Through the Embers of Chaos: Balkan Journeys [Paperback]

Dervla Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

While bicycling hundreds of miles through beautiful yet tragically depopulated regions of Albania and the former Yugoslavia, Dervla stayed with families forcibly uprooted, their lives devastated by murder and pillage. Conversations revealed the griefs and confusions of ordinary people, many of whom were extraordinarily brave and resilient during the 'decade of decay'. Throughout her travels, Dervla tries to make sense of the confusing history and politics of the area. Through the Embers of Chaos is an extraordinary achievement; it describes a journey that demanded the greatest emotional and physical stamina (not least as she was attacked and robbed three times in Albania). The result is a truly unusual view on the Balkan countryside.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dervla Murphy is a brave woman and a great travel writer' -- The Spectator 'A timely and important account of a catastrophically razed corner of Europe. Dervla Murphy wears her erudition lightly, weaving personal anecdote into enduring reportage. She talks to ordinary people trapped beneath the crust of former dictatorships, and is respectful of their past suffering.' -- Ian Thomson, Sunday Times 20020915 'Generosity is a quality which shines throughout Murphy's work. But she is no soft touch or bleeding-heart liberal. While she exudes compassion and empathy she can be formidably hard-headed and short with bullshitters. In her latest -- perhaps finest -- book she has her fair share of hairy moments. Invariably, she is prepared to stand her ground with bullies.' -- Alan Taylor, Glasgow Sunday Herald 20020901 'Murphy isn't your average travel hack -- she insists on travelling by bicycle, or on foot. Her bike isn't a comic prop, as in those lightweight travelogues where men lug fridges around foreign parts for a laugh, but a way of getting closer to her subject ! As events in Afghanistan demonstrate, a war's end is only the beginning of a long, often dangerous struggle to re-establish normality. In its personal, humane, angry way, Through the Embers shows just how rocky that road can be.' -- Matthew Collin, The Guardian 20020928 'Dervla Murphy vividly conveys the bleak decay of post-war small-town life, remarkably similar in its combination of despair and bigotry whereever she goes' -- Time Literary Supplement 20030214

About the Author

Dervla Murphy is one of the very best loved of travel writers. She was born in County Waterford and since 1964 has been regularly publishing accounts of her journeys - by bicycle and on foot -- in the remoter areas of four continents. She has also written about the problems of Northern Ireland, the hazards of nuclear power, and race relations in Britain. The Times Literary Supplement called her 'an admirable woman -- she has a romantic soul and a keen eye'.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: John Murray Publishers, Ltd. (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719565103
• ISBN-13: 978-0719565106
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,677,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put It Down, March 24, 2005

By 

Glenn M. Hurlock "New York Sojourner" (Johnstown, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through the Embers of Chaos: Balkan Journeys (Paperback)

Dervla Murphy's description of several visits to Yugoslavia and the republics that gained worldwide headlines throughout the 1990s is hard to put down. Through her interactions with the people on the ground affected by the actions of Milosevic and the international community, she conveys the viewpoints of all sides as well as the day-to-day reality of living in the region and trying to rebuild after the hell that so many endured.

Having been to Croatia and Slovenia a couple years ago, I wanted to learn more about life for the people on the street as well as what led to the policies of ethnic cleansing. I couldn't put this book down and am looking forward to reading more travel writing by this author. Wonderful!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chaos Indeed, March 24, 2011

By 

Jackson - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Through the Embers of Chaos: Balkan Journeys (Paperback)

I am working my way through all of Dervla Murphy's books, and of the ones that I have read so far, this one chaotically tackles the most chaotic subject, but to be fair to Ms Murphy, the situation in the Balkans is nothing short of massively confusing and she gets a medal for trying.

She starts out with historical background on the region's political strife, but the book can't help but quickly dissolve into mayhem. Although I don't always agree with her blistering critiques of NATO and the United States, I respect her for trying to make sense of a senseless situation and for putting her life on the line at times to sort things out. As with her other trips, this one includes many tales of the hair-raising positions she finds (or puts?) herself in and won't disappoint in that respect. In spite of the chaos of the subject, I did actually learn a vast amount about the Balkans that no news article or textbook could ever have taught me; Ms Murphy has keen insight and a love of the common person that makes her often acerbic reflections easier to digest, and she does her homework thoroughly.