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Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know
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.
What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.
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.
What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
48 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Tim Judah
18 books41 followersTim Judah is a reporter and political analyst for The Economist, and has written several books, mainly focussing on Serbia and Kosovo. A graduate of the London School of Economics and of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University he worked for the BBC[1] before becoming the Balkans correspondent for The Times and The Economist. During the Kosovo war he broadcast widely and wrote for the New York Review of Books,[2] The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian Weekend magazine. Judah is also the author of the prizewinning The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia, published in 1997 by Yale University Press. Judah has reported from numerous places, for a wide variety of newspapers, and other outlets. Apart from the Balkans, Judah has reported from countries including El Salvador, Iraq, Afghanistan and Uganda. In 2009, Judah was a Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics. Recently, Judah has also written highly praised articles relating to the War in Donbass. He is now based in West London and is married to writer and publisher Rosie Whitehouse and has five children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 4, 2016
Tim Judah is an English journalist who, in the late 1990s, covered Serbia and Kosovo for a number of English-language media outlets. He gained a reputation for clearly explaining the complex political issues and ethnic clashes of the area to a foreign audience, and in this book -- whose second edition was published in 2008 in the aftermath of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, aims to familiarize readers with the basics of this European region, battlefield, and nascent independent state.
Thus Judah tries to break things down into convenient chunks: who the Serbs are, who the Albanians are, what happened in centuries past, what happened in the 20th century, and how the situation descended into violence as Yugoslavia fell apart. However, it isn’t just an account of what Serb-on-Albanian or Albanian-on-Serb violence took place when. Judah also sketches Kosovo’s post-1999 economy, and describes its complex legal system, where, for good or for ill, first United Nations and then European Union oversight severely limited Kosovo’s ability to function as a sovereign democracy.
You can tell that Judah took great pains to offer an impartial description of the region and the conflict. If Judah seems to tilt to the side of favouring Kosovo’s independence, then perhaps it is only because he recognizes the absurdity of Serbia holding on to it when 1) over 90% of inhabitants are now ethnic Albanians, and 2) the territory borders other states. But Judah wants to take independent Kosovo to task for its corruption, too. In one passage, he strongly hints at the entwining of government and organized crime there, but regrets being unable to address it for fears of a libel suit or worse: “Unfortunately, especially in a book such as this, readers should be aware that there are also many things that are either known or widely believed but which cannot be written about for legal reasons.”
A new edition of this book describing changes since 2008 would be welcome. I have been in Kosovo twice in the last five years – first hitchhiking across it and the second time cycle touring – and I was surprised by how normal a place it is, with plenty of tourists besides myself. (The travel publisher Bradt even released a Kosovo guide in 2011.) That transition from a war zone to a fine place to have a budget holiday is remarkable, and readers far away who still think the region is mired in conflict would benefit from an updated description of the country.
Thus Judah tries to break things down into convenient chunks: who the Serbs are, who the Albanians are, what happened in centuries past, what happened in the 20th century, and how the situation descended into violence as Yugoslavia fell apart. However, it isn’t just an account of what Serb-on-Albanian or Albanian-on-Serb violence took place when. Judah also sketches Kosovo’s post-1999 economy, and describes its complex legal system, where, for good or for ill, first United Nations and then European Union oversight severely limited Kosovo’s ability to function as a sovereign democracy.
You can tell that Judah took great pains to offer an impartial description of the region and the conflict. If Judah seems to tilt to the side of favouring Kosovo’s independence, then perhaps it is only because he recognizes the absurdity of Serbia holding on to it when 1) over 90% of inhabitants are now ethnic Albanians, and 2) the territory borders other states. But Judah wants to take independent Kosovo to task for its corruption, too. In one passage, he strongly hints at the entwining of government and organized crime there, but regrets being unable to address it for fears of a libel suit or worse: “Unfortunately, especially in a book such as this, readers should be aware that there are also many things that are either known or widely believed but which cannot be written about for legal reasons.”
