“Vigorous, passionate, humane, and extremely readable. . . For an account of what has actually happened. . . Glenny’s book so far stands unparalleled.”—The New Republic The fall of Yugoslavia tells the whole, true story of the Balkan Crisis—and the ensuing war—for those around the world who have watched the battle unfold with a mixture of horror, dread, and confusion. When Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence in June 1991, peaceful neighbors of four decades took up arms against each other once again and a savage war flared in the Balkans. The underlying causes go back to business left unfinished by both the Second and First World Wars. In this acclaimed book, now revised and updated with a new chapter on the Dayton Accords and the subsequent U.S. involvement, Misha Glenny offers a sobering eyewitness chronicle of the events that rekindled the violent conflict, a lucid and impartial analysis of the politics behind them, and incisive portraits of the main personalities involved. Above all, he shows us the human realities behind the headlines, and puts in its true, historical context one of the most ferocious civil wars of our time.

In a timely, passionate survey of Balkan history since the early 29th century Glenny provides essential background to recent events in this war-torn area. No other book covers the entire region & offers such profound insights into the roots of Balkan violence, or explains so vividly the origins of modern Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania & Albania. Many readers will welcome the author's insights into the final century of Ottoman rule, a complex & colorful period affecting today's conflicts. If you ever wondered why Lord Byron died in a remote place called Missolonghi, or exactly what a Young Turk is, or why bullett fired by a Serbian nationalist in the provincial backwater Sarajevo started WWI--it's all from the 1st Serbian uprising in 1804 to the latest Serbian shenanigans in Kosovo earlier this year. Glenny's account of each national group in the Balkans & its struggle for statehood is lucid & fair-minded. He brings the culture of different nationalisms to life. The narrative is studded with sharply observed set pieces & portraits of kings, guerillas, bandits, generals & politicians. He interweaves a narrative of key events with the story of international affairs--the relations between states in the Balkans, & between them & the great powers. It's the latter relationship that lies at the heart of this compulsively-readable book. Glenny shows how great-power influence in the region has been catastrophic for the people of the Balkans, & how so-called "ancient hatreds" & "tribal rivalries" have often been intensified by ignorant diplomats in far-away capitals, creating states, allocating populations & redrawing borders with deadly results. It remains to be seen, Glenny argues in a terse epilogue, whether the most recent western intervention will have a more benign outcome.

Account of the 1989 revolution in Eastern Europe plus a new chapter bringing events up to date considering the long-term influences to determine the future of the region.