Thinking about Yugoslavia: Scholarly Debates about the Yugoslav Breakup and the Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo

by Sabrina P. Ramet

The Yugoslav breakup and conflict gave rise to a considerable body of literature with dramatically different interpretations of the causes of the dissolution. But, how do these various interpretations relate to each other? Sabrina Ramet, a veteran Yugoslav authority, reviews and analyzes more than 130 books dealing with the region that comprises the former Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Included among the reviews are books in English, German, Serbian/Croatian, and Italian, offering the English-speaking reader access to the principal ideas and theories first published in these languages. This ambitious work promises to be uniquely helpful to the specialist as well as the general reader seeking to understand the causes of the Yugoslav breakup.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

348 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Max]

Very good academic overview

[Ernest]

Great overview of some major academic trends and disputes about the Bosnian War , would highly recommend. Of course Prof Ramet is not without her biases, though these don't come across very tellingly in her text as she gives a fair and balanced treatment. Particularly interesting are her literature reviews of German and other European countries' involvement in the wars, along with general looks at other books I'd previously considered picking up: Woodward's Balkan Tragedy comes to mind. Highly recommended if you plan to proceed more into such a varied and interesting field of study.