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 | | Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know by Tim Judah ISBN-10: 9780195373455 ISBN-10: 0-19-537345-6 ISBN-13: 9780195373455 ISBN-13: 978-0-19-537345-5 Paperback 2008-09-29 Oxford University Press, USA Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence, becoming the seventh state to emerge from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. A tiny country of just two million people, 90% of whom are ethnic Albanians, Kosovo is central-geographically, historically, and politically-to the future of the Western Balkans and, in turn, its potential future within the European Union. But the fate of both Kosovo, condemned by Serbian leaders as a "fake state" and the region as a whole, remains uncertain. In Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, Tim Judah provides a straight-forward guide to the complicated place that is Kosovo. Judah, who has spent years covering the region, offers succinct, penetrating answers to a wide range of questions: Why is Kosovo important? Who are the Albanians? Who are the Serbs? Why is Kosovo so important to Serbs? What role does Kosovo play in the region and in the world? Judah reveals how things stand now and presents the history and geopolitical dynamics that have led to it. The most important of these is the question of the right to self-determination, invoked by the Kosovo Albanians, as opposed to right of territorial integrity invoked by the Serbs. For many Serbs, Kosovo's declaration of independence and subsequent recognition has been traumatic, a savage blow to national pride. Albanians, on the other hand, believe their independence rights an historical wrong: the Serbian conquest (Serbs say "liberation") of Kosovo in 1912. For anyone wishing to understand both the history and possible future of Kosovo at this pivotal moment in its history, this book offers a wealth of insight and information in a uniquely accessible format. | ||
Reviews | ||
Very good but missed one VERY important point Tim Judah did a very good job. I found it interesting that he advoided speaking about the horrible things that happened on both sides. He walked on egg shells regarding the rape, torture, and genocide the Serbs caused. One important point however that he missed is explaining more into the reasons of the Russians supporting Serbia. He does tell some but never explains their heritage relation. Serbs are Russians and that is why they call eachother brothers and refer to "Mother Russia". Slavs are decendents of Russia and came down to take over land in the early AD's. I think that Tim Judah needed to explain further the past relationship and understanding about the Russians and Serbs so that it makes more sense of why to be on their side compared to just the logistics of Odessa and Georgia. I think he assumed that most readers would know and understand this already but I don't think they do. So, now you know. | ||
there's more you need to know In this brief overview, Tim Judah sketches the history (or rather, a history) of Kosovo, up to the present. Of course, brevity entails tough choices, but surely "everyone needs to know" more about the great-power machinations behind this history than Judah chooses to reveal. | ||
Terrible and biased book. A must to avoid This book is not worth reading because the author is so stridently pro-Albanians. He leaves out the genocide Albanians have committed against the Serbs since Serbs left in 99. Serbs according Juda just decided to leave. He just leaves out the tremendous violence against Serbs that has forced them to leave. Not to mention that this book is like a cliffs notes version of his other racist anti-Serb books. | ||