Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314021 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Customer Reviews

Biased Tour de Force
'Balkan Ghosts' is an impressionistic tour de force of the Balkan. It doesn't come near Rebecca West's masterpiece 'Black Lamb and Gray Falcon' - but it is a travelogue in the same tradition. The author, who is acquainted with certain parts of the Balkan, crosses these tortured lands just prior to the Yugoslav wars of secession. His prognoses are accurate, his depiction of ancient ethnic enmities sweeping, his pessimism justified in hindsight. But too many important aspects are neglected or papered over. The responsibility of the West, the interplay of big powers, the ineptitude of international organizations, the forces of democracy and ethnic reconciliation in the region, religious co-existence and much more besides. Though one sided and biased, it is a must read - if only to understand what influenced the American administration of Bill Clinton in the formulation of its Balkan policies. Sam Vaknin, author of 'Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited'.

Balkan Ghosts, or How They Learned to Stop Worrying and Blame the Turks
Kaplan is an engaging writer who can put the reader in his shoes, and he certainly hs a command of his subject material. However, I agree with Mr. Vaknin below that his presentation of the issues is somewhat one-sided, especially when it comes to the former Yugoslavia. (That chapter, and the epilogue, can be summed up in four words. "The Turks did it.") A closer examination of institutional and economic deficiencies in Yugoslavia which allowed latent ethnic tensions to smolder, waiting for desperate politicians to provide the spark would have served better and it's a damned shame that Clinton chose to read this instead of more balanced works on the Balkans. His sections on Greece and Romania were commendable and enlightening, though.

Balkan Ghosts provides insightful and entertaining backgroun
Balkan Ghosts provides insightful and entertaining background to understanding the complexites and conflicts in the Balkan region. It is a facinating mix of history, anecdote and travelog. Kaplan illustrates that historical context is crucial to understanding what is going on today.