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Dragon’s Teeth: Tales from North Kosovo
Twenty years on from the end of war, the status of the north of Kosovo remains disputed. Ten years on from Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, the north's predominantly Serb population continues to resist integration. Education, health, and other vital services continue to be provided by Serbia. These latent tensions regularly surface through various forms of resistance, including protests and barricades (most notably those of 2011); resistance which has many historical precedents. Ian Bancroft provides an original ethnographic account of the reality in north Kosovo, mixing first-hand interviews and anecdotes with historical background and academic insight. He explores a diverse array of themes, including the Trepča mines, religious and cultural life, and the Main Bridge over the river Ibar, which has become a symbol of the divided town of Mitrovica. Bancroft examines memories of the war and 2004 riots, and the daily realities of local governance and politics in a post-war environment. The book also goes to the heart of the border/boundary regions, the multi-ethnic Bosnjačka Mahala, and mixed areas on the periphery to tell the stories of those caught-up on the front-lines of conflict. As such, it offers valuable insights for aspiring peacebuilders into the challenges of working in a context of considerable complexity.
- GenresHistory
204 pages, Paperback
Published March 10, 2020
About the author
Ian Bancroft
2 books2 followersIan Bancroft is a writer and diplomat who has been based in the former Yugoslavia for over a decade. He has worked for the European Union in Kosovo and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and has written extensively about Balkan affairs for a variety of publications, including The Guardian and Radio Free Europe. He has lectured on conflict and peacebuilding, and is the author of a chapter, entitled Reconciliation through Recognition, in The Yugoslav Example: Violence, War and Difficult Ways Towards Peace. Bancroft has also written travel articles for, among others, Wine Spectator, The Independent and Open Democracy.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2020
This perhaps is one of the first books about my second home and stomping grounds of north Kosovo I have stumbled upon in English since Kosovo declared their independence in 2008. Bancroft articulates beautifully the complexity of its historical past of unity and its now deeply entrenched mistrust and suspicion of Albanians and Serbs along the Ibar River. It also attempts to move the narrative forward to how reparations can be made and commonality can be found once more.
What I found refreshing was it skipped the commonly found technical details of state building narratives rehashed in many post Yugoslavia conflict books and focused rather upon its people living through their day-to-day lives in the context of building a country (wherever you might fall within that debate).
A highly recommend book for anyone interested in some Kosovo and Balkan history and political science. 10/10!
What I found refreshing was it skipped the commonly found technical details of state building narratives rehashed in many post Yugoslavia conflict books and focused rather upon its people living through their day-to-day lives in the context of building a country (wherever you might fall within that debate).
A highly recommend book for anyone interested in some Kosovo and Balkan history and political science. 10/10!
December 14, 2025
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/dragons-teeth-tales-from-north-kosovo-by-ian-bancroft/
It’s a well constructed set of anthropological observations about history and society in Northern Kosovo, which remains mainly inhabited by Serbs and under the strong influence of Serbia. But rather than look at the big picture, Bancroft zooms in on particular localities, and particular situations, to colour in the blurry spaces on the map. Kosovo is a complex country, and its history is contested, but in the end its people – including the people of Northern Kosovo – just want to live in peace and prosperity. You can practically smell the macchiato in the cafes.
I was particularly startled to read of the involvement of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty in the exploitation of the Trepča mines from 1927. I associate him mainly with the spectacular manuscript collection which now resides in Dublin Castle; but of course this collection was assembled as the fruits of exploiting mineral resources in many other countries, and Kosovo was not one of his bigger areas of operation. So it was an unexpected connection between Ireland and Mitrovica.
It’s a well constructed set of anthropological observations about history and society in Northern Kosovo, which remains mainly inhabited by Serbs and under the strong influence of Serbia. But rather than look at the big picture, Bancroft zooms in on particular localities, and particular situations, to colour in the blurry spaces on the map. Kosovo is a complex country, and its history is contested, but in the end its people – including the people of Northern Kosovo – just want to live in peace and prosperity. You can practically smell the macchiato in the cafes.
I was particularly startled to read of the involvement of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty in the exploitation of the Trepča mines from 1927. I associate him mainly with the spectacular manuscript collection which now resides in Dublin Castle; but of course this collection was assembled as the fruits of exploiting mineral resources in many other countries, and Kosovo was not one of his bigger areas of operation. So it was an unexpected connection between Ireland and Mitrovica.
December 29, 2022
The Kosovo war of 1998-99 was the last major part of the wars in former Yugoslavia. Well known to the British public as it played out on tv screens, many Kosovo Albanian refugees came to Britain (and then returned home after) and Britain played a key part under Tony Blair’s government in the NATO bombing of Serbia and deployment into Kosovo that ended the war. The international community largely administered the province until Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. After that Albanian areas developed rapidly, mostly due to investment from the huge diaspora living and working in Western European countries. The north part is largely populated by Serbs, the north side of the town of Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok the main towns. It is not widely promoted (even in Serbia) that half of the small remaining Serbian ethnic population of Kosovo live in other parts. The northern districts resisted integration into independent Kosovo institutions, and there is currently a stalemate where Serbian state institutions in effect run in parallel to official ones.
