What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadowplay: Behind the Lines and Under Fire: The Inside Story of Europe's Last War
A gripping eyewitness account of a major 20th-century military conflict by the UK's most popular writer on geopolitics
The shattering of Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed that, after nearly 50 years of peace, war could return to Europe. It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999.
Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries.
Twenty years on from the war’s end, with the rise of Russian power, a weakened NATO and stalled EU expansion, this story is more relevant than ever, as questions remain about the possibility of conflict on European soil. Utterly gripping, this is Tim Marshall at his very best: behind the lines, under fire and full of the insight that has made him one of Britain’s foremost writers on geopolitics.
The shattering of Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed that, after nearly 50 years of peace, war could return to Europe. It came to its bloody conclusion in Kosovo in 1999.
Tim Marshall, then diplomatic editor at Sky News, was on the ground covering the Kosovo War. This is his illuminating account of how events unfolded, a thrilling journalistic memoir drawing on personal experience, eyewitness accounts, and interviews with intelligence officials from five countries.
Twenty years on from the war’s end, with the rise of Russian power, a weakened NATO and stalled EU expansion, this story is more relevant than ever, as questions remain about the possibility of conflict on European soil. Utterly gripping, this is Tim Marshall at his very best: behind the lines, under fire and full of the insight that has made him one of Britain’s foremost writers on geopolitics.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
388 people are currently reading
4840 people want to read
About the author
Tim Marshall
21 books2,573 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News. After thirty years' experience in news reporting and presenting, he left full time news journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.
Originally from Leeds, Tim arrived at broadcasting from the road less traveled. Not a media studies or journalism graduate, in fact not a graduate at all, after a wholly unsuccessful career as a painter and decorator he worked his way through newsroom nightshifts, and unpaid stints as a researcher and runner before eventually securing himself a foothold on the first rung of the broadcasting career ladder.
After three years as IRN's Paris correspondent and extensive work for BBC radio and TV, Tim joined Sky News. Reporting from Europe, the USA and Asia, Tim became Middle East Correspondent based in Jerusalem.
Tim also reported in the field from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. He spent the majority of the 1999 Kosovo crisis in Belgrade, where he was one of the few western journalists who stayed on to report from one of the main targets of NATO bombing raids. Tim was in Kosovo to greet the NATO troops on the day they advanced into Pristina. In recent years he covered the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.
He has written for many of the national newspapers including the Times, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.
Bio photo credit © Jolly Thompson.
Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News. After thirty years' experience in news reporting and presenting, he left full time news journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.
Originally from Leeds, Tim arrived at broadcasting from the road less traveled. Not a media studies or journalism graduate, in fact not a graduate at all, after a wholly unsuccessful career as a painter and decorator he worked his way through newsroom nightshifts, and unpaid stints as a researcher and runner before eventually securing himself a foothold on the first rung of the broadcasting career ladder.
After three years as IRN's Paris correspondent and extensive work for BBC radio and TV, Tim joined Sky News. Reporting from Europe, the USA and Asia, Tim became Middle East Correspondent based in Jerusalem.
Tim also reported in the field from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. He spent the majority of the 1999 Kosovo crisis in Belgrade, where he was one of the few western journalists who stayed on to report from one of the main targets of NATO bombing raids. Tim was in Kosovo to greet the NATO troops on the day they advanced into Pristina. In recent years he covered the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria.
He has written for many of the national newspapers including the Times, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.
Bio photo credit © Jolly Thompson.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
June 14, 2020
The author, Tim Marshall, was a reporter for Sky News. He tells us that this book was first published in 2002 but in Serbo-Croat but now it has been translated.
It is Oct-1998 and the Kosovo War is in full swing. I was really looking forward to the boots on the ground war reporting, but that was not really the case, and this was not really that kind of war. It was not like he could embed himself in a platoon of British soldiers on the ground as there were none.
It feels like you have been dropped into the middle of the book rather than at the beginning. A lot of information and names are thrown at you without any context or summation of what is going on and why we are where we are. From the British strategy to NATO to the Serbs to the KLA it all feels a bit of complex mess. Hang in there. I made a list of names and positions as I went. Essentially the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) ‘intend to liberate Kosovo from Serbian rule’. They want independence. They see the Serbs as the oppressor.
After a while the pieces of the jigsaw do slot into place. This is about 20% into the book. Initially he is looking more at the role of outside countries, specifically Britain and the US who are there to monitor the situation. They certainly do not want to get directly involved in the war itself. It seems that the Americans were doing a little more than monitoring though. They were providing a little training to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and providing equipment like satellite phones. Duncan Bullivant an ex-British army officer said ‘The US agenda was clear. When the time was right, they were going to use the KLA to provide the solution to the political problem.’ All in-conjunction with trying to get peace agreements to stick.
