From Publishers Weekly
Hall, a freelance American journalist, was one of the last outsiders permitted to travel freely in Yugoslavia during the final days of its existence. From early May to mid-September 1991 he questioned members of the various Balkan "tribes" in Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo and points in between, listening to comments on their history, prejudices, superstitions, fears, aspirations and opinions of other ethnic and national groups. With an unbiased attitude and colorful writing style ("his Ks sounding like chicken bones going down a garbage-disposal unit"), Hall describes the last days of peaceful coexistence among Yugoslavia's religious and ethnic communities and delineates conflicts that would trigger the horrors of "ethnic cleansing" and war. In one particularly telling section, he recounts the dynamics of hatred swirling around Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, where religious pilgrims flock to witness the appearance of the Virgin. Hall's account, which he modestly calls a travel book, is an excellent source for understanding the complications and contradictions of the current Balkan crisis.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In this masterly account of the former Yugoslavia's decay and collapse in 1991, American journalist Hall's powerful sense of location and mentality is expressed through a blend of close friendships, high-level interviews, and courageous questions. Hall moves comfortably among Serbs who perceive the nation as a "superpersonality," Croats who remain ambivalent toward their World War II fascist regime, and Muslims like Bosnian president Aliija Izetbegovi'c who claim only the "freedom to define themselves as a people." Religion is omnipresent, and Hall interprets the meaning of the unfinished, cavernous Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava, the intimacy among Muslims at Jajce Mosque in Bosnia, and the wonder of those pursuing the vision of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje. Hall lacks the personal involvement Slavenka Drakuli'c offers in her Balken Express (LJ 4/15/93), and he neglects Slovenia and Macedonia, but his book may be the finest English-language depiction of its kind, if only for his fidelity to his title. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.
Zachery T. Irwin, Pennsylvania State Univ.- Erie
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Zachery T. Irwin, Pennsylvania State Univ.- Erie
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
