Rating: 
Summary: COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE
Review: Judah has captured the pathos of Serbia without all the cliche reference to genocide and wanton murder which so many people who call themselves historians like to use to simplify their subjects for Western readers. This is an insightful work, and the author has done his homework. He does not come down with his own personal agenda, but simply relates with powerful clarity the history of Serbia/Yugoslavia from 1389 to the present. I have not encountered a more thorough, accurate, well-written, and sensitive account of the history of this region. He has found the courage to thoroughly explain the painful past in a manner which serves to give the Serbs human faces and hearts. Absolutely a must read for anyone who is unfamiliar with the region, or who is tired of hearing the black and white rhetoric on CNN.
Rating: 
Summary: Rehashing typical Western illusions without any evidence....
Review: Judah's little polemic would lead us to believe that Serbs are genocidal mythomaniac Orthodox zealots. This has required a lot of historical revisionism and tailoring bits and pieces to fit a pre-set biased agenda: the Serbs are to be blamed for the Balkan wars of the 1990s and much of the past history and their martyrdom complex stemming from historical delusions and myths allowed them to be manipulated to genocide by a tawdry dictator, the ubiquitous Milosevic. Unfortunately, this sort of reasoning does not suit a historian but a simpleton.The national consciousness is an average of the individual feelings of each member of the nation. What is obvious at once is that when most Serbs think of Serbian victimhood or martyrdom, practically no-one thinks of Prince Lazar and the battle of Kosovo, not even the Kosovo Serbs. This event is not even embraced as merely a symbol of greater Serbian victimhood. A Serbian sense of victimhood inherent in most but not all Serbs is not a function of epics and myths, as Judah and many in the West have been claiming: rather, it is a function of the personal experiences of that particular Serb. What do I mean by this? When my grandfather thinks of Serbian victimhood, he recalls how in WWI, when he was 5 years old, Bulgarian troops entered his village and tried to execute the entire village. He was barely saved by 2 Serbian generals in the Austrian army, but then the Bulgarians came back later, raped and killed his aunt, burned down the entire village, and massacred all those Serbian civilians who had not fled, dumping their bodies in the Morava. Or he might think of how, during WWII, he personally witnessed Hungarians tossing Serbs and Jews into the freezing Tisza and Danube to drown them. What does my grandmother recall when considering Serbian victimhood? She remembers hundreds of Serbian refugees flocking to her village, fleeing from the Ustasa genocide during WWII, or how in the 1960s, hundreds more were fleeing from the Kosovo Albanian repression, or how the Germans collected 7000 Serbian men, women, and children in the nearby town of Kragujevac in 1941 and executed them because of the death of a few German officers. And finally, what does my father think of? He thinks of how his mother's friend saw at the age of 6 Croatian and Moslem Ustase burn her entire family alive in the local Serbian Orthodox church; or he thinks of how his best friend was abducted in 1992 by Sarajevo Moslems, forced into a Moslem-run camp, and killed. I could say so much more, but Judah's thesis completely crumbles in light of these facts. These are not myths or fairytales. These are family members and friends murdered because they were Serbs, whether by burning or drowning or execution or being raped and killed; most of some 10,000,000 Serbs have similar stories to tell. No one, absolutely no one today, is thinking of the long list of other Serbian suffering in history: the Kosovo battle, the Western Crusades, the Turkish oppression, the Austrian oppression, the Serbs fleeing Kosovo under Patriarch Arsenije, forced conversion to Islam and the Uniate church, etc. And most don't even consider events that don't impact them personally (Kosovo Serbs are not very likely to think about Krajina when considering national victimhood). They think of what happened 10 or 50 or 80 years ago and that makes them consider themselves and their people victims. Are they wrong? Sadly, they're not, and no writer, least of all a biased creature like Judah, can distort history to such an extent as to reverse these personal losses. Serbian victimhood is real, it is not a myth, nor is it based on myths. It is based on personal experience, whether it be WWI, or Jasenovac and Stara Gradiska, or Krajina, or Kosovo or any one of a myriad of instances of Serbian suffering in history, and the national consciousness is merely the mean of these perceptions. And lastly, I do not think the Serbs are at all obsessed with their victimhood compared to other national victims of genocide. Armenians have a day of remembrance, April 24, a memorial in Yerevan, and are actively demanding Turkish recognition. Jews have an extensive museum, Yad Vashem, which all foreign dignitaries see; they also have the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C., and numerous books and movies about their tragedy. This is all as it should be. But the Serbs have no remembrance day, no monument to the victims of WWII in Belgrade, no Serbian genocide museum, and their tragedy is not even mentioned in a standard American textbook or history book. Instead, the Serbs intermarried with their former oppressors the Croats and Moslems and lived in harmony until 10 years ago. No, this is not at all a people suffering from an obsession.........rather, it is one that all too soon forgets its tragedies and suffers for this forgetfulness.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative history of a troubled area
Review: Like many Americans, all I knew about Yugoslavia was the blurbs I heard on the news. I picked up this book mainly as a remedy to my ignorance of this area of the world. I must say this book was certainly a great remedy.