Into 1999 and the war escalates and NATO begin bombing the Serbs to bring an end to the war. There are some horrific stories of collateral damage and mistakes from the NATO side with civilians being killed and maimed. He takes us through the war in three parts. ‘Before’, ‘During’ and ‘After’. The ‘After’ being a detailed account of how Milošević is toppled. ‘Revolution!’.
The book is very interesting without it really being a page-turner. It is not dull but not dreadfully exciting. Will you learn stuff? Absolutely, I’ll take that all day long. If you are after the normal war correspondent type book, then you need to steer clear of this one. Yes, he does go over the bombings, but he is looking more at the politics of the region and the big-hitting outsiders that try and make their influence.
It is Oct-1998 and the Kosovo War is in full swing. I was really looking forward to the boots on the ground war reporting, but that was not really the case, and this was not really that kind of war. It was not like he could embed himself in a platoon of British soldiers on the ground as there were none.
It feels like you have been dropped into the middle of the book rather than at the beginning. A lot of information and names are thrown at you without any context or summation of what is going on and why we are where we are. From the British strategy to NATO to the Serbs to the KLA it all feels a bit of complex mess. Hang in there. I made a list of names and positions as I went. Essentially the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) ‘intend to liberate Kosovo from Serbian rule’. They want independence. They see the Serbs as the oppressor.
After a while the pieces of the jigsaw do slot into place. This is about 20% into the book. Initially he is looking more at the role of outside countries, specifically Britain and the US who are there to monitor the situation. They certainly do not want to get directly involved in the war itself. It seems that the Americans were doing a little more than monitoring though. They were providing a little training to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and providing equipment like satellite phones. Duncan Bullivant an ex-British army officer said ‘The US agenda was clear. When the time was right, they were going to use the KLA to provide the solution to the political problem.’ All in-conjunction with trying to get peace agreements to stick.
Into 1999 and the war escalates and NATO begin bombing the Serbs to bring an end to the war. There are some horrific stories of collateral damage and mistakes from the NATO side with civilians being killed and maimed. He takes us through the war in three parts. ‘Before’, ‘During’ and ‘After’. The ‘After’ being a detailed account of how Milošević is toppled. ‘Revolution!’.
The book is very interesting without it really being a page-turner. It is not dull but not dreadfully exciting. Will you learn stuff? Absolutely, I’ll take that all day long. If you are after the normal war correspondent type book, then you need to steer clear of this one. Yes, he does go over the bombings, but he is looking more at the politics of the region and the big-hitting outsiders that try and make their influence.
July 31, 2019
3+ In hindsight, this was probably not the right place to start my grand Getting to Know the Balkans Better project - it very much focuses on the Kosovo War and doesn’t provide much context. It is also a personal account, which makes the structure somewhat messy, but also results in a very readable book, as Marshall shares interesting tidbits and insights from his sources. I am no expert, but I feel his take shows more understanding of the Serbian side (without condoning the horrors, of course) and is more critical of the Americans than the established narrative. The plus is for Marshall’s style, which I enjoy, even though some might find it too light.
May 2, 2020
Only for the insiders:
Oh, the memories of being bombed when you’re 14! I remember how deeply hurt I was when I realized the miserable war-zone country on everyone’s TV’s is my country now. Tim was the face of that - I vividly remember watching Sky news on satellite on the first night of bombing, trying to understand what he was saying (my English wasn’t so good back then) and wondering if where I live was going to turn into a Hollywood war movie scenery. Tim’s book clearly depicts how pointless and egotistical the whole affair was from both sides. Hating Albright as much as Milošević makes sense again.
It also reveals the inconvenient truth of how much the foreign intelligence services had to do with both making the case for bombing (KVM being run by CIA, the Rambouillet ultimatum etc.) as well as organizing the opposition to topple Milošević. Is that democracy? Serbia is in the same situation today with Vučić regarding freedoms and abuse, but no one seems to care, because of one small difference: he suits the West.
Finally, having spent 10 years in the region, and having used so few of the local words, it’s amazing how many spelling mistakes Tim manage to make in this book (Batjanica, Gotev je, persistently writing dj instead of đ and many more).
Important contribution to putting together the 20th century history of the region, and a book definitely not for the novices on the subject.
Oh, the memories of being bombed when you’re 14! I remember how deeply hurt I was when I realized the miserable war-zone country on everyone’s TV’s is my country now. Tim was the face of that - I vividly remember watching Sky news on satellite on the first night of bombing, trying to understand what he was saying (my English wasn’t so good back then) and wondering if where I live was going to turn into a Hollywood war movie scenery. Tim’s book clearly depicts how pointless and egotistical the whole affair was from both sides. Hating Albright as much as Milošević makes sense again.
It also reveals the inconvenient truth of how much the foreign intelligence services had to do with both making the case for bombing (KVM being run by CIA, the Rambouillet ultimatum etc.) as well as organizing the opposition to topple Milošević. Is that democracy? Serbia is in the same situation today with Vučić regarding freedoms and abuse, but no one seems to care, because of one small difference: he suits the West.
