Good Book on Balkans?

[StGeorge]

I admit that I don't know as much as I should about the politics and the conflicts that have gone on in the Balkans.  But I want to learn more.  Is there a good book that gives background information on the conflicts in the Balkans and also provides a good description of what has happened there in the 20th century with Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia / Kosovo, Albania, etc.?  Thanks! 

[ozgeorge]

Southserb is the one to ask.
I'm just glad to find a thread that's not about sex or atheism!

[Αριστοκλής]

To understand the Balkans in the 20th Century one must go at least as far back as the Hapsburgs.

[GabrieltheCelt]

I admit that I don't know as much as I should about the politics and the conflicts that have gone on in the Balkans.  But I want to learn more.  Is there a good book that gives background information on the conflicts in the Balkans and also provides a good description of what has happened there in the 20th century with Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia / Kosovo, Albania, etc.?  Thanks! 

 I hope you enjoy reading . An easy and enjoyable introduction in Balkan Ghosts by Robert Kaplan. Moving a little deeper into the subject, you might read The Ottoman Centuries by Lord Kinross. Two other books I own, but haven't started yet, is Balkans by Misha Glenny and Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West. Hope that helps....

[Αριστοκλής]

See this post from a while back. I found this book to be excellent.

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,3120.msg38395.html#msg38395

[StGeorge]

Thanks for the book recommendations.  I've added them to my wish list to remember.    I'll probably start reading one of them soon. 

[alexp4uni]

3 Years back I was in the same boat as you were when I wanted to learn about Eastern Europe. They are a complex web of national states unware of a Democratic process with outright disdain for their neighboring states. However after reading Why angels fall by Victoria Clark the book just gave me a total upside down view of morality and the conditions to live within their society or in other words a respect for a backwardness that we westerners simply wont ever understand. The book discusses Eastern Europe as a Church life with their preeminence to the culture. Their's an expression in the book called pucas visoko that's Serbian meaning were "shooting too high" when we want to respect their culture but in return won't be received positively when they wont respond back. Much of the author leads into the discussion that the Church Life of the 12th century is simply not being lived up to. The author goes on a tangent about the Kosovo massacres leading the reader (me) kinda depressed that Yugoslavian Christians are savages. But on the other hand she discusses Orthodoxy in light of recovering their past prior to Nationalism. I thought the book was fine but not great.

[StGeorge]

I'm getting Fracture Zone in the mail.  I got a really good deal online (less than $1  )

[Symeon]

I highly recommend Diana Johnstone's Fool's Crusade. There is far too much propaganda on the subject and this book is a good corrective. It covers all the bases (from a Serb POV) and isn't too long, either.

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