A review by ashade
The Balkans: A Short History by Mark Mazower

4.0

3.5 but rounding up to 4. Great short overview of the history of the Balkans and how the West’s perception of the Balkan states was intentionally formed by the Great Powers. Interesting thesis dispelling the myth that the Balkan’s are inherently a more violent and “barbaric” place than Western Europe and really interesting overview of religious vs ethnic identities! Would have given it a full 4 stars but it jumped around a lot and the vibes were a little more “textbook” than I wanted.