Finally, having spent 10 years in the region, and having used so few of the local words, it’s amazing how many spelling mistakes Tim manage to make in this book (Batjanica, Gotev je, persistently writing dj instead of đ and many more).
Important contribution to putting together the 20th century history of the region, and a book definitely not for the novices on the subject.
July 2, 2019
A somewhat cheeky republished book (originally written in 2002), no doubt to capitalise on Marshall's success with his recent geo-political work. It is however a decent read.
If you're looking for an overview of the who/what/why of the Balkans War this probably isn't the book for you, however, if you're after an 'on the ground' look at what went on with regards to civilians, military and media, this is the book for you.
No quite up to the Prisoners of Geography/Divided level, but a good read regardless.
If you're looking for an overview of the who/what/why of the Balkans War this probably isn't the book for you, however, if you're after an 'on the ground' look at what went on with regards to civilians, military and media, this is the book for you.
No quite up to the Prisoners of Geography/Divided level, but a good read regardless.
October 5, 2020
This is a very different approach to most of Marshall’s recent work. Originally published back in 2002 this is an account of his time in the Balkans working as a journalist for Rupert Murdoch. Marshall often places a strong emphasis on the more strategic and logistical aspects of the conflict. We hear of US planes “accidentally bombing” a huge convoy of Kosovar refugees, causing huge loss of life, as well as Bulgarian, Hungarian and Chinese embassies, the Chinese one being hit on three separate occasions. We also hear of how NATO strikes killed civilians on bridges when they were destroyed in broad day light instead of night time.
If you’ve read any of Marshall’s last three books then you will notice a huge difference in approach with this one. There is a really weird tone to this book, and I don’t think the humour comes across well at all, it just feels like an awkward Englishman trying too hard to be funny and failing almost every single time. This wasn’t particularly well-written and it struggles for consistency or focus and overall this was a bit of a dog’s dinner and a real disappointment compared to some of his more recent work, and to those interested I would suggest you try his newer work and avoid this one.
March 29, 2020
At first I found this a difficult book to break into, as you're thrown right in at the end of the late 1990s after the breakup of Yugoslavia and at the dawn of the Kosovo War, with very little context for how you're there or what has happened, or who the major players are. Context is limited and drip-fed and I really feel that Marshall would benefit from having a chapter explaining more about this complex conflict.
Once Marshall gets going though, the book becomes a rapid-fire flick before, during and after the Kosovo War. As ever, the author's political knowledge presides throughout and creates a holistic and highly informative piece on the intricate workings of this war. Shadowplay takes you into the shadows of this work, behind the fighting and the bloodshed, to outline and assess the motives of leaders and key players.
This does create a sense of emotional distancing, as this book focuses on the politics rather than the people affected on the ground, and it therefore runs in a different vein of war correspondence and journalism to the likes of Marie Colvin. However, when read interspersed with Colvin's collected writings on Kosovo, I found my view of the conflict enhanced dramatically.
So to conclude, it's a great book if you're looking to understand the complexities around 'the art of war and conflict' but if you want the on-the-ground experience of the people who lived and suffered through it, look to the work of Marie Colvin.
Once Marshall gets going though, the book becomes a rapid-fire flick before, during and after the Kosovo War. As ever, the author's political knowledge presides throughout and creates a holistic and highly informative piece on the intricate workings of this war. Shadowplay takes you into the shadows of this work, behind the fighting and the bloodshed, to outline and assess the motives of leaders and key players.
This does create a sense of emotional distancing, as this book focuses on the politics rather than the people affected on the ground, and it therefore runs in a different vein of war correspondence and journalism to the likes of Marie Colvin. However, when read interspersed with Colvin's collected writings on Kosovo, I found my view of the conflict enhanced dramatically.
So to conclude, it's a great book if you're looking to understand the complexities around 'the art of war and conflict' but if you want the on-the-ground experience of the people who lived and suffered through it, look to the work of Marie Colvin.
May 16, 2023
Po knihe V zajatí geografie ide o moju druhú knihu od autora Tima Marshalla a celkovo štvrtú knihu zo série Civilizácia. Po dobrých skúsenostiach s týmito knihami som sa na Tieňohru dosť tešil. Navyše, o udalostiach z prelomu tisícročia, kedy došlo k rozpadu Juhoslávie, nemám veľa vedomostí, takže ma to o to viac zaujímalo. Tim Marshall počas konfliktu v Juhoslávii pôsobil v tejto oblasti ako korešpondent pre britskú televíziu Sky News. Značná časť knihy je preto napísaná z pohľadu priameho účastníka týchto udalostí, čo vnímam ako hlavný rozdiel oproti knihe V zajatí geografie. Kým V zajatí geografie bola viac menej učebnica obsahovo vedená v teoretickej rovine, tak Tieňohra je veľmi konkrétna a osobná, ale stále nestranná. V jednej recenzií som dokonca videl nízke hodnotenie za to, že je vraj autor príliš anti-americký (wtf).