This is more than just a history book. I felt a real pathos for these people from the tragedy and suffering they endured. It's amazing what the common people went through (on all sides of the conflict) while the many bankers and politicians pilfered and plundered the wealth of the country and the lives of it's citizens.
I would only suggest that there could have been more maps (for those of us that are not very familiar with the area).
Any person wishing to get some solid information on this subject should read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this history.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but....
Review: Mr. Judah did not go into much detail about the origins of Greater Serbian thought, and the affect that the racist texts of Grasanin, Cubrilovic, Moljevic, Draskovic, SANU, and others had on the Serbian masses. It was only glanced over. Also missing was a detailed description of the brutal political repression of the first Yugoslavia, and the role Serbs had in it, as well as their disproportionate domination within Yugoslavia. Namely, the repression of Croatians in the first Yugoslavia. I was dissapointed to see that Mr. Judah did not mention the Serbian Genedarmerie massacre of peaceful Croatian demonstrators on Jelacic Square in Zagreb, on December 5, 1918, nor the Sinj massacre, nor the Brusane massacre, nor the Sufflay bludgeoning, and the Radic assassination was presented as inevitable. The problem with this is that is is almost denying the antecedent to the Fashist Ustashe; which cheats the readers. Contrary to popular mythology, the Ustashe did not "fall from the sky" due to "genocidal Croatian tendencies" as many Serbian revisionists would like to believe. In fact, Serbian domination in Yugoslavia, political repression, assassination, and jailings, as well as genocide (which began in Bosnia in Rama and Foca in 1939, two years prior to the war, also not mentioned in the book) were the catalyst for the Ustashe, not because of some inherent evil. I was suprised to see that Serbian collaboration with the Italians, Germans, and the Ustasha were mentioned; but it is time that the full history, as opposed to selective portions, be told. But overall, the book was very insightful; I recommend it to all who are intersted in the region. As for orientale's "thesis" about Franjo Tudjman, it is just finger pointing and it is false. Two wrongs do not make a right, and Vojvodina was and is in Serbian hands (in fact, according to the UNHCR, 20,000 Croatians and 20,000 Hungarians have left Vojvodina over the past ten years). Also, Slobodan Milosevic was in power for 3 full years PRIOR to Tudjman bearly getting the majority of the divided vote; Milosevic's, Seselj's, and Draskovic's Greater Serbian rhetoric were the catalyst for Tudjman's election. Figures of losses of all sides from the UNHCR and UN should have been included as well. Overall, a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: just the facts
Review: mythomaniacs?
Croatia was producing 21% of Yugoslavias GNP before the war.
even before Croatia officially declared independence on June 25 1991, Serb militias were formed, roads blocked, and the "Serbian Republic of Krajina" was declared, just for starters and to name one incident.
in May 1991, in Slavonia, two Croatian cops were kidnapped and tortured to death. 150 Croatian police responded to rescue them, and 12 Croats were lost in the gun battle.
i really don't care why the serbs feel victimized.
just don't try to tell me they didn't start it
buy this book
Rating:
Summary: One Further Note To My Earlier Review
Review: One further note to my earlier review below: A far better resource for understanding the complexities of the Balkans and how we got from there to here is Misha Gelnny's excellent new one-volume history of the region entitled "The Balkans". Unlike Judah's anti-Serb polemic, Glenny takes a more objective, regional approach to the problem, and ultimately offers a much more convincing and, above all, useful analysis for western observers.
Rating:
Summary: The most detailed, well balance review on the market
Review: Please ignore the other reviews on this page. They have obviously been written by people with some pent up ethnic hatreds, who can't cope with the reality that some members of their group aren't as innocent as they would like them to be. I have read practically every book on this subject I could get my hands on. Judah's book is by far the most comprehensive, well-researched and fairly balanced book on Balkan history. To top it all of, Judah also has an elegant writing style. I am Serb, but my Turkish friend and I both agree that this is the best book on the history of the Balkans we have ever read, and if a Turk and a Serb can agree on one version of history, it's got to be something special...
