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Thursday, 29 July 2010

Useful Reads


In Sfakia: Passing Time in the Wilds of Crete (2008) | By Peter Trudgill

Crete has long been acknowledged as one of the most singular and unique parts of Greece. Its people keep a fierce hold on their traditions, customs and history. Practically a country of its own,... Full Story



Bosnia and Herzegovina
A Free City in the Balkans: Reconstructing a Divided Society in Bosnia (2010) | By Matthew Parish

Since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995 a number of books have emerged that focus on post-war, internationally driven state-building in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Full Story


Bosnia and Herzegovina
2 May, 1996: It was a bright and sunny day (2010)

A newly reissued book seeks to keep the memories of the start of the siege of the Sarajevo alive as a cautionary tale for future generations. Full Story


Serbia
The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History (2010) | By Jason Vuic

No other car, save perhaps the equally admired Skoda, has inspired as many jokes as the Yugo, the product of “cutting edge” technology from the former Yugoslavia which was ranked by US auto journalists as only the eighth most deadly car on the... Full Story


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Povratak | By Snjezana Mulic

A powerful new novel follows the fortunes of five Bosnians, trying and not always succeeding, to find their way home. Full Story


Bulgaria
Solo (2009) | By Rana Dasgupta

Strange music of the human sphere

Full Story


Balkans
Through Another Europe (2009) | Edited by Andrew Hammond

When Henry Blount journeyed through Bosnia in the 1630s, two things struck him: the purity of the water and the great height of the Bosnians, which, he noted, “made me suppose them the offspring of those old Germans noted by Tacitus and Caesar... Full Story


Turkey
A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire (2008) | By M. Şűkrű Hanioğlu

Far too often, the narrative of the collapse of an empire becomes a moral drama. Wealth is drained away by decadence, and power undercut by corruption. There are attempts at recovery, reform, re-consolidation; perhaps a war, or a grand alliance,... Full Story


Montenegro
Realm of the Black Mountain: A History of Montenegro (2007) | By Elizabeth Roberts

Although released just in 2007, Realm of the Black Mountain: A History of Montenegro comes from a much older school of scholarship. With this much needed work, former diplomat Elizabeth Roberts has produced the newest and best introduction to the... Full Story




Epicure


Balkans
Three Bizarre Watermelon Recipes

The watermelon – this bright, contrasting symbol of summer
Full Story



Curiosity Chest


Serbia
Serbia: Tito's Mausoleum in Belgrade

Whatever your opinion on communism, many people across Eastern Europe and the wider world have a romanticised view of the former Yugoslavia’s grand leader Josip Broz Tito. Full Story



Music


Macedonia
Macedonia: Esma Redžepova's Passion for Humanity

"A Gypsy from the city of Skopje", as she calls herself, Esma Redžepova has more than 40 years of singing and humanitarian efforts under her belt. Full Story