Tim Marshall bol súčasťou medzinárodného televízneho tímu, čo im umožnilo pokryť všetky oblasti konfliktu. Kým v Srbsku by autor ako občan krajiny, ktorá je súčasťou "fašistickej" organizácie NATO, sám veľmi nepochodil, tak ani Marshallovi srbskí kolegovia by veľmi nepochodili v Kosove, čo z nich vytvorilo výborný navzájom sa dopĺňajúci tím.
Kniha sa mi čítala ľahko, ale vznikol mi mierny chaos v menách, kto je kto.
Jedna z otázok, ktoré som si chcel sám pre seba prečítaním tejto knihy zodpovedať, bola: Nakoľko bolo letecké ostreľovanie Srbska stíhačkami NATO správne a oprávnené? Autor na túto otázku nemá záujem odpovedať, jeho cieľom je poskytnúť čitateľovi čo najviac objektívnych informácií a nič viac alebo menej. Napriek prečítaniu tejto knihy nie je jednoduché dospieť k odpovedi, ale aspoň už mám trochu informovaný názor. Navyše mám skôr pocit, že správna odpoveď neexistuje a o odpovedi môžeme maximálne tak polemizovať v rovine "čo by bolo keby" a že ktokoľvek kto tvrdí, že má jednoznačnú odpoveď, tak nevie o čom hovorí.
Jeden srbský vtip na záver:
Americký pilot nad Juhosláviou žiada vysielačkou o pokyny, ktorý cieľ má zasiahnuť.
"Zbombarduj Kragujevac", dostáva rozkaz.
"Čože?", spýta sa pilot.
"Kra-gu-je-vac", seká dispečer na základni názov mesta s očividnými ťažkosťami.
"Čože?", nerozumie pilot.
"Hovorím, že Kra-gu..., ale vieš čo, zbombarduj Niš".
Tim Marshall bol súčasťou medzinárodného televízneho tímu, čo im umožnilo pokryť všetky oblasti konfliktu. Kým v Srbsku by autor ako občan krajiny, ktorá je súčasťou "fašistickej" organizácie NATO, sám veľmi nepochodil, tak ani Marshallovi srbskí kolegovia by veľmi nepochodili v Kosove, čo z nich vytvorilo výborný navzájom sa dopĺňajúci tím.
Kniha sa mi čítala ľahko, ale vznikol mi mierny chaos v menách, kto je kto.
Jedna z otázok, ktoré som si chcel sám pre seba prečítaním tejto knihy zodpovedať, bola: Nakoľko bolo letecké ostreľovanie Srbska stíhačkami NATO správne a oprávnené? Autor na túto otázku nemá záujem odpovedať, jeho cieľom je poskytnúť čitateľovi čo najviac objektívnych informácií a nič viac alebo menej. Napriek prečítaniu tejto knihy nie je jednoduché dospieť k odpovedi, ale aspoň už mám trochu informovaný názor. Navyše mám skôr pocit, že správna odpoveď neexistuje a o odpovedi môžeme maximálne tak polemizovať v rovine "čo by bolo keby" a že ktokoľvek kto tvrdí, že má jednoznačnú odpoveď, tak nevie o čom hovorí.
Jeden srbský vtip na záver:
Americký pilot nad Juhosláviou žiada vysielačkou o pokyny, ktorý cieľ má zasiahnuť.
"Zbombarduj Kragujevac", dostáva rozkaz.
"Čože?", spýta sa pilot.
"Kra-gu-je-vac", seká dispečer na základni názov mesta s očividnými ťažkosťami.
"Čože?", nerozumie pilot.
"Hovorím, že Kra-gu..., ale vieš čo, zbombarduj Niš".
March 7, 2024
Amazing first hand account of the Kosovo War.
I was looking to learn a little more about the fall of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. I'm motivated because ethnic factionalization was a very large factor in the breakup of Yugoslavia and it's a very pertinent threat today in 2024. So while browsing some books I found by Tim Marshall and this book was fantastic for so many reasons.
Marshall has incredible dry wit which paradoxically made this first hand narration of the Kosovo War hilarious at times. He is a very engaging storyteller and he gives a very human and realistic of not only the war in Kosovo but the breakup of Yugoslavia. Marshall shares his time in Kosovo with the KLA and the Serbs vying for control of the region. Marshall was very much there during the war and camped with many civilians, soldiers and reporters. You will get a his on the ground experience as the West had enough of Serbia President Dictator Milosevic and finally bombed Serbia via the UN. Marshall was there during the bombings and him pairing the mundane life of going to a restaurant while bombs are dropped on Belgrad was truly bizarre, surreal and also weirdly hilarious.
