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The Balkans : Nationalism, War and the Great Powers, 1804-1999
The Balkans Nationalism War and the Great Powers 18041999 Author:Misha Glenny In a timely, passionate survey of Balkan history since the early nineteenth century, Misha Glenny chronicles the essential background to the recent terrible events in this war-torn region. No other book covers the entire region or provides such profound insights into the roots of Balkan violence or explains so vividly the origins of modern Serbi... more »a, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania. Glenny's compulsively readable account brings the culture of different nationalisms to life in a narrative studded with sharply-drawn set pieces and colorful portraits of kings, guerrillas, bandits, generals and politicians.
Glenny shows how throughout history great-power interference in the region has been catastrophic for the peoples of the Balkans and how so-called ethnic hatreds have often been intensified by misguided diplomats in distant capitals, creating states, allocating populations, and redrawing borders--invariably with deadly results. It remains to be seen, Glenny argues, whether the most recent Western intervention will have a more benign outcome.« less