Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know [Paperback]

Tim Judah (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195373456 | ISBN-13: 978-0195373455 | Publication Date: September 29, 2008

On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence, becoming the seventh state to emerge from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. A tiny country of just two million people, 90% of whom are ethnic Albanians, Kosovo is central-geographically, historically, and politically-to the future of the Western Balkans and, in turn, its potential future within the European Union. But the fate of both Kosovo, condemned by Serbian leaders as a "fake state" and the region as a whole, remains uncertain.

In Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, Tim Judah provides a straight-forward guide to the complicated place that is Kosovo. Judah, who has spent years covering the region, offers succinct, penetrating answers to a wide range of questions: Why is Kosovo important? Who are the Albanians? Who are the Serbs? Why is Kosovo so important to Serbs? What role does Kosovo play in the region and in the world? Judah reveals how things stand now and presents the history and geopolitical dynamics that have led to it. The most important of these is the question of the right to self-determination, invoked by the Kosovo Albanians, as opposed to right of territorial integrity invoked by the Serbs. For many Serbs, Kosovo's declaration of independence and subsequent recognition has been traumatic, a savage blow to national pride. Albanians, on the other hand, believe their independence rights an historical wrong: the Serbian conquest (Serbs say "liberation") of Kosovo in 1912.

For anyone wishing to understand both the history and possible future of Kosovo at this pivotal moment in its history, this book offers a wealth of insight and information in a uniquely accessible format.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Judah, a correspondent for the Economist who has covered the Balkans during years of great change and upheaval, takes up the daunting challenge of explaining Kosovo's—and its region's—history to a novice reader. His emphasis is on the past 20 years, with enough about earlier years to explain issues that linger. The small state of Kosovo, with its predominantly ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia earlier this year. The relationship between Albanians and Serbs has been a complex dance of changing allies and hegemons, as well as continuing animosity, with refugee populations frequently stranded on the wrong side of a changed border. Judah does a commendable job of telling the dense story in an understandable fashion. Because the region changes so quickly, an up-to-date history like this is welcome. Readers seeking a more in-depth treatment will be well served by Miranda Vickers's Between Serb and Albanian: A History of Kosovo, now ten years old, or Paul Hockenos's more recent Homeland Calling: Exile Patriotism and the Balkan Wars. Suitable for popular collections.—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York
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From Booklist

Economist correspondent Judah’s primer on Europe’s youngest country packs a surprising amount of nuance into a slim volume. This is good, for his is an exceedingly complex and politically fraught topic that would seem to permit little clumsiness. Though his stated goal is to provide the basics—Who are the Albanians? Who are the Serbians?—even these are difficult questions to answer without engaging in a fairly sophisticated discussion about ancient and recent history, national identity, and, of course, the war. As Judah understands, histories are constantly being reshaped for political gain, and shifting allegiances and the activities of one’s neighbors can all define the contours of national identity. His analysis is thus considerably strengthened by the author’s command of the Balkans’ fluid and occasionally opaque demographics. Emphasizing political and ethnic variables, this book will unfortunately not tell you everything you need to know about the region’s music, art, or cuisine. Tracking recent events up through and including Kosovo’s spring 2008 independence, however, it remains a solid introduction to an important topic. --Brendan Driscoll

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195373456
• ISBN-13: 978-0195373455
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > History > Europe > Albania

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars there's more you need to know, October 28, 2008

By 

Fibonacci (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

In this brief overview, Tim Judah sketches the history (or rather, a history) of Kosovo, up to the present. Of course, brevity entails tough choices, but surely "everyone needs to know" more about the great-power machinations behind this history than Judah chooses to reveal.

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable insight into the Balkans, January 19, 2012

By 

Dioskuri - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

This is another book to add for anyone interested in the story of the Balkans that lead to the disintegration of the genocidal regime of Milosevic, who killed hundreds of thousands in Bosnia, Croatia and Albania. With respect to Albania and Bosnia, it is just starting to come out, especially in the Kosovo war(as the atrocities in Bosnia are widely known) the atrocities committed toward women and children. More than 20,000 women have been raped, at least 900 children below the age of 5 massacred, 2500 people taken prisoners whose fate is still unknown as the Serbian war machine was retreating. This among other things shows that the war against the Albanians when it became clear that it couldn't be one of extermination as the world community was mobilizing, it became one of killing the spirit of the new country. It is a pity that the book is being reviewed solely on biased reports that have recently tried to de-legitimize the war that NATO did to save not just the Albanians, and this is mostly an important point that resonates in the book, but to save the international framework of justice and order. Kosovo is a threat to any imperial power subjugating its people, and it is a light of hope to any ethnic group aspiring the right of self-determination. As France prepares to pass the bill of the Armenian genocide, this book is a fresh reminder, that perhaps needs to address after the Jewish, Armenian and Bosnian(still not addressed), the denial of an Albanian Genocide.

17 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible and biased book. A must to avoid, October 23, 2008

By 

Brian Niven (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know (Paperback)

This book is not worth reading because the author is so stridently pro-Albanians. He leaves out the genocide Albanians have committed against the Serbs since Serbs left in 99. Serbs according Juda just decided to leave. He just leaves out the tremendous violence against Serbs that has forced them to leave. Not to mention that this book is like a cliffs notes version of his other racist anti-Serb books.