Marshall then covers the end of Milosevic with a coup from the civilians and how his regime just kind of gave up and did nothing while the parliament, the prior seat of Yugoslavia, was breached and seized.
I find this truly stunning history and very telling about the fracturing that can happen a nation when fascist, nationalistic and racist populists get a bullhorn. This book was overall phenomenal.
I was looking to learn a little more about the fall of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. I'm motivated because ethnic factionalization was a very large factor in the breakup of Yugoslavia and it's a very pertinent threat today in 2024. So while browsing some books I found by Tim Marshall and this book was fantastic for so many reasons.
Marshall has incredible dry wit which paradoxically made this first hand narration of the Kosovo War hilarious at times. He is a very engaging storyteller and he gives a very human and realistic of not only the war in Kosovo but the breakup of Yugoslavia. Marshall shares his time in Kosovo with the KLA and the Serbs vying for control of the region. Marshall was very much there during the war and camped with many civilians, soldiers and reporters. You will get a his on the ground experience as the West had enough of Serbia President Dictator Milosevic and finally bombed Serbia via the UN. Marshall was there during the bombings and him pairing the mundane life of going to a restaurant while bombs are dropped on Belgrad was truly bizarre, surreal and also weirdly hilarious.
Marshall then covers the end of Milosevic with a coup from the civilians and how his regime just kind of gave up and did nothing while the parliament, the prior seat of Yugoslavia, was breached and seized.
I find this truly stunning history and very telling about the fracturing that can happen a nation when fascist, nationalistic and racist populists get a bullhorn. This book was overall phenomenal.
August 31, 2020
An engaging and very vivid account of the Kosovo War. In this book Tim Marshall gives a full account of his time as a war correspondent for Sky News in late 1990's Yugoslavia.
Having earlier read Marshall's Prisoners of Geography in which he impressed me by being able to explain complex geopolitical issues in plain language to a broad audience, I was not dissapointed after reading Shadowplay.
The book provides the reader with exclusive "behind the scenes" coverage of diplomatic games, psychological warfare and military operations in combination with showing the human side of war, mainly in the objective descriptions of suffering on the Serbian, as well as the Kosovar Albanian side.
Though at certain points maybe a bit simplified, Shadowplay gives an engaging and lively account of a very recent, yet already quite forgotten but still very relevant episode of European history.
Having earlier read Marshall's Prisoners of Geography in which he impressed me by being able to explain complex geopolitical issues in plain language to a broad audience, I was not dissapointed after reading Shadowplay.
The book provides the reader with exclusive "behind the scenes" coverage of diplomatic games, psychological warfare and military operations in combination with showing the human side of war, mainly in the objective descriptions of suffering on the Serbian, as well as the Kosovar Albanian side.
Though at certain points maybe a bit simplified, Shadowplay gives an engaging and lively account of a very recent, yet already quite forgotten but still very relevant episode of European history.
February 27, 2022
This would be more interesting if Tim Marshall had written a history of the war and put it into the sweeping historical context as he does in Prisoners of Geography, instead this is an OK war reporters memoir with the bare bones of what happened.
In light of recent events in Ukraine, there are some very worrying passages - worth a read for anyone tempted to warmonger at the moment.
In light of recent events in Ukraine, there are some very worrying passages - worth a read for anyone tempted to warmonger at the moment.
May 11, 2024
Fascinating book by Tim Marshall, his on the ground reporting of the beginning of the Kosovo conflict and the downfall of Slobodan Milošević was quite an eye opener for me.
His humorous style mixed with factual information weaved together to form a compelling book that taught me a lot about the Balkans. I fear however I have only hit the tip of the iceberg.
His humorous style mixed with factual information weaved together to form a compelling book that taught me a lot about the Balkans. I fear however I have only hit the tip of the iceberg.
June 20, 2023
Kinda mid tbh, but I also bought this on a whim in the middle of Ireland thinking it’d be a more holistic story of the Yugoslavian wars. It’s interesting enough as a depiction of events from a 1p perspective, but not quite what I was looking for.
January 19, 2022
OK as a journalist’s memoir, dreadful everywhere else
This book is a memoir of the author’s experience as a journalist in the Kosovo war, but it also tries to be a lot more and fails pretty badly.
The cover, showing all Yugoslavia, suggests that the book will examine a lot more than just Kosovo- in practice it’s focused on the author’s experience in Kosovo, though he was also present in the Bosnian war. Even still, it’s focus is narrow; Marshall was based in Serbia proper for most of this time and so the book covers only this perspective, focusing more on NATO bombings of Serbia and discussing remarkably little about events in Kosovo. In fact individual Kosovo Albanians are only mentioned four times total in the entire book; if you’re looking to learn anything about Kosovo beyond the very basics you won’t find it here.
