To End a War (Modern Library Paperbacks) (Paperback)

~ Richard Holbrooke (Author) "THE MOUNT IGMAN ROUTE TO SARAJEVO was often described as the most dangerous road in Europe..." (more)
Key Phrases: initialing ceremony, military annex, international police task force, United States, Bosnian Serbs, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Between 1991 and 1995 over a quarter million people died during the conflict in the Balkan states. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe did not understand--or chose not to understand--what this war was about. The U.N. sent peacekeeping forces to aid the helpless, but would not assert its will to bring a peaceful end to the atrocities.

In a bold, contentious move by Clinton's first administration, a peace delegation was sent to Bosnia to secure an accord at any cost. A vocal proponent of this was Richard Holbrooke, then assistant secretary of state, who believed in hawkish diplomacy and a willingness to impose the moral will of America, if necessary. Holbrooke's belligerent pursuit of peace can be attributed in part to the tragedy of losing three of his team on the way through Sarajevo, making his quest for peace purposeful and passionate. In To End a War, an honest assessment and account of the events that followed, Holbrooke walks us through the complexities of the Dayton Accord from the perspective of the politicians and military men involved. It provides a fascinating insight into modern political diplomacy and the role of America in the international arena.

Without being a crusader, Holbrooke stresses throughout the need for responsible public service, subtly attacking some modern-day diplomats who use their positions irresponsibly. Ultimately he concludes that this peace process demonstrates the need for countries of power, such as the U.S., to take their of leadership roles seriously. To End a War is the definitive account of the peace process in the former Yugoslavia, important to anyone who wishes to understand the conflict in its entirety. --Jeremy Storey --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

American negotiator Holbrooke offers a fast-paced, first-person account of the American-led diplomatic initiative that ended the bloodshed of ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia in 1995. A veteran of the Vietnam peace talks, one-time ambassador to Germany and assistant secretary of state, Holbrooke guides readers through "fourteen weeks... filled with conflict, confusion, and tragedy before... success." This is a penetrating portrait of modern diplomacyAwhat the author describes as "something like a combination of chess and mountain climbing." Spurred on by the deaths of three colleagues on his negotiating team (their armored personnel carrier toppled over a cliff on a treacherous approach to Sarajevo), Holbrooke hammers out a cease-fire in an intensive shuttle among the three Balkan presidents, and then presides over the three-week cloistered peace conference in Dayton, Ohio. He covers the elements of crafting effective foreign policy: coordination among various agencies and personalities in Washington; dealing with European allies; ensuring that military and diplomatic efforts work in concert; negotiating with ethnic nationalist leaders; "spinning" the press; and selling the peace plan to a skeptical Congress and public. While he provides scant background into the historical roots of the Balkan conflict, Holbrooke details the various stages of the negotiating process and vividly describes the Balkan leaders: the arrogant Tudjman, the sly Milosevic and the bickering and disorganized Bosnian Muslims. Although often self-justifying, Holbrooke acknowledges several errors, such as allowing the Bosnian Serb entity to retain the "blood-soaked name" of Republika Srpska. Still, his achievement in forging peace in Bosnia is beyond question, and his account of that process is essential for understanding how American power can be brought to bear on the course of history.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; Revised edition (May 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375753605
• ISBN-13: 978-0375753602
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #318,807 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, Has a Place on the Balkan Shelf, February 13, 2000

By	richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: To End a War (Hardcover)

Holbrooke's book is a must-read for anyone closely interested in the wars following the breakup of Yugoslavia. It is a chronology with, at its core, a blow-by-blow and sometimes hour-by-hour description of the summer and autumn of 1995 when the Dayton accords took shape. The book is oft-criticized as Holbrooke's attempts to win back the swarms of people he alienated with his abrasive personality during his return to public service. If that was his intent, he probably failed, because his much-publicized anti-social behavior continues unabated to this day. In the unlikely event that any of his enemies were gullible enough to be flattered by the book, Holbrooke has no doubt subsequently given them fresh reason to dislike him. However, the book is still important, and, while self-aggrandizing, Holbrooke is possessed of a certain clarity of vision regarding the balkan wars. His list of five reasons, in chapter 2, for the West's failure to intervene in Yugoslavia is perceptive, especially his remarks about "Bad History, or the Rebecca West factor". The depiction of Milosevic is consistently interesting. Milosevic's own sorry history of losing four wars in the space of nine years, and the undeniable ruin he has visited on his own people, tend to paint him in broad and inaccurate colors. Holbrooke's account of his many sessions with Milosevic show the Serbian dictator as ruthless and cunning, and ultimately without any passion or vision. Milosevic was never interested in "greater Serbia", he sold the Croatian Serbs in a heartbeat. His betrayal of the Bosnain Serbs at Dayton, and the utter contempt he felt for them, marks him as a ruthless machiavelli rather than a true Serb nationalist. The book is useful, but not without minor blemishes: some explanations reek of hindsight, such as the decision (p.166) not to allow Croatian forces to conquer Banja Luka in 1995. Holbrooke's pasted-on humanitarian concerns ring hollow. The strategic implications of such an attack, and its effect on Dayton, are much more credible as reasons to insist that the Croatian offensive stop short of the city. Holbrooke's attempts at concern for humanitarian principles and his constant pats on the back for his colleagues often sound over-done and smarmy. He did a good job at Dayton, but he ain't gonna be canonized. (A nitpick: the map on p. 25 incorrectly places Russia on Slovakia's border.)

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Reads like a thriller" wrote one student..., March 13, 2003

By	J. M Quirk - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Reads like a thriller" wrote one student on his course evaluation. This account by Clinton's principal negotiator to end the conflict in the Balkans takes the reader from the landmined mountain roads of Bosnia to the late-night arm-twisting of Milosevic and others at Wright-Patterson AFB. I have used the book in different courses to provide an understanding of the substance of the Balkan conflicts, the role of leadership, and an on-the-ground exposition of diplomacy. Students tend to have two kinds of reactions. First, it reveals (through an admittedly single, American perspective) the issues at stake in the Balkans. But it also offers a more general model for the unseen stakes and battles in diplomacy itself: the variety of interests, the relative (in)flexibility of position on different issues, examples of "spin" to the press, and displays of persistence, skill and the occasional human error (uh, we forgot to consult Croatia!).

Although the roads are better in New York, the book helps one begin to imagine some of the behind-the-scenes battles in the 2002-2003 UN negotiations on military action in Iraq.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent insider's view of Balkan conflict and Dayton, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: To End a War (Hardcover)

Several reviewers have labeled Holbrooke either racist or merely biased. I am an American, not of Serb descent, but a serious student of Serb life and history. I speak Serbian, lived in Serbia, visited all the key Serb historic/cultural sites, including a thorough survey of medieval Serb monasteries. I have visited all corners of the former Yugoslavia including four visits to Kosovo. I say all this not to be arrogant as some reviewers accuse Mr. Holbrooke; rather to give some credentials of a person who well understands Balkan mindsets and who is not anti-Serb (I love Serbia and most Serb people!). As such, I consider Mr. Holbrooke's views and accounts very balanced, fair, and ethical. My suspicion is that the flames of reviewers own passions and biases enter here in large measure. This is a fascinating book written by an admirable civil servant. His inside accounts of dealings with Milosevic, Tudjmann, Izetbegovic and others are simply marvelous. I personally knew Nikola Koljevic, the suicide victim ex-Bosnian Serb VP and former chairman of the English Dept at the Univ. of Sarajevo and found Holbrooke's harsh treatment of Koljevic very believable. This is a balanced book for balanced people; unfortunately there are many Balkan natives with axes to grind who are not easily pleased.