. England    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. History: World    9. International Relations - General    10. Mass media and the war    11. Press coverage    12. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    13. Genocide    14. Press & journalism    15. Warfare & Defence    16. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. 1945-1980    2. Communication    3. Cultural policy    4. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    5. Eastern Europe - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Political aspects    10. Politics and government    11. Rhetoric    12. Yugoslavia    13. Eastern Europe    14. European History   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Ancient and Classical    3. Catholic Church    4. Europe - Baltic States    5. General    6. History    7. Literary Criticism    8. Nationalism    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Religion    12. Religious aspects    13. Srpska pravoslavna crkva    14. Yugoslavia    15. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    16. Hellenic languages    17. History / Baltic States    18. Multicultural studies    19. Religion & Theology | Sociology of Religion    20. Religious conflict    21. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia   

Subjects:  1. Armed Forces    2. Campaigns    3. Civil War, 1998-1999    4. Current Affairs    5. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Kosovo (Serbia)    9. Military & War    10. North Atlantic Treaty Organiza    11. North Atlantic Treaty Organization    12. Peace    13. Political    14. Politics/International Relations    15. Yugoslavia    16. Battles & campaigns    17. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    18. Serbia    19. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    20. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (1)

Excellent and informative
This is, at present, one of THE books (in the English language) on understanding the roots of today's headlines. Mr. Roberts takes a scholarly and refreshingly unbiased approach to the tangled history of the two rivalYugoslavian resistance movements: the monarchist and Republican Chetniks ofGeneral Drazha Mihailovich, and the communist Partisans of Josip Broz Tito.With the excellent book by Richard West titled "Tito and the Rise andFall of Yugoslavia" a reader will be much more informed than by thepedantics of Western left-wing and right-wing editorials and so-called"news reporting" of the past decade. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1892-1980    2. Diplomatic History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: American    5. Mihailovic, Draza,    6. Military - World War II    7. Tito, Josip Broz,    8. World War, 1939-1945    9. Yugoslavia    10. Diplomacy    11. Eastern Europe    12. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    13. History    14. Mihailovic, Draza    15. Tito, Josip Broz   

Reviews (1)

Strange end to a war: no defeat, no victory
Hoare's book is of exceptionalimportance precisely because it is not part of the propaganda war that is taking place outside Bosnia's borders about Bosnia and its recent past. Rather, it represents an attempt to explore, without succumbing to the two dominant stereotypes of `Islamic fundamentalism' and `multi-ethnic Bosnia', how and why a war that began as a defence of Bosnia ended as a Bosniak struggle for survival...In his introduction to Hoare's book Brendan Simms, author of the best analysis published thus far of British diplomacy regarding the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, says that he wishes he had been in a position to consult the work when writing his own. Hoare's approach to Bosnia differs from that of participants in, or witnesses of, the events that he covers; but his advantage lies in the fact that, being neither,he is not a prisoner of memories.The idea that the war should end without a victory was certainly not Bosnian, but his book explains the circumstances that led it to be accepted at the very point when the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina was poised to win the war, leading to the surprising conclusion of the war ending in neither victory nor defeat. His research is important for all those who in their different ways are involved with Bosnia, but it is only a Bosnian translation of the work that will permit a critical reading of it, by counterposing the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina's own image of itself with that reconstructed by the British historian.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Armija    3. Bosnia and Hercegovina    4. Bosnia and Hercegovina.    5. Campaigns    6. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    7. Europe - Baltic States    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History, Military    11. History: World    12. Modern - 20th Century    13. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    14. Bosnia-Herzegovina    15. Civil war    16. Education / Multicultural Education    17. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    18. History / Baltic States    19. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia    20. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (2)

Nothing new here
In his preface, the author is very forthright about his book's failings and shortcomings. Basically, he tries to point out that "The Fragmentation of Yugoslavia" has a specific focus, i.e. the development and role of national ideologies in the country's break-up, rather than providing a comprehensive account of the myriad political, social, cultural, economic and other factors involved. This might have been a really good book if he had stuck to this thesis. Instead, however, he goes way off focus, summarizing not only the history of the national ideologies, but the history of the country in general. For the pre-1990 period, he relies heavily on much more detailed and informative books by other experts (notably Dennison Rusinow, Paul Shoup and Harold Lydall among others). When dealing with the post-1990 period, the author often goes into excessive detail in recounting various political/diplomatic negotiations, initiatives, etc. and wartime events, without really tying this in to his main topic (national ideologies). The author's discussion always seem rather brief and summarized - as though he's in a hurry to get to the next important subject - although given his central thesis, some more depth would seem necessary and rather welcome. The text is also rather dry, lacking even the occasional sharp observation or enlightening anecdote to improve the narrative. In his conclusion, Pavkovic states that a possible solution to the Yugoslav conflicts could be the holding of plebiscites among minority populations (whether displaced or not) as a first step in a meaningful reconciliation process. While I appreciate the sentiment, this idea is rather utopian given past events, and the author does not explain how this could be carried out in practice. All in all, "Fragmentation of Yugoslavia" is a very unoriginal and disappointing book, and despite the author's scholarly credentials, it is just another mediocre addition to the vast body of "Yugoslav tragedy" literature.

The Second October Revolution
Balkan history books rarely require a second edition. 'The Fragmentation of Yugoslavia' is the second edition of a tract in political science. It is interesting to compare the Tables of Content of both editions. 'Slovenia and Croatia at War' becomes 'Wars for Independence: Slovenia and Croatia', 'War in Bosnia Hercegovina' mutates to 'An Unfinished National Liberation'. The chapter 'A War against the Serbs or a US-brokered peace' vanishes altogether and another enters: 'Kosovo: National Liberation through Foreign Interventions'. He identifies four cycles of grievance-fuelled and paroxysmal national liberation wars. We are amidst the fourth, he says and offers a naive and impractical solution: plebiscites in the contested areas (Western Macedonia, Kosovo, Krajina, etc.). Exasperatingly, the author asks in an epilogue: 'National Liberations: Is there an end to them?'. With the stirrings in Montenegro and the forthcoming civil war in Kosovo, it doesn't seem so. But the author does a superb job of charting the territory with only the slightest and almost imperceptible (and inevitable) bias. Yugoslavia disintegrated on television, in bloodied frames and to vehement narration. It is a sad tale of good intentions and the road to hell, aptly told. It is a recommended and thrilling introductory text and a thorough documentation of the human folly and malice that put the noble idea of 'Brotherhood and Unity' to such a butchered end. Sam Vaknin, author of 'After the Rain - How the West Lost the East'. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1918-1945    2. 1945-1980    3. 1980-1992    4. Diplomatic history    5. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    6. Eastern Europe - History    7. Europe - Baltic States    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Nationalism    12. Political History    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Yugoslav War, 1991-1995    15. Yugoslavia    16. History / Baltic States   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - Balkan Republics    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - World War II    6. Battles & campaigns    7. European history: Second World War    8. History / Military / World War II    9. Irregular or guerrilla forces & warfare    10. Second World War, 1939-1945    11. Yugoslavia & former Yugoslavia