That narrow focus can be excused from a memoir, since the author can’t help what he was and wasn’t present to see. But it becomes a problem since the author is in fact willing to discuss other things, moving from memoir into history. Given that, the book’s total lack of any coverage of Kosovo itself becomes baffling. When Marshall chooses to discuss things other than his own experiences, it’s usually machinations in Washington or Whitehall, without much insight beyond a pretty firm conviction that British foreign policy is good and America’s bad. All the attention he pays to this creates a rather inflated impression of the importance of these countries in the events beyond the NATO bombing.
When getting into that diplomatic territory, Marshall begins to quote a lot of unnamed inside sources, which may be unavoidable- but in fact he barely provides any sources at all, with a feeble bibliography. Another of his digressions from his own experience is his coverage of the ‘Bulldozer Revolution’, and though one can’t fault him for discussing the event despite his absence, he seems to draw everything all from one source.
The bulk of the book was written in the early 2000s, and so a short introduction and conclusion seek to bring it up to the present; unfortunately the latter is mostly focused on Russia.
As simply a memoir of the author’s experiences in the conflict this book is maybe alright. When it tries to do anything else it does so pretty poorly.
This book is a memoir of the author’s experience as a journalist in the Kosovo war, but it also tries to be a lot more and fails pretty badly.
The cover, showing all Yugoslavia, suggests that the book will examine a lot more than just Kosovo- in practice it’s focused on the author’s experience in Kosovo, though he was also present in the Bosnian war. Even still, it’s focus is narrow; Marshall was based in Serbia proper for most of this time and so the book covers only this perspective, focusing more on NATO bombings of Serbia and discussing remarkably little about events in Kosovo. In fact individual Kosovo Albanians are only mentioned four times total in the entire book; if you’re looking to learn anything about Kosovo beyond the very basics you won’t find it here.
That narrow focus can be excused from a memoir, since the author can’t help what he was and wasn’t present to see. But it becomes a problem since the author is in fact willing to discuss other things, moving from memoir into history. Given that, the book’s total lack of any coverage of Kosovo itself becomes baffling. When Marshall chooses to discuss things other than his own experiences, it’s usually machinations in Washington or Whitehall, without much insight beyond a pretty firm conviction that British foreign policy is good and America’s bad. All the attention he pays to this creates a rather inflated impression of the importance of these countries in the events beyond the NATO bombing.
When getting into that diplomatic territory, Marshall begins to quote a lot of unnamed inside sources, which may be unavoidable- but in fact he barely provides any sources at all, with a feeble bibliography. Another of his digressions from his own experience is his coverage of the ‘Bulldozer Revolution’, and though one can’t fault him for discussing the event despite his absence, he seems to draw everything all from one source.
The bulk of the book was written in the early 2000s, and so a short introduction and conclusion seek to bring it up to the present; unfortunately the latter is mostly focused on Russia.
As simply a memoir of the author’s experiences in the conflict this book is maybe alright. When it tries to do anything else it does so pretty poorly.
January 6, 2025
I've read most of what Marshall has written and I always seem to give it 4*s because its always so readable and fantastic in explaining areas you're not familiar with but you're always aware that its so grand and sweeping that some nuance is missed.
This one is certainly more detailed, instead of grand theorising on geopolitics in a general sense, this is a very specific account of Marshall's time as a correspondent during the Kosovo War in 98-99. In one sense, its great having so much finer detail to get into, and also the blend of personal experience and geopolitical analysis is interesting, but there are just bits and pieces that are off with it. He makes very nuanced statements regarding atrocities from all different ethnic groups in the Balkans, whilst still pointing out the sheer scale, coordination and hegemony of Serb ethnic cleansing. And yet, despite these generally nuanced statements, about once in every 100 pages he'll come out with some stereotype about the Serbs which is a bit jarring, but I suppose reflects how old this book is compared to everything else I've read by him.
Also, even though he sort of does it, you can sense his reluctance to criticise (and inability to fully criticise) NATO's bombing of civilians for political end. There are also parts where he mentions American ineptitude and paints the British Armed Forces as the pillar of NATO, which is a bit cringey.
These minor grievances aside, its very readable, despite the immense detail, which is very impressive. My knowledge of the Kosovo War was a bit of a blackspot in my knowledge of the Yugoslav Wars so I'm glad I read it.
This one is certainly more detailed, instead of grand theorising on geopolitics in a general sense, this is a very specific account of Marshall's time as a correspondent during the Kosovo War in 98-99. In one sense, its great having so much finer detail to get into, and also the blend of personal experience and geopolitical analysis is interesting, but there are just bits and pieces that are off with it. He makes very nuanced statements regarding atrocities from all different ethnic groups in the Balkans, whilst still pointing out the sheer scale, coordination and hegemony of Serb ethnic cleansing. And yet, despite these generally nuanced statements, about once in every 100 pages he'll come out with some stereotype about the Serbs which is a bit jarring, but I suppose reflects how old this book is compared to everything else I've read by him.
