The Albanians: A Modern History

by Miranda Vickers

This is the first full account of a country that, following decades of isolation, has undergone unprecedented changes to its political the collapse of communism, the progression to multi-party elections and the upheaval that followed the March 1997 uprising. Miranda Vickers traces the history of the Albanian people from the Ottoman period to the formation of the Albanian Communist Party. Newly revised for this paperback edition, The Albanians has now been updated to cover the crisis in Kosovo that led to the first ""Western"" war in Europe since 1945.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Albanian Literature, World History, 20th Century, European History

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew very little about Albania before I read this book. I learned quite a bit. I wish the book didn't end in 1999, the political situation was very volatile and it left me hanging. I googled more recent Albanian history to keep me up-to-date; for example, I found out Berisha came back to power and Albania has now joined NATO.

The statement at the beginning of the book left me puzzled. The author stated that since the 1940's archaeological expeditions focused on showing a direct link between the Illyrians and modern day Albanians but this sentence wasn't explained further in the book. Actually, I'm surprised the Albanians had the time or inclination for archaeological expeditions as it seems like everything was either in an uproar or people were interested in just maintaining their life and surviving.

I wish them well. They've had it rough. And that's an understatement.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

This does an okay job of giving a broad explanation of the Albanian people and culture. A reader will definitely come away with a strong sense of how important this country is to the history of the Balkans. I feel that a reader will want to explore more detailed texts on the origin of this country and the complex politics involved in this region.

[Chessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy with this book, and felt it was written objectively. Gives a good review of the history and is good for anyone who wants a brief history of Albania. The writing style is clear and keeps one's attention.

[Peter Herold · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling and fascinating history, not only of Albania, but of the surrounding countries, some of which, before reading this, I’d have struggled to place on a map. I read with Google Maps open next to me to look up places and learnt a lot about the history and geography of the whole region!

[Oranje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected.

A good introduction to Albania’s -rather troubled- history. It does not dive deep in details and lets the time carry the book forward.

On the other hand, it feels at some points that the writer expresses her own convictions rather than trying to describe the facts, thus not citing sources as often as I would like to see. This is welcome of course, but it takes away some of the feeling of objectivity that you look for in history books.

“The ability to gain a timar or avoid donating a precious healthy son to the devshirme were but two of many reasons for abandoning Christianity “

“Albanian League made five demands to the Ottomans: unification of all Albanian provinces into a single vilayet; all of the officials of the vilayet should be able to speak Albanian; teaching should be in Albanian; setting up of a National Assembly to govern the vilayet and that some of the income of the vilayet should be used for public spending in the vilayet”

“Although the LNC partisans may have been equipped and financed by the British, they were ideologically and politically guided by the Yugolavs”

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive survey of Albanian history from the Illyrian epoch up through the mid-1990s, following the dissolution of Jugoslavia and the USSR. Excellent work by Dr. Vickers in condensing such a vast body of research (and span of time) into a very approachable 230 pages. When one finishes this book--now in 2017--one cannot help but long for a followup covering these intervening 20+ years, which included yet more anarchy, chaos, and civil unrest, those seemingly permanent characteristics of Albanian society.

Very well done, highly recommended.

[Chris Sudall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always like to read about the countries I visit, there isn't a huge amount to be found in bookshops, but this was a great insight into the history of the country and the national psyche.
Albanians are a tough but hospitable people, you wouldn't want one as an enemy, but they would make the greatest of allies.
I loved the country and although this book is heavy going, I learnt even more to add to my great adventure in visiting.

[Wesley Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book stays true to it's title in the sense that it largely focuses on the periods of Albanian history from the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire to 2013 (though it gives a brief overview of ancient, medieval, and Ottoman Albanian history as well).

If one is looking for more than an introductory engagement with modern Albanian history, this would be the book for you.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A damn fine overview of Albanian history since the Ottoman empire, its struggle for statehood, and its failures, especially since it was published in 2001, when Albania had descended into total chaos.

