Product Description

Slavenka Drakulic attended the Serbian war crimes trial in the Hague. This important book is about how ordinary people commit terrible crimes in wartime. With extraordinary story-telling skill Drakulic draws us in to this difficult subject. We cannot turn away from her subject matter because her writing is so engaging, lively and compelling. From the monstrous Slobodan Milosevich and his evil Lady Macbeth of a wife to humble Serb soldiers who claim they were 'just obeying orders', Drakulic brilliantly enters the minds of the killers. There are also great stories of bravery and survival, both from those who helped Bosnians escape from the Serbs and from those who risked their lives to help them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #129294 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
'Slavenka Drakulic is a writer of great sensitivity, intelligence and grace' Alice Walker 'A formidable writer' SUNDAY TIMES 'Her writing has the spare poetry of Marguerite Duras' GUARDIAN 'Slavenka Drakulic is a journalist and writer whose voice belongs to the world' Gloria Steinem

About the Author
Slavenka Drakulic, born in Croatia in 1949, is a writer and journalist whose works have been translated into many languages. She contributes to THE NEW REPUBLIC, LA STAMPA, DAGENS NYHETER, FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU and the OBSERVER and her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. She writes in both Croatian and English.

Customer Reviews

Great book but synopsis above is biased!!!
Great book that covers this important topic, easy to read and once picked up you cannot put it down. Speaking as someone who is NOT a serb the above synopsys is incorrect in it's referals to Serb's as perpetrators - a typical western view. The book does cover monsters like Milosevic but also Croation monsters (yes, they do exist) and also references to Muslim murderers. So, in all, read the book, worth it but dont think it's about Serb bashing - this book is about establishing the truth many of us do not see or do not want to see. A very very good read and an eye opener on the subject of how the world produces mass murderers.

Confirmation Again..
The author states her case in a compelling and gripping manner that draws the reader in and makes him/her ask themselves what would they do if they were in that position. She does it in a way that exposes both the savagery and the emotion that was present throughout the conflict.
She does it from a point of view that should be biased but is not. She states her case and explains why she believes that many would do what the perpetrators did in that instant.
Those who state they have studied the Balkans extensively and accuse this book of bias do so without knowledge at all for only by being there and living through it can anyone have believed what was happening. I did. I saw horror, murder, pain and hurt inflicted by all sides. I also saw humour, strength, life and abhorrence at what was happening. This book explains it from one side, NOT against any other.
The people of the Balkans have been through Hell itself and are trying to emerge from the other side. Maybe this book is the beginning of an attempt to understand and in doing so, stop it happening again.
To anyone who wishes to see what happens, it is vital that you read this. It will shock. It will tear at your heart and your mind. It may also open your eyes.

seems biased
As an Englishman, who has studied the Balkans, extensively, I cannot believe that , yet again we have an example of an anti-Serb book.
There were atrocities commited on all sides. Yet it seems that only books written by Croats or Bosnian Muslims make it into the UK. They are incredibly biased. Study the trial of Milosevic and you will discover there were far fewer acts of atrocity than you would believe, some witnesses called werent even there, but were asked to describe what happened!
As regards Srebrenica, it is a good point that there is no way of knowing how many died and whether they were Serbs or Muslims. Ask Naser Oric, he stated that there was bad stuff done by both sides in and around Srebrenica, as there was a mass slaughter of Serb villagers(not just the men) that preceded this take over of Srebrenica by the Serbs