Rating:
Summary: An elaborate analysis of Serbian nationalism
Review: That Slobodan Milosevic constituted a far greater threat to international security than Saddam Hussein is irrefutable and yet many people in the West remain completely oblivious to the unfathomable war crimes perpetrated by Milosevic. Judah offers a riveting and exhaustive account of Serbian nationalism and explains how it came to play a pivotal role in the subsequent wars in the region. Driven by ardent nationalism and the ancient hatred for the Turks, Serbs wanted to create a "Greater Serbia", a state which ideally would consist of Serbs only. As is well known, the Serbian attempts to invade Slovenia and Croatia failed. However, Serbs did not stop there. Aided by Serbia, Bosnian Serbs began annihilating Bosnian Muslims who, due to the imposition of the arms embargo, were poorly armed and rather defenseless. Facing a much more powerful adversary, Bosnian Muslims did not stand a chance. Bosnian Serbs conducted ethnic cleansing throughout Bosnia, killing and expelling Muslims from Foca, Visegrad, Gorazde, Srebrenica, Doboj, Banja Luka, Bijeljina etc. In 1995, Bosnian Serbs committed one of the worst massacres in Europe after the World War II in Srebrenica. Approximately 10,000 Muslims were massacred by the Serbian forces led by Ratko Mladic. Judah also provides a chilling account of the notorious camps Keraterm and Omarska, in which Muslims were subjected to gruesome torture and maltreatment. If you want to learn about the odious war crimes committed by Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, Arkan and Seselj, then read this book. Also, if you want to understand the root causes of the Bosnian war, I strongly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A well homework entitled:"Present Serbs like Dingerwolk"
Review: The assault of new propaganda is not established trough covering fire of derogative rethoric,but rather on subtle encryption of effects,which may be not representated in absolute quantity,but are of such quality for achiviement of propaganda purposes.Author syntethysied accounts on Serbian ethos trough mixture of its "Epical"side together with carefully chosen historical facts,and few pseudofacts as well,like alleged illyrian descent of Albanians-not accepted by any serious historian.Although it is good that author provided some factography regarding Kosovo's history,nevertheless steady but certainly book's later content is almost saturated with presentation of events cutted from context,and the book is full of trivial pecularities whose only function is to promote stigmatisation of Serbs like some mithomaniac sort of people.There is disregard for true causes that lead to civil war in ex-yugoslavia:Nationalistic outburst in its north-western republic,Existence of extremely high natality amoung Albanians at Kosovo,which lead to their demographic predominance in that part of Serbia plus the fact that enormous attempts from Belgrade to modernise the province were not fruitfull because of extreme xenophobia and suspicion that existed amoung Albanians towards central authorities.It was Croat Josip Broz Tito that crippled Serbia,creating two provincies-the only such case with former yugoslav provincies-under slogan:"Weak Serbia,Strong Yugoslavia.".Rights enjoyed by albanians were without precedan:Albanian media,Education on albanian language up to university level,albanian local police force-nothing alike some Western countries policy towards their minorities.When Yugoslav state separated in early 1990's,Everywhere in new states there were antiserbian goverments:In Croatia Tudjman's-guy accused from Simon Visenthal as Holocaust denier,in Bosnia declared Islamic fundamentalists,lead by Izetbegovich.No alternative to serbs was left exept self defence,yet as Orthodox people they did not enjoy Western suport.Author constanly agitates in favor of theory that myth of Greater Serbia pushed Balkan into war.Whatever Serbs claimed were teritories that are historicaly,ethnicaly,and politicaly Serbian.Saying that claim to Kosovo,or Krajina is pretension towards Greater Serbia is ridiculous as is theory that French claims on Paris are part of "Greater France" pretensions.It has been said that "people do not live by bread alone",and one should see cultural legacy of Kosovo to understand that it is cradle of Serbian civilisation,prior to Albanian colonisation during Turkocratia,and it is neither exergation,nor it is mythomania to claim that what is Kosovo for Serbs,is Cunntenberry in Britain,or Jerusalim for Izraelis-place of special importance and sentiments for Serbs,sentiments that can be found among every nation in form of special feelings toward certain places,events,persons,symbols that are hold as Antiqua Venerable,something which is source of national pride.
Rating:
Summary: The Resistible Rise of Slobbo
Review: The breakup of Federal States is usually accompanied by violence - take the American Civil War, for example. 20th century empires are no exception - British India and the Soviet Union had there respective ends to the tune of tens of thousands slain. For USSR, remember Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Chechnya. For British India, the slaughter of Hindus and Muslims, and transfer of populations. Transfer of populations seems to be a modern phenomenon, probably an outcome of nationalism. Yugoslavia was one of these break-ups that seemed inevitably to drift into conflict. Judah's thesis is (I think) that the Serbs history/ myth of suffering and resistance, lent itself to the rhetoric of ruthless, ambitious individuals who thrust themselves forward at the representatives of 'the nation' and hijacked the political process. In fairness to the Serbs, they come across not as a nation who went Nazi, but who gave themselves over to a Serbian Al Capone. I was inevitably reminded of Brecht's play 'The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui' based on the (real) attempt of Al Capone to take over the town of Cicero (near Chicago) - a brilliant allegory of Fascism. Not all Serbs fell in behind Milosevic and his mobsters - thousands of JNA men deserted even in the early triumphal days of the war. But this may have had a bad effect in that only the compliant ("only obeying orders"), the stupid and the sadistic were left at the front. It was these men who perpetrated the worst massacres. Judah's history is standard, and a bit boring ("one damn thing after another"), but he is excellent on former Yugoslavia in the days of the war. I was already familar with his articles in NYRB, and the book lived up to his reportage. He was at his best on the shambolic Republica Srpska in Pale, which still exists, though its 'George Washington', Radovan Karadjec is on the run from the War Crimes Tribunal. I would have liked more on Serb nationalism, like an examination of the theories of Gellner and others. But this may be looking for too much for a book which is relaly straight reportage. The edition I read had a very good summary of the Kosovo war at the end, though it missed out on Milosevic's arrest after a popular Serb revolt against electoral fraud. Whither Serbia now? Hopefully, it can (and the other republics of former Yugoslavia) learn the art of constructive amnesia, leave history (ant myth) aside, and just walk away. I recommend this book as essential reading to understand the Balkans.
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