[Benjamin Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dry book with unimaginative prose. The author repeats details and gets lost in the weeds. Many of the evils that Enver Hoxha committed were not covered or only barely mentioned. Overall, there are many books that cover the topic better.

[Jaime Polo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy interesante, Albania es el gran olvidado europeo.

[rara ➶ · Rating 3 out of 5]

love my people and our history but this book is a bit here and there sometimes adding misinformation and bias that made me uncomfortable

[Josh Conway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2/197 ! Fun fact: Albania was the first officially atheist country (1967)

[WIlliam Gerrard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albania is one of those countries that have a colourful history and is a place that was a bit of an anomaly to me. I know that it is publicly perceived as a poor backwater of Eastern Europe but I wanted to read this well-written book to glean further information. After the fall of the Ottomans in the Balkans, Albania came into being as an independent entity. This came out of the back of several Balkan conflicts. The Albanians are one of the rainbow of ethnic tribes in the region, with their own language, culture and religions. The new country was plunged into a period of turmoil, facing the brunt of two world wars as it attempted to establish itself. The ancient ways of Ottoman times left a great deal of difficulty for any ruling power to modernise and Albania seemed destined to become isolated and a haven for political extremes, reaching a zenith under the charismatic tutelage of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha. His forty year rule paved the way for Albania to develop in its own unique way, relying at different times on the patronage of Russia, China, Yugoslavia and Italy. With the fall of communism in the modern era, a new democratic age was heralded, though the much anticipated improvements were not quite so instant with the country facing many political crises, the collapse of pyramidal banking schemes, the rise of organised crime and ongoing disputes about the ethnic Albanians in neighbouring countries. I found this book particularly enlightening in helping me to understand the Kosovo situation and all that it entails. As we move into the twenty-first century Albania holds Kosovo's hand and makes inroads into its own emergence as a balkan power. It is now a member of NATO and has high hopes of full EU accession. The region is an interesting one and to understand Albania and its peoples this book is heralded as the cornerstone text for English-speakers.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always had a fond place in my heart for Albania and it's one of my most desired travel destinations and yes, yes, I know it is an unsafe shithole where everyone is armed to the teeth and will handily gnaw off your genitals as a table blessing. And yes, yes even Albanians say that their country is "një top i zi i qelb i cili është paraqitur në zorrën e trashë të një xhuxh lebrozit", but you have to hand it to a country that made into the mid-90s with barely a paved road or working toilet to speak of. These are MY PEOPLE. That said, this book sucks. It makes Albania sound even more pathetic than it actually was/is and King Zog really gets short thrift here. As the Albanians say, "Organet gjenitale juaj do të duket i pabesueshëm varur nga buhari oxhaku tim!"

[Jonathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book knowing very little about Albania. After reading it, I have come to realize that the Albanians as a people have been treated badly by everyone in history, from their colonial masters in the Ottomans to their very on paranoid dictator Hoxha. It is amazing that after the fall of communism they did not descend into chaos like Yugoslavia. My only criticism is that the author would mention people and give no explanation as to who they are, expecting the reader to already know who they are.

[Karen Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chosen for the "Read Around the World" challenge: ALBANIA. I’m trying to read a book from every country (about 200!) and this one seemed the most on-target with what I wanted for Albania.

Although stuffed full of facts, this reads like a textbook and bored me silly, I must admit...and the stern typeface, for example, doesn't help. It's also VERY political, so not really a wide view - mostly white men jostling for power. I did learn a bit about Albania, so mission accomplished anyway.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few books written in the English language that covers Albania. Vickers gives a good overview of Albanian history and politics. It is a good read for anyone wanting to learn about one of the least known about countries of Europe. You will come to appreciate a complex history and group of people that have lived through war and oppression for years.

[Margaret Pinard · Rating 3 out of 5]

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