Anatomy Of Deceit- An American Physician's First-Hand Encounter With The Realities Of The War In Croatia [Hardcover]

Jerry Blaskovich (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0935016244 | ISBN-13: 978-0935016246 | Publication Date: July 1, 1997 | Edition: 1st

is a direct accounting of the war in the former Yugoslavia as seen through the eyes of a U.S. doctor who personally witnessed the atrocities of the war from the Croatian perspective. An onslaught of books have recently been published regarding the plight of the war in former Yugoslavia. Except for a few these books are written exclusively from the Serbian viewpoint. This book shows the other side of the story the Croation side with details of the war from an insider's view on and off the battlefield

Editorial Reviews

Review

...will be read even after the events of the war years in Croatia and Bosnia have sunk into oblivion. -- Professor Emeritus, former Chairman of Slavic and Comparative Literature; University of Southern California

Anatomy of Deceit undertakes a serious and most necessary review of how media and official factors manipulate raw information... -- Muhamed Sacirbey Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the United Nations

Anatomy of Deceit undertakes a serious and most necessary review of how media and official factors manipulate raw information ... My continuing official responsibilities curtail me from pronouncing a final judgment on Dr. Blaskovich's conclusions. Nonetheless, Dr. Blaskovich's presentation of the facts are supported by many of my first hand observations and one can reach their own judgment on the basis of these facts ... -- Muhamed Sacirbey: Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the United Nations,11 April 1997

His...book...has three parts: the physical events of the Serbian military action; broken, mutilated bodies, hospitals under siege... -- Irene B. Bierman, Ph.D.Director Gustave von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies, UCLA

Jerry Blaskovich, a dermatologist and expert on ABC (atomic, biological, chemical) warfare was called...by the Foreign Press Bureau in Zagreb in 1991 to investigate allegations of gas/chemical attacks by Serbs on civilian targets...That was the beginning of his...Anatomy of Deceit. His...book...has three parts: the physical events of the Serbian military action; broken, mutilated bodies, hospitals under siege, Croatian and Bosnian victims of programmed torture and rape. These hate killed acts are documented by medical investigations, including autopsies. Second, the realization that the international media who witnessed the same unspeakable horrors would not speak of them or write of them: persuaded themselves and the world that the Serbs were guiltless and that the Croats, even women and children and the elderly, were not victims of hate-filled violence, but simply war casualties. -- Irene B. Bierman, Ph.D., Director Gustave von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies, UCLA 24 March 1997

The very title...Anatomy of Deceit, suggest a painful exploration of human existence. In spite of the apocalyptic tone, the book is written in the style of an odyssey; lyrical tone of narration prevails from the beginning to the end. Thorough as the evidence in every instance is, the style lifts the book from the dullness of discursive prose to the inspiring regions of the genre of fiction...This book will be read even after the events of the war years in Croatia and Bosnia have sunk into oblivion. -- Anthony M. Mlikotin: Professor Emeritus, former Chairman of Slavic and Comparative Literature; University of Southern California

We believe Dr. Blaskovich's book is destined to become the seminal piece in the truth puzzle about the former Yugoslavia. -- American Croatian Review, October 1997

Product Details

• Hardcover: 247 pages
• Publisher: Zinn Communications; 1st edition (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935016244
• ISBN-13: 978-0935016246
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,351,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vigorous, truthful account., November 17, 2000

By 

B. GALLAGHER (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anatomy Of Deceit- An American Physician's First-Hand Encounter With The Realities Of The War In Croatia (Hardcover)

Jerry Blaskovich's superb book is based on his own experience of the Serbian invasion, occupation, and ethnic cleansing of no less than one third of Croatia. Much of the horrors he relates are genuinely disturbing. Apart from his own experiences, he takes time to debunk all sorts of nonsense put out by the Serbs.

It should be remembered that the Serbs had control of the propaganda machinery in Yugoslavia; Croatia therefore had none. As a consequence, many naïve journalists and politicians went to Yugoslav sources for information, completely unaware of the fact that such sources were in fact Serbian ones. Hence the bizarre myths such as "Serbs fought the Nazis", "all sides guilty", "Serbs persecuted in Croatia" etc. These were deployed against the Croats to prevent western intervention, so that genocide and ethnic cleansing could proceed apace to create an obscene Nazi style "Greater Serbia" state. Blaskovich gives full details of all the various propaganda scams.

The fact that the Yugoslav Army was Serbian controlled and that Croatia (weaponless) did not invade Serbia gives the game away as to who the aggressor was in the war; Blaskovich also elaborates on the Serb dominated nature of the old Yugoslavia.

Despite the horrors he describes, this is ultimately a positive work. There is much energy in this book, enthusiasm for Croatia and a forceful rebuttal of propaganda. As such, it most readable.

This is a truthful book. To verify its accuracy, I strongly recommend Marcus Tanner's " Croatia : A Nation Forged in War" As Mr Tanner is British, his impartiality is not in doubt.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine and Compelling, November 14, 2000

By 

"marusicbe" (Harvard College, Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anatomy Of Deceit- An American Physician's First-Hand Encounter With The Realities Of The War In Croatia (Hardcover)

In "Anatomy of Deceit" Jerry Blaskovich offers a genuine and engaging account of how he experienced the war in Croatia. Blaskovich is particularly concerned to witness how he encountered several dramatic events. Accordingly, his narrative is personal and direct. This makes "Anatomy of Deceit" highly readable and absorbing. Furthermore, because of his attention to detail and his commitment to facts, Blaskovich's work also constitutes an important historical document. His knowledge of forensic matters as well as of particular events (the massacre of Vocin) is rare. Finally, Blaskovich's pragmatic criticism of the international community as well as the Croatian response to the war is refreshing and helpful. I believe that his critique of the political omissions that were made can serve as a lesson for many fledgling nations as well as those concerned with conflict management. In this sense, "Anatomy of Deceit" is valuable not only as an excellent introduction to the events of 1991 but also as a source of insights for the modern policymaker.

As a Croatian, I am aware that my reaction to the book will be biased. In my assessment of its qualities, however, I have attempted to bring out its strengths as a text. Also, it seems to me undeniable that Blaskovich is very knowledgeable and that he is a strong writer. These are criteria by which a work like his should be judged. I have found them little addressed in some other reviews on this webpage. That is why I feel compelled to strongly recommend "Anatomy of Deceit" to the interested reader.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent recount, December 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Anatomy Of Deceit- An American Physician's First-Hand Encounter With The Realities Of The War In Croatia (Hardcover)

International Journal of Dermatology, August 1998 "...The genocide, the pathos, and the grim details of war are recounted with objectivity and compassion. The author is an excellent war correspondent and medical journalist."