When a well known British political commentator on the Balkans published a book specifically on North Kosovo I thought this was amusingly delusional. Why on earth would anyone want to read a book about a small part (like a few districts) of ‘a small country half the size of Wales’; a small ‘country’ in fact not even recognised by many other countries. And why was such a niche book published by a respected scholarly publishers, Ibidem.
In fact Ian Bancroft’s book is well worth reading not only for insight on a small part of a small land half the size of Wales, but because this book by research, anecdote, vignette & personal experience is interesting & relevant for anyone interested in the western Balkans. There are many points that will be familiar to people who have travelled in the former Communist countries, especially the non-EU and variably democratic ones in south eastern Europe. Many common themes stand out from across former Yugoslavia, in particular the southern parts that I know, and Albania. Furthermore, Dragon’s Teeth is a good read. It is conversational and thoughtful in style, a bit like one of my favourite little books on the region, Tony White’s Another Fool in the Balkans (2006) which is more travelogue, largely between Croatia and Belgrade.
The youthful Bancroft is a flamboyant English / Manx man and Evertonian who had worked for the OSCE in Bosnia, and in Serbia, and crucially for several years ran an office in the north of Kosovo for the EULEX, the European Union’s (support to) Rule of Law mission. On top of this Bancroft has travelled extensively in the region, for work, out of curiosity, with family and in pursuit of excellent wines. He is probably the most prominent promoter in English of wines from Serbia, and knowledgeable about the native grapes of the former Yugoslav countries (check out Autochthoinos.com web site, and @Autochthoinos on Twitter, as well as @bancroftian for Ian’s regular profile). Autochthoinos was a word I never knew until I went to Serbia to work in 2020. And found it used (unspellable and unpronounceable) first by wine enthusiasts but then noticeably by each people (ethnic, national group) to say that they were the original inhabitants of the land so the State (whichever State) should adjust to them. A reasonable argument but one as the famous British historian Noel Malcolm has pointed out that depends on when you start.
One of the points that Bancroft makes repeatedly is that the living conditions in the post industrial underdeveloped regions of former Yugoslavia are actually very similar, the same in remote villages, and that the people have the same issues in common. I expected a myth or legend or particular statue to be the ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ of the book’s title, but in fact the writer uses this imagery to show many times features (man made, old and new, and natural) that resemble giant dragon’s teeth.
The post industrial and post multi-ethnic / cultural nature of the districts is something sadly common across much of the Western Balkans. Tales of the Trepca mine (written about by Rebecca West) as a huge employer and whole community, show how important and relatively prosperous Mitrovica was during the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and then Yugoslavia. (Mitrovicë – Albanian; anglicised spellings are used in this article). The mine employed 23,000 people at its height. Bancroft discusses its history with expert Mina, of course in an Irish pub in Leposavic. The book covers a pen portrait of the formerly multi-ethnic Bosniak Mahala, football, music (brass band, jazz, blues, rock), boundaries, barricades and the attempts to reopen the main bridge over the Ibar river between the two parts of the town. Open now to pedestrians but not traffic, Ian’s recent suggestion is to turn it into a social space. And Bancroft writes about his friendship with Oliver Ivanovic, a reformist Serb politician who was murdered in January 2018. Still unsolved. Religion and religious buildings is also covered. It should be noted that while mostly culturally Muslim, Kosovo Albanians are largely secular, as in Albania itself. And there are Christian Orthodox Albanians as well as Catholics, the latter especially in the north of Albania. Other ethnic groups like goranje, Bosniaks, Turks, Montenegrins and of course Roma complete the mix.
Britain traditionally takes an active foreign policy interest in the western Balkans (very active diplomatically there now) and British tourists (like Serbs) are flocking to Albanian beaches, but these parts of Kosovo are not on the tourist trail yet. The book may interest you in the region as a starting point or someone who knows it already.
A very lengthy version of this review originally appeared in British Liberal political Liberator Magazine and can be found slightly revised on my LinkedIn profile.
When a well known British political commentator on the Balkans published a book specifically on North Kosovo I thought this was amusingly delusional. Why on earth would anyone want to read a book about a small part (like a few districts) of ‘a small country half the size of Wales’; a small ‘country’ in fact not even recognised by many other countries. And why was such a niche book published by a respected scholarly publishers, Ibidem.
In fact Ian Bancroft’s book is well worth reading not only for insight on a small part of a small land half the size of Wales, but because this book by research, anecdote, vignette & personal experience is interesting & relevant for anyone interested in the western Balkans. There are many points that will be familiar to people who have travelled in the former Communist countries, especially the non-EU and variably democratic ones in south eastern Europe. Many common themes stand out from across former Yugoslavia, in particular the southern parts that I know, and Albania. Furthermore, Dragon’s Teeth is a good read. It is conversational and thoughtful in style, a bit like one of my favourite little books on the region, Tony White’s Another Fool in the Balkans (2006) which is more travelogue, largely between Croatia and Belgrade.
