Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country [Paperback]

John R. Lampe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521774012 | ISBN-13: 978-0521774017 | Publication Date: March 28, 2000 | Edition: 2

Yugoslavia as History is the first book to examine the bloody demise of the former Yugoslavia in the full light of its history. This new edition of John Lampe's accessible and authoritative history devotes a full new chapter to the tragic ethnic wars that have followed the dissolution of Yugoslavia, first in Croatia and Bosnia, and most recently in Kosovo. John Lampe concentrates on the connection, real and imagined, between these conflicts and the experience of the successor states, the two Yugoslavias and their predecessors.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lampe...is an authority on the Balkans whose dispassionate judgments provide unique insights into the origins of the collapse." Boston Globe

"Yugoslavia as History sketches an indispensable historical background to the cataclysmic events that swept away an entire country. Lampe's book is a corrective to both the hostile and the nostalgic approaches to Yugoslavia. The real story is much more complex, and Lampe tells it with insight, judgment, and clarity." Warren Zimmermann, US Ambassador to Yugoslavia 1989-1992 and author of Origins of a Catastrophe: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers

Book Description

Yugoslavia as History is the first book to examine the bloody demise of the former Yugoslavia in the full light of its history. This new edition of John Lampe's accessible and authoritative history devotes a full new chapter to the tragic ethnic wars that have followed the dissolution of Yugoslavia, first in Croatia and Bosnia, and most recently in Kosovo. John Lampe concentrates on the connection, real and imagined, between these conflicts and the experience of the successor states, the two Yugoslavias and their predecessors.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (March 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521774012
• ISBN-13: 978-0521774017
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A commendable survey, March 15, 2001

By 

Edward Bosnar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country (Paperback)

Lampe's "Yugoslavia as History" is probably the first book that deals with the entire history of Yugoslavia from its inception in 1918 to its collapse in 1991. While discussing pre-1918 developments and (very summarily) post-1991 events, he focuses his discussion on Yugoslavia as it actually existed, doing a commendable job of viewing past events on their own terms rather than through the prism of present-day events (the primary flaw of many recent historical works written both by former Yugoslav and outside scholars, commentators, etc.). Lampe's primary expertise is economic history, and this is evident in his strong analysis of Yugoslavia's frequent economic problems, which would be a crucial factor in the country's eventual downfall. However, this means he often gives short shrift to the cultural, social and intellectual antagonisms which gave expression to the country's underlying problems. Also, while socialist Yugoslavia's decentralized political structure did foment the development of separate economic, social and intellectual cultures, there were also many factors that bound Yugoslav citizens and did create a some sense of community (he only touches on sports and film, but almost completely ignores literature and pop music). Indeed, this appearance of a rudimentary common culture was what made Yugoslavia's violent breakdown so shocking to people in the county itself and to outside experts. Even so, "Yugoslavia as History" is a very strong survey of the country's troubled history and a very useful resource for students and others - it is much, much better and more informative than the many "instant histories" (a term I think Lampe himself used in a journal article) which appeared in droves once Yugoslavia did break up and the war started. The book is also, by the way, a very good reflection and summary of the main streams of American historiography on the former Yugoslavia.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars reliable, beautifully written - a true diamond, October 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country (Paperback)

It happens so rarely that one gets so completely excited by a history book, especially if, as is the case with Lampe's work, it covers such a broad time-period in such a relatively small and, with the sad exception of the last ten years, un-known country. Lampe has succeeded in what many scholars of the region of the former Yugoslavia have failed: to provide an authoritative, well-argumented, and clear case for the bloody demise of the country. He is one of the few who doesn't fall into the trap of playing the prejudicial and rascist songs about Balkans being the cradle of terrorism and bloodshed - rather, he traces the demise of the country through almost one hundred years of its existence, showing when and why Yugoslavia was to the benefits of the nations living there, and when its existence ran contrary to the wishes of its founding fathers. Lampe has a sharp eye of an observer who has witnessed a tragedy with his heart and yet knows how to look for answers and explanations using his head. I can only warmly recommend this book to anyone who really wants to get a taste of this unhappy region, to all students of the Balkans, or people merely interested in "what it was all about". This is a real diamond in a decade which has seen a wave of books dealing with the former Yugoslavia, most of which have left me flabbergasted and stupified by their style and myopic (to say the least) ideas they promoted.

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars weak in some areas, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country (Paperback)

while john r. lampe's book is accurate and very readable, Iwould still like to point out some problems. the main one is, that theauthor deals with slovenians and macedonians very briefly, more like an afterthought. as a slovenian, I may feel a bit strongly about it, but I would like to give two examples: there is no mention of the isonzo front (first world war, between italy and austro-hungary), which went on for twelve battles and has its own novel (and film) - farwell to arms. also, the ossimo accords, which finalized the border between yugoslavia (now slovenia) and italy are not mentioned -and they are important, since italy used them to present all sorts of obstacles to slovenia after 1991. the book is still very much worth reading, but keep in mind that the slovenians (and I imagine the macedonians) are not given the adequate space. read something else as well!