Customer Reviews

Kanuni I Leke Dukagjinit: The Code of Leke Dukagjini

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This is the first English translation of the customary laws, still followed to various degrees, by Albanians in northern Albania, Kosova/Kosovo, Montenegro, and Macedonia. That these laws have survived, and often replaced, the impositions of the Ottoman Empire and the Albanian Communist and Yugoslav governments, attests to their importance. The forward, the introduction, and the note on the translation, which precede the Code, and the Code itself are highly readable. Each page of the Code in English is preceded by a page of the same text in Albanian. The dust cover is red with the black Albanian eagle, duplicative of the Albanian flag, and the book itself has large illustrations of both Leke Dukagjini, an Albanian national hero to whom the laws are traditionally attributed, and his coat of arms. This work would not only make a fine present for Albanians living in English speaking countries, but is a necessity both for non-Albanians attempting an understanding of Albanian society, and, with the present situation in the southern Balkans, for the reference collections of all academic and larger public libraries.

that anyone working in the humanitaian field with Albanians anywhere in the world, or visiting their fantastic country, read this book and be wise before making decisions or judgements upon an ancient life style.

If you have not yet read this book, you are truly missing out. This book is a must read for anyone of Albanian heritage! It is filled with marvelous insights into our culture. Bravo!

Really wonderful and detailed book! Very useful if trying to understand certain regions of Albania and their respective culture.

thank you so much for being able to show and teach people the morals and values of the ancient Albanians, I think the world would appreciate more the history and the identity of the Albanians while learning from books like this. Albanians are a people of respect, honor and loyalty and not like the movies and games they make for Albanians. and with books like this people and nations can learn the true Albanians and of the Albanian culture. I want to thank so much the people who took the time and dedication to write this wonderful book of ancient codes. again thank you

"Albanese Mafia" ? Clearly some people no idea of what they are talking about, or is classic anti-Albanian propaganda. The Kanun has nothing to do with the Albanese Mafia which is a myth perpetrated around to hide the real mobsters in the world, and not the Albanians who were for 50 years locked down and never allowed to see the world while others prospered in a variety of ways to put it mildly. Mafias don't have cultural identities. The Triads have nothing to do with Confucius for example and so on and so forth. Mafia is mafia everywhere, some more powerful than the other, but it has nothing to do with ancient codes of conduct, which completely reject such behavior. Some people need to read the book first before making such comments, as I would recommend the same to the other person who identifies blood feuds with the Kanun. The chapter of the Blood is only one out of hundreds that have survived and today, after 50 years of the harshest communism in the world, comparable to the one in Korea and Cuba, almost nothing has survived of the ancient codes of conduct in the majority of Albania.

The Kanun was the Constitution of the Albanians. You might want to read more about that from renown Japanese Dr. Yamamoto (The Ethical Structure of Kanun and Its Cultural Implications by Kazuhiko Yamamoto. (Hardcover 9780972992398)) and his comparisons of the Kanun with the ancient Mishima. But Dr. Yamamoto goes even further to claim that the Kanun is the most ancient code of conduct. Who are you to claim that the codes of conduct today are better than what they were in Homeric times where values were values ? Do we even have any codes of conduct today ? Aren't people always constantly looking at the past with admiration, love and a sense of melancholy, as if we have fallen from grace. Chinese people still live by the ethical teachings of Confucius, a grand master who lived more than 2500 years ago, and where are they now ? On their rise to become the most powerful nation on earth, with culture and a balanced way of life with no excesses. This is a wonderful book to have side by side for all people dealing in humanities, law, sociology, psychology or for curious people with an open mind and a predisposition towards learning and connecting ancient concepts among ancient civilizations just as we are constantly connecting and embracing new ones in this globalized world. The book alone by itself is a gem, bilingual and an impressive quality of publication from Gjonlekaj Publishing.

I was very happy to find out this book is still for sale. The book is fantastic and I recommend it to everybody who wants to understand more about (part of) Albanese culture. My interest was a better understanding of the albanese 'mafia' and this book helped a lot!
Expensive, but worth every penny...

After some small problems with the transport of the book, Gjonlekaj Pub Co sent me a new copy free of charge. I really appreciate this service by the publisher. And the book is great. A "must have".

I love looking at this book and getting insight from my heritage. The sad part is that people are still living by this code. Check out the NY Times article [...]Blood fueds still abound in Albania. Such a shame!