A very good account of the disintegration of Yugoslavia
|
|
Glenny has the skill to keep a reader interested during the whole of the book. Although this book is a few years old now and perhaps abit dated (it doesn't cover the Kosovo conflict and was published a year after the war in Croatia and Bosnia ended) it is still excellent reading for those who know little abit the region.
|
|
An essential and very Human inside into the war
|
|
Firstly, I would suggest reading this book in conjunction with Silber's book "Death of Yugoslavia". Glenny and Silber worked together for part of the war, and so their accounts coincide nicely. (Although Silber never mentions this in her book, Misha mentions it many times!)While Silber's work focuses on the presidents, leaders, generals, officials and politicians, Misha's book focuses on his interpretation of the complex political situation as it develops. In this sense it is a less formal study. His ability to decypher this difficult history is tremeendously useful in gaining an understanding of it. Although maintaining context at all times, the juxtaposition of events separated by years can make understanding what's happening a little difficult. However, I don't blame Misha for that. He has simply chosen to group related events rather than use a rigid chronology. If you are not familiar with the regional geography, then the maps are not going to help you much. Get a good map! I can confirm that, in my experience of the region, Misha's perception is spot on.
|
|
|
Stimulating, fascinating, informative, prophetic.
|
|
I picked up this book during the time that NATO begun bombing Serbia over the dispute for Kosovo and the Kosovo Albanians. I wanted to find out more about this troubled region. It did not surprise me when Misha Glenny closed his book by indicating that the next Balkan Crisis would be over Kosovo. He certainly did get his facts right. This is a higlhly informative and stimulating book. It explains the whole Balkan Crisis and tries to reason and explain the foundation of the crisis - Western Influence, ethnic differences. A very informative book. Highly recommended.
|
|
|
Excellent account of the early stages of the war
|
|
Misha Glenny shows a rare quality for a western observer of the Yugoslav tragedy: he understands peoples traditions, history and habits without prejudice. His account of the early days of the crisis is an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to go beyond the pure facts present in other works. Glenny's book allows you to visist the people as well as the places. Reading it one can feel the place...
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada