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Balkan Ghosts

A Journey Through History

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Balkan Ghosts

By: Robert D. Kaplan
Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
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From the assassination that triggered World War I to the ethnic warfare in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, the Balkans have been the crucible of the 20th century, the place where terrorism and genocide first became tools of policy. Chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by the New York Times, and greeted with critical acclaim as "the most insightful and timely work on the Balkans to date" (The Boston Globe), Kaplan's prescient, enthralling, and often chilling political travelogue is already a modern classic.

This new edition of Balkan Ghosts includes six opinion pieces written by Robert Kaplan about the Balkans between 1996 and 2000 beginning just after the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and ending after the conclusion of the Kosovo War, with the removal of Slobodan Milosevic from power.

(P)2020 Tantor 20th Century Eastern Europe Military Modern Travel Writing & Commentary War Soviet Union Middle East Russia Self-Determination Middle Ages Imperialism Iran Socialism Serbian History Indian Ocean
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The book is in two parts. The second, part (98% of the total), published in 1993, is a detailed examination of balkans' cultures via a historical review of the region. It draws on a range of interesting sources and has much perceptive analysis. His key point, that conflicts stem from the incompatible desires from various ethnic groups to control the land they controlled at the high-water mark of their history, does ring sadly true. Where he attempts to extrapolate history into predictions, these seem less perveptive.
To benefit from the impressive history, you have to put up with the look-at-me tone common in books written by journalists. Also, the style is heavy with old-fashioned travel journalese (hotels, elites, ladies of the night, important people i hang out with, antiquated vocabulary (her "magnolia white skin and sauntering hips"). It's dense with complex sentences. Im not a big fan of writing aimed to expand readers' vocabulary at the expense of clarity (cariyatids, Nilotic etc), which just seems needlessly showoffy. Together with a whiff of orientalism the style now sounds more 19th century than 21st. ("Romanian manners have always been an unfortunate and dangerous palimpsest". "As always in the Balkans, bare survival provides precious little room for moral choices".)
The first part of the book (2%) is a series of the author's press articles reproduced from the later 1990s. Brave to include, as many confident predictions have subsequently failed to come true, which makes me wonder about the rest of his insights. It all makes for a very thought-provoking read.
It's well narrated on Audible though the narrator's English accent for an American author sometimes sounds odd (to this Brit).

Good history, dense prose

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Whilst even with the additional comments to bring this account up to date, much has happened in the years since , nevertheless, this brilliant narrative stands the test of time. The Balkans remains a fracture zone or where human tectonic plates smash or grind into each other because of its history and despite all the best intentions of the supranational organisations, coalitions and forces. And Mr Kaplan sets this context perfectly. I’ve worked in this area and - despite the Author’s protestations that you shouldn’t - should I go back, this brilliant account will be a key part of my reading. Not quite sure why it is a British accent, however it is read very well. A fantastic history come travel book in its own right anyway. I would strongly commend it to you. Stuart

An enduring masterpiece

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Poignant and stark book tracing the roots of the various nations, people’s, their hopes dreams, memories and importantly their enmities.

Great story telling

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