The youthful Bancroft is a flamboyant English / Manx man and Evertonian who had worked for the OSCE in Bosnia, and in Serbia, and crucially for several years ran an office in the north of Kosovo for the EULEX, the European Union’s (support to) Rule of Law mission. On top of this Bancroft has travelled extensively in the region, for work, out of curiosity, with family and in pursuit of excellent wines. He is probably the most prominent promoter in English of wines from Serbia, and knowledgeable about the native grapes of the former Yugoslav countries (check out Autochthoinos.com web site, and @Autochthoinos on Twitter, as well as @bancroftian for Ian’s regular profile). Autochthoinos was a word I never knew until I went to Serbia to work in 2020. And found it used (unspellable and unpronounceable) first by wine enthusiasts but then noticeably by each people (ethnic, national group) to say that they were the original inhabitants of the land so the State (whichever State) should adjust to them. A reasonable argument but one as the famous British historian Noel Malcolm has pointed out that depends on when you start.
One of the points that Bancroft makes repeatedly is that the living conditions in the post industrial underdeveloped regions of former Yugoslavia are actually very similar, the same in remote villages, and that the people have the same issues in common. I expected a myth or legend or particular statue to be the ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ of the book’s title, but in fact the writer uses this imagery to show many times features (man made, old and new, and natural) that resemble giant dragon’s teeth.
The post industrial and post multi-ethnic / cultural nature of the districts is something sadly common across much of the Western Balkans. Tales of the Trepca mine (written about by Rebecca West) as a huge employer and whole community, show how important and relatively prosperous Mitrovica was during the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and then Yugoslavia. (Mitrovicë – Albanian; anglicised spellings are used in this article). The mine employed 23,000 people at its height. Bancroft discusses its history with expert Mina, of course in an Irish pub in Leposavic. The book covers a pen portrait of the formerly multi-ethnic Bosniak Mahala, football, music (brass band, jazz, blues, rock), boundaries, barricades and the attempts to reopen the main bridge over the Ibar river between the two parts of the town. Open now to pedestrians but not traffic, Ian’s recent suggestion is to turn it into a social space. And Bancroft writes about his friendship with Oliver Ivanovic, a reformist Serb politician who was murdered in January 2018. Still unsolved. Religion and religious buildings is also covered. It should be noted that while mostly culturally Muslim, Kosovo Albanians are largely secular, as in Albania itself. And there are Christian Orthodox Albanians as well as Catholics, the latter especially in the north of Albania. Other ethnic groups like goranje, Bosniaks, Turks, Montenegrins and of course Roma complete the mix.
Britain traditionally takes an active foreign policy interest in the western Balkans (very active diplomatically there now) and British tourists (like Serbs) are flocking to Albanian beaches, but these parts of Kosovo are not on the tourist trail yet. The book may interest you in the region as a starting point or someone who knows it already.
A very lengthy version of this review originally appeared in British Liberal political Liberator Magazine and can be found slightly revised on my LinkedIn profile.
September 22, 2022
The author "tries" to depict the day-to-day life in the corner of the country (Kosovo), ruled by criminal gangs and smugglers for more than two decades. With an attractive Hollywood-style name that resembles George R. R. Martin's books, the author constructs its stories through the lens of the imaginary dragon's teeth. Each tooth represents a one-sided account of the phenomenon witnessed during his work as a member of the EU justice mission in this tricky part of the country. Strangely and (un)purposefully, the author tends to ignore the well-known fact that "dragon teeth" are the leftover fangs of the Milosevic regime, which have barbarically ripped apart the entire regions of former Yugoslavia. Such denial of a plain and hard-won reality makes this book subjective, biasing its "toothless" stories toward one grouping that resists the new reality. Apparently, the author's literary adventure is affected by local "charming" shlivovica and affairs "blinding" him to see the truth. The book is an embodiment and a tombstone of one mission (EULEX) only, whose main goal was to pull the "dragon teeth" to which the author wrongfully refers.
September 22, 2022
The author "tries" to depict the day-to-day life in the corner of the country (Kosovo), ruled by criminal gangs and smugglers for more than two decades. With an attractive Hollywood-style name that resembles George R. R. Martin's books, the author constructs its stories through the lens of the imaginary dragon's teeth. Each tooth represents a one-sided account of the phenomenon witnessed during his work as a member of the EU justice mission in this tricky part of the country. Strangely and (un)purposefully, the author tends to ignore the well-known fact that "dragon teeth" are the leftover fangs of the Milosevic regime, which have barbarically ripped apart the entire regions of former Yugoslavia. Such denial of a plain and hard-won reality makes this book subjective, biasing its "toothless" stories toward one grouping that resists the new reality. Apparently, the author's literary adventure is affected by local "charming" shlivovica and affairs "blinding" him to see the truth. The book is an embodiment and a tombstone of one mission (EULEX) only, whose main goal was to pull the "dragon teeth" to which the author wrongfully refers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews