Origins of a Catastrophe:: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers- -America's Last Ambassador Tells What Happened an d Why (Hardcover)

by Warren Zimmermann (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Warren Zimmermann was the American ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1992, the period when the breakup of the Soviet empire caused the Balkans to slide into war. In this candid insider's account he recounts the failures of American and European diplomacy to prevent a catastrophe that was, according to Zimmerman, not only foreseeable but entirely preventable. The most chilling pages in this book depict Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who looked the ambassador in the eye, puffed on his Italian cigarillos, and stated that "Serbia has nothing to do with Bosnia." Now, as U.S. troops prepare to pull out of Bosnia by the end of 1996, Zimmermann's memoir paints a bleak future for this war-torn corner of Eastern Europe.

From Publishers Weekly
Zimmerman, U.S. ambassador to Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1992, here offers an authoritative diplomatic history and firsthand report of events leading up to the conflagration that destroyed that east European state; literate and engrossing, it jibes pretty much with the record as we know it. Making short shrift of such arguments as that the country was a tragedy waiting to happen and that it was impossible for its diverse ethnic groups to live together, the ambassador lays the blame for the "catastrophe" squarely on the various republican leaders whose selfish interests overrode the goal of maintaining national unity. He leaves no doubt that the architect of the genocidal war that followed upon the breakup of the state was Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic. One of the most intriguing parts of the book is the author's reports of his meetings with Yugoslav politicians who played roles in their nation's demise, including Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Ante Markovic, the last prime minister of Yugoslavia. From the vantage of hindsight, Zimmerman expresses regret that he didn't recommend the use of force by the U.S. and its allies to stop Serbian aggression as early as 1991. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 269 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (September 3, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812963997
• ISBN-13: 978-0812963991
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,187,658 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A memoir, NOT history., February 17, 2003

By	Wisdom of Athena (Brussels, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origins of a Catastrophe: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers- -America's Last Ambassador Tells What Happened an d Why (Paperback)

This book should be read not just as a memoir, but as a memoir of a man with a guilty conscience. Many people hold Zimmerman responsible for sabotaging the 'Lisbon accord' a peaceful solution to the Bosnian situation brokered by the President of Portugal in March 1992. It was Zimmerman's 'hero,' former Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, who mysteriously broke the accord and forced the Serbs to declare a independent state. Zimmerman spends much of the book trying to justify Izetbegovic's (and his own) actions.

Ivetbegovic it is worth noting was linked to the Bosnian-version of the Hitler youth in the 1940's and in the 1980's published a work, Islamic Declaration, a fundamentalist Islamic tract based largely on the teachings of Ayatollha Khomeni. How he became the darling of the Clinton administration is one of the great mysteries of modern diplomacy. Zimmerman fails to mention these salient facts about Izetbegovic and shows his gross ignorance of history in several other glaring omissions and errors. Most telling, while he admits the role of Croatian and Muslim fascists in the Holocaust in Yugoslavia, he numbers the victims at 'tens of thousands.' Holocaust reference detail between 600,000-1,000,000 Serbs died in the camps (along with the Jewish and Roma victims).

For those who assume I have some innate bias, I am not a Serbian, nor do I have personal connection to the region. I simply shudder, however, at the thought of Zimmerman?s work being taken as *serious* history. It is worth reading but deserves the highest degree of scepticism.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Diplomatic, but not afraid to point fingers, December 28, 2002

By	Gale A. Kirking (Brno, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A memoir by the man who was US Ambassador to Yugoslavia during 1989-1992. Zimmerman, declaring that "Yugoslavia was destroyed from the top down," focuses especially upon how the political leaders there tore their country apart. He also blames the Serbian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church in Croatia for their "disgraceful role by exacerbating racial tensions." Zimmerman criticizes Western Europe (and especially the British and French governments) for their early lack of concern as Yugoslav unity became imperiled.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into socipathic leaders, March 1, 2002

By	Mark B. Hazelbaker (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origins of a Catastrophe: Yugoslavia and Its Destroyers- -America's Last Ambassador Tells What Happened an d Why (Paperback)

Ambassador Zimmerman does a good job of candidly assessing the missteps of American foeign policy managers in dealing with the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. He convincingly argues that Yugoslavia's disintegration was not inevitable, and that the socioeconomic factors of that nation were no more inclined to cause the catastrophe than are conditions in many other nations. He attributes the collpase to the rise of vicious leaders like Milosevic and Tudjman who used nationalism and ethnic hatred to propel themselves to dictatorial power. Ambassador Zimmerman's book is an important contribution to realizing the devastating impact that socipoathic personalities have when they work themselves into positions of power.

The Ambassador's book is also a powerful argument for the value of the United States' professional foreign service officers (FSOs). Mr. Zimmerman exemplifies the best in our tradition of professional FSO's, a tradition lately undermined by neglecting to appoint FSOs to high positions in the State Department and embassies. If we had more people like Mr. Zimmerman working in the field, we would have better intelligence about the world.