Also, even though he sort of does it, you can sense his reluctance to criticise (and inability to fully criticise) NATO's bombing of civilians for political end. There are also parts where he mentions American ineptitude and paints the British Armed Forces as the pillar of NATO, which is a bit cringey.
These minor grievances aside, its very readable, despite the immense detail, which is very impressive. My knowledge of the Kosovo War was a bit of a blackspot in my knowledge of the Yugoslav Wars so I'm glad I read it.
December 31, 2021
Was engaging and consistently held my interest was exactly what I needed to reignite my love of reading
June 8, 2025
Upsetting. It takes us to a not-so-distant reality (in time and space). At first, difficult to break into, but once you do it’s hard to put it down.
October 17, 2024
Didn’t care for this too much. It requires the reader to have a pretty decent understanding of the political landscape and history as it just throws you in the action. Marshall’s personal account was fine but could’ve benefitted from providing more information about the history first. 2 stars.
October 17, 2022
Tejto knihe chýba to, čo majú všetky ostatné jeho knihy, s ktorými som mal doteraz skúsenosť: štruktúra a prehľadnosť. Vidieť, že píše osobné zážitky a vloženie sa do problematiky. Akurát mi to v tejto knihe nie úplne pasuje. Je tam toho tak veľa, že som sa občas strácal a hoc to môže byť smutné, aj nudil. Na získanie obrazu o tom, prečo bola vojna v Juhoslávii, ako prebiehala, čo kto spravil zle a prečo tam bolo málo dobrého je to ok, ale teda... nie je to Marshall ako ho poznáte z iných kníh.
August 18, 2025
Wasn’t expecting to enjoy this, definitely not my usual read! I didn’t enjoy being thrown right into it at the beginning not knowing all the context but definitely got into it by the end!
October 27, 2025
Very Interesting - Yugoslavia is a topic that I will be reading more on
May 18, 2020
I’ve heard so much about the Kosovo conflict from Serbian sources, both official and anecdotal, so I wanted to read something written by an impartial third party to gain some perspective. This is a British reporters account of the conflict in Kosovo and it was so eye opening. Unlike much of the western media, the picture he paints of the conflict confirms a lot of what Serbs say about being set up and exploited as pawns in a game played by the US, UK and other powerful nations, while still tempering that with an open look at the things Serbia did wrong. If you believe that the government and media are faithfully reporting world events to the public, then this book will make you think twice and hopefully open your eyes to the fact that everyone has an angle and a motive. Highly recommend!
April 16, 2020
Picked this up in the hope of better understanding the split of Yugoslavia. 300 pages later I am still none the wiser. Perhaps this is my fault for not picking the correct book but even early on, when i realised that this wasn’t going to be an informative tome, I knew this was a 1/5. The writer lurches around regaling is about various ‘dangerous’ situations he finds himself in. I’m sure they all happened but they appear chaotic and are very badly explained for context. Would not recommend
June 30, 2024
This is almost more of a travel book than a history book but that’s really a good thing and means the book is exceptionally charming. It is written by Tim Marshall was a sky journalist embedded in Serbia during the Kosovo war and NATO bombing he is a funny northern man and as such for a book that touches on genocide there are a lot of jokes and it is very light hearted. An overview of the conflict is provided throughout along with the shenanigans of Mi6 and the CIA how the Serbian government was operating and the real world effects of the war and prior Balkan conflicts. This book therefore is thorough and engaging and makes you feel like you are seeing the full picture.
Marshal is far more sympathetic to the Serbs than most (they did do a few genocides) and this adds a really interesting element to the piece, you really begin to understand their perspective. He is also very critical of American operations implying that the war was unnecessary and that their real motive was in part to cripple Serbia. This weaves perfectly into the sense of poignance found throughout the piece, you really feel that something was lost by both sides and that none of the war or atrocities were really needed.
Ultimately this is a fantastic book that will provide detailed knowledge of the Kosovo war in a storybook fashion based around the experiences of a very funny northern sky journalist. The audiobook being read by the author adds hugely to this. A unique and brilliant memoir/travelbook/history of a journalist, Kosovo and a moment in time.
Marshal is far more sympathetic to the Serbs than most (they did do a few genocides) and this adds a really interesting element to the piece, you really begin to understand their perspective. He is also very critical of American operations implying that the war was unnecessary and that their real motive was in part to cripple Serbia. This weaves perfectly into the sense of poignance found throughout the piece, you really feel that something was lost by both sides and that none of the war or atrocities were really needed.
Ultimately this is a fantastic book that will provide detailed knowledge of the Kosovo war in a storybook fashion based around the experiences of a very funny northern sky journalist. The audiobook being read by the author adds hugely to this. A unique and brilliant memoir/travelbook/history of a journalist, Kosovo and a moment in time.
