Bosnia: A Short History

This edition of Malcolm's book provides a comprehensive narrative history in English. It examines the different religious & ethnic inhabitants of Bosnia, a land of cultural upheaval where the empires of Rome, Charlemagne, Ottomans & Austro-Hungarians overlapped. Clarifying myths that have clouded modern understandings of its past, he brings to light the causes of its destruction. This edition includes an epilogue examining the failed Vance-Owen peace plan, the tenuous Dayton Accords & UN efforts. What went wrong in the country where Christians & Muslims mingled & tolerated each other for over five centuries? It was a land with a vibrant political & cultural history unlike others in Europe, where great powers & religions--the empires of Rome, Charlemagne, Ottomans; the faiths of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism & Islam overlapped & combined. He provides a narrative chronicle of the country from its beginnings. Clarifying the myths clouding modern understandings of its past, he brings to light the true causes of its destruction: political strategies of Serb leadership, conflicts between city & countryside, fatal inaction & miscalculations of Western politicians. Putting the war into perspective, this volume celebrates the complex history of a country whose past has been all but erased. Here's the guide for readers seeking a comprehensive & accessible account of the war in the former Yugoslavia. Table of Contents A Note on Names & Pronunciations Maps Introduction 1. Races, myths & origins: Bosnia to 1180 2. The medieval Bosnian state, 1180-1463 3. The Bosnian Church 4. War & the Ottoman system