Search - Balkan Ghosts : A Journey Through History (Vintage Departures)

I recommend this flawed history of the hatred and fighting among the nationalities of the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Published before the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the emphasis on so-called ancient hatreds supposedly influenced Clinton and his advisors to adopt the policies they did in the region. It is hard to deny the accuracy of his summation of history. The historical overviews - especially of little known Romania and Bulgaria - make the book worth reading, especially for us Americans. On the down side, we learn little about the efforts of ordinary people in their professional and personal lives that will lead to stability and progress

Robert Kaplan, an esteemed war correspondant, journeys through the Balkans. He voyaged through the region in the early 1980's before the collapse of communism and returned in the early 90's as the region restructured and Yugoslavia began to crumble into chaos, tyrrany and genocide.

Considering the wars, conflicts and ethnic hatred that characterize the region, this book could have easily taken a turn towards the depressing. However Kaplan talks fondly about the people he met in the region. While much of our attention is focused on the Middle East, the Balkans have great potential for both peace and conflict.