January 19, 2024
Shadowplay
The very first memory of a war in my lifetime was the NATO bombing of Serbia. I was nine. Our family got the Washington Post and on my way to the comics section, I noticed the headlines. I gathered that Clinton was ordering the bombing of some dictator in eastern Europe.
25 years later I got the rest of the story from Tim.
Marshall tells his story of covering the region during that time. He divides the book into 3 logical sections, Before, During and After, pivoting the story around the bombing campaign by the west. It is a memoir, not a history book and should be read as such. He has several encounters with figures who have grown in stature since then. He meets a British opinion journalist named Boris Johnson in a cafe and plays a prank on him. Johnson goes on to become British PM. He covers the efforts of The Open Society office in Belgrade financed by George Soros to promote regime change in Serbia. Soros now figures large in American politics to promote progressive ideology in my own country.
Even though it's not a history textbook, it vastly increased my understanding of the events of the time around the fall of Milosevic and the death rattles of Yugoslavia. However it's filled with many human stories that keep the book readable.
The very first memory of a war in my lifetime was the NATO bombing of Serbia. I was nine. Our family got the Washington Post and on my way to the comics section, I noticed the headlines. I gathered that Clinton was ordering the bombing of some dictator in eastern Europe.
25 years later I got the rest of the story from Tim.
Marshall tells his story of covering the region during that time. He divides the book into 3 logical sections, Before, During and After, pivoting the story around the bombing campaign by the west. It is a memoir, not a history book and should be read as such. He has several encounters with figures who have grown in stature since then. He meets a British opinion journalist named Boris Johnson in a cafe and plays a prank on him. Johnson goes on to become British PM. He covers the efforts of The Open Society office in Belgrade financed by George Soros to promote regime change in Serbia. Soros now figures large in American politics to promote progressive ideology in my own country.
Even though it's not a history textbook, it vastly increased my understanding of the events of the time around the fall of Milosevic and the death rattles of Yugoslavia. However it's filled with many human stories that keep the book readable.
August 26, 2023
I've always been a fan of Tim Marshall's books (especially Worth Dying For), but I'm really happy I read this one as well. It is very unlike the other books he's written since this (A) Looks at one specific region and one specific time era, and (B) it is a retelling of history mixed with his own experiences. Would recommend for anyone who is interested in the "leading up to-", "duration of-", and the "time following-" one of the most critical events in recent history. Or even if you're not interested in the conflict itself but want to read an account of the role of international journalists in times of war.
March 5, 2024
Marshall is such a skilled narrator. Before reading this I knew nothing beyond the genocidal headlines of the break-up of Yugoslavia. After reading this I feel I know more, but only just enough to go and read more into the conflict's history. I was shocked at the violent parallels between the removal of Milosevic and the January 6th riots in Washington DC. History does rhyme, but on the crucial details the two events couldn't be more distinct from one another.
August 28, 2025
A well-written work that beautifully accompanied my time in the Balkans over the last two weeks. The political story and Marshall's own personal anecdotes fit together perfectly, and work to give a strong understanding of what exactly was happening in the region at that time.
It's just a little disappointing that it mostly covers the Kosovo War, and not the other Yugoslav Wars. But I would recommend to anyone who wishes to understand the Balkans today.
It's just a little disappointing that it mostly covers the Kosovo War, and not the other Yugoslav Wars. But I would recommend to anyone who wishes to understand the Balkans today.
January 8, 2022
Great book for those getting into the black hole of the Balkans for the first time. It doesn’t give much context to the Balkan wars of the early 90s but that’s not Tim’s fault, it’s mine for being a philistine.
The characters within this book working with Tim are all great and add a positive human aspect to a book which focuses on an inhumane regime. Show me someone who doesn’t love Jakša and I’ll show you a liar.
I would probably recommend this to Lucy, it’s less heavy on the geopolitics than I thought it would be and I think she’d appreciate the excellent storytelling of Tim.
The characters within this book working with Tim are all great and add a positive human aspect to a book which focuses on an inhumane regime. Show me someone who doesn’t love Jakša and I’ll show you a liar.
I would probably recommend this to Lucy, it’s less heavy on the geopolitics than I thought it would be and I think she’d appreciate the excellent storytelling of Tim.
June 5, 2022
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
I picked up this read immediately as Putin started to place troops near Ukraine borders.
A nice reminder of how thin are the lines to be passed for warfare to become a realistic scenario.
I picked up this read immediately as Putin started to place troops near Ukraine borders.
A nice reminder of how thin are the lines to be passed for warfare to become a realistic scenario.
May 8, 2023
A very informative book. Tim Marshall has the gift of making some reasonably ‘heavy’ topics interesting and accessible. He has an easy style coupled with in depth knowledge of his subject matter. I liked his scepticism of the capabilities of various government agencies - of various nations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews