Scan barcode
anti_formalist12's review
4.0
A lucid account of what went wrong in Yugoslavia. While there are some points, especially in the beginning of the book, where they are throwing too many names at you, Silber and Little have a really great accounting of what was happening and who was responsible. The only real problem is that this book ends with the Dayton Accords, so there is zero discussion of the war crimes trials and how that all transpired, which I would really love to understand.
yeller's review
4.0
This book did a great job filling the blanks of my knowledge regarding the conflict in Yugoslavia. It is, in fact, quite an interesting read for someone who enjoys historical accounts and is interested in this region, both of which are true for me.
My only criticisms are laid out in the introduction of the novel, and that's that they do ignore some of the more minor players in the conflict, choosing only to focus on Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia.
My only criticisms are laid out in the introduction of the novel, and that's that they do ignore some of the more minor players in the conflict, choosing only to focus on Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia.
barrettcmyk's review
4.0
i know it's strange to put up 4 stars and "didn't finish." really though, i'm just being honest with myself -- this one isn't an easy read. don't let that dissuade you though; if you're interested in Yugoslavia and its disintegration, this seems like a solid choice. it's well researched, the chapters are short for easy digestion, and they're more or less chronological, based on the republic.
that said, non-fictions are always a tough slog for me, no matter the subject matter. add to that 5 different republics, a federal government, layers of press and independent revolutionaries (of sorts), not to mention Serbians in Croatia, Croatians in Bosnia, &c. &c,... it's a complex topic with an incredible amount of moving parts. and i say that as someone who took a semester of Eastern European politics in college.
i think my only major beef is that there are so damned many players, i found it hard to keep track of who went where. i was constantly flipping back and forth pages; sometimes i'd be trying to figure out who was on page 19, when they were only introduced on page 18. i'd like to think my short-term memory isn't quite that short. like i said, an incredible amount of moving parts.
that said, non-fictions are always a tough slog for me, no matter the subject matter. add to that 5 different republics, a federal government, layers of press and independent revolutionaries (of sorts), not to mention Serbians in Croatia, Croatians in Bosnia, &c. &c,... it's a complex topic with an incredible amount of moving parts. and i say that as someone who took a semester of Eastern European politics in college.
i think my only major beef is that there are so damned many players, i found it hard to keep track of who went where. i was constantly flipping back and forth pages; sometimes i'd be trying to figure out who was on page 19, when they were only introduced on page 18. i'd like to think my short-term memory isn't quite that short. like i said, an incredible amount of moving parts.
missmarauder2's review against another edition
4.0
This book did a great job filling the blanks of my knowledge regarding the conflict in Yugoslavia. It is, in fact, quite an interesting read for someone who enjoys historical accounts and is interested in this region, both of which are true for me.
My only criticisms are laid out in the introduction of the novel, and that's that they do ignore some of the more minor players in the conflict, choosing only to focus on Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia.
My only criticisms are laid out in the introduction of the novel, and that's that they do ignore some of the more minor players in the conflict, choosing only to focus on Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia.
More...