Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country

by John R. Lampe

Book Overview

Yugoslavia as History, first published in 2000, examines the bloody demise of the former Yugoslavia in the full light of its history. It provides a balanced understanding of the common hopes and fears which held its ethnic mosaic together, and the ethnic conflicts which broke it apart. This book examines the origins of these competing forces, and how they fared as the Yugoslavian states formed after the two World Wars searched for a multi-ethnic political...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521774012
• ISBN13: 9780521774017
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An economic historian's perspective

Although this is a general history of Yugoslavia, from ancient times up to 1992, the analysis reflects the fact that Lampe is first and foremost an economic historian.

A commendable survey

Lampe's "Yugoslavia as History" is probably the first book that deals with the entire history of Yugoslavia from its inception in 1918 to its collapse in 1991. While discussing pre-1918 developments and (very summarily) post-1991 events, he focuses his discussion on Yugoslavia as it actually existed, doing a commendable job of viewing past events on their own terms rather than through the prism of present-day events (the primary flaw of many recent historical works written both by former Yugoslav and outside scholars, commentators, etc.). Lampe's primary expertise is economic history, and this is evident in his strong analysis of Yugoslavia's frequent economic problems, which would be a crucial factor in the country's eventual downfall. However, this means he often gives short shrift to the cultural, social and intellectual antagonisms which gave expression to the country's underlying problems. Also, while socialist Yugoslavia's decentralized political structure did foment the development of separate economic, social and intellectual cultures, there were also many factors that bound Yugoslav citizens and did create a some sense of community (he only touches on sports and film, but almost completely ignores literature and pop music). Indeed, this appearance of a rudimentary common culture was what made Yugoslavia's violent breakdown so shocking to people in the county itself and to outside experts. Even so, "Yugoslavia as History" is a very strong survey of the country's troubled history and a very useful resource for students and others - it is much, much better and more informative than the many "instant histories" (a term I think Lampe himself used in a journal article) which appeared in droves once Yugoslavia did break up and the war started. The book is also, by the way, a very good reflection and summary of the main streams of American historiography on the former Yugoslavia.

reliable, beautifully written - a true diamond

It happens so rarely that one gets so completely excited by a history book, especially if, as is the case with Lampe's work, it covers such a broad time-period in such a relatively small and, with the sad exception of the last ten years, un-known country. Lampe has succeeded in what many scholars of the region of the former Yugoslavia have failed: to provide an authoritative, well-argumented, and clear case for the bloody demise of the country. He is one of the few who doesn't fall into the trap of playing the prejudicial and rascist songs about Balkans being the cradle of terrorism and bloodshed - rather, he traces the demise of the country through almost one hundred years of its existence, showing when and why Yugoslavia was to the benefits of the nations living there, and when its existence ran contrary to the wishes of its founding fathers. Lampe has a sharp eye of an observer who has witnessed a tragedy with his heart and yet knows how to look for answers and explanations using his head. I can only warmly recommend this book to anyone who really wants to get a taste of this unhappy region, to all students of the Balkans, or people merely interested in "what it was all about". This is a real diamond in a decade which has seen a wave of books dealing with the former Yugoslavia, most of which have left me flabbergasted and stupified by their style and myopic (to say the least) ideas they promoted.