A new edition of this book describing changes since 2008 would be welcome. I have been in Kosovo twice in the last five years – first hitchhiking across it and the second time cycle touring – and I was surprised by how normal a place it is, with plenty of tourists besides myself. (The travel publisher Bradt even released a Kosovo guide in 2011.) That transition from a war zone to a fine place to have a budget holiday is remarkable, and readers far away who still think the region is mired in conflict would benefit from an updated description of the country.
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April 8, 2009http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1176474.html[return][return]In this short book, Economist correspondent Tim Judah has simply put down on paper the basics about Kosovo, up to the declaration of independence about a year ago. I know the author well and I know the subject well, so I may be biased, but it seemed to me a good and pretty neutral guide to the facts about Kosovo's history, and the problematic future of its relations with the EU and its neighbourhood. (Though I still don't believe Carla del Ponte's organ-legging story deserves any airtime - Doug Muir fisked it ages ago.) Recommended for anyone wanting a quick decent guide: I wish there were similar books for Bosnia and Macedonia.
July 1, 2009
This book is an incredibly interesting overview of the history of Kosovo and the area formerly known as Yugoslavia.
March 23, 2016
In history classes taught in American schools it is quite common for the students to be given two textbooks. Book 1 is written as a narrative of events, combined with some biased point of view. Book 2 collects a lot of primary sources such as newspaper articles, treaties, and letters. The student combines both books in their imagination to gain an understanding of history.
Tim Judah's book on Kosovo combines both functions. Another reviewer accurately describes it as a "primer." It is concise, covers a huge span of time, and moves very quickly. Different points of view are presented by lengthy quotes from primary sources.
Tim Judah's book on Kosovo combines both functions. Another reviewer accurately describes it as a "primer." It is concise, covers a huge span of time, and moves very quickly. Different points of view are presented by lengthy quotes from primary sources.
June 16, 2015
I found this very useful as a basic primer on Kosovo's history. It was informative, but I felt it ended very abruptly.... as though there were still questions about Kosovo's future that it could have posed. I also think some charts, tables, and/or timelines could have helped to reinforce some of the history it was moving through. Overall a good read though.
September 13, 2009
This is nothing more/nothing less than a good, efficient primer on the current situation in Kosovo and how it got to this point.
April 14, 2020
Conciso, obiettivo, mai una parola fuori posto da parte di Tim Judah, che ho già avuto modo di apprezzare grazie al suo The Serbs. Chi si aspetta un resoconto dettagliato che va dalla disgregazione della Jugoslavia ai giorni nostri, passando per la guerra del 1998-9, rimarrà deluso perché, come fanno già intuire il sottotitolo e le dimensioni del libro, questa è una semplice introduzione al Kosovo e agli eventi che hanno portato alla dichiarazione di indipendenza del 2008 e riesce molto bene nel suo scopo. L'unica "pecca", se mi si passa il termine, è che si tratta di un libro pubblicato nel e fermo al 2008 che, letto nel 2020, accontenta la curiosità e il desiderio di colmare delle lacune, ma non del tutto.
May 15, 2019
Good and clear account of Kosovar history, giving relevant information without getting too bogged down in detail. This book touches on the various factors which create the Albanian and Kosovar identity. It also looks at the importance of Kosovo to the Serb identity. Its brevity makes it easy to understand however, it also means that many aspects which are touched upon are not really examined as in depth as perhaps they should have been. It is also a little short on details of 21st century Kosovo which, given that Tim Judah reports for the Economist, cannot be due to lack of information. Nevertheless, a good introductory account into the history of Kosovo.
August 5, 2012
I was once asked if I thought the Northern Ireland conflict was difficult to comprehend. Not really, I replied. What confounded me was that as so many people within Northern Ireland understood the various factors involved, why work towards any resolution took so long.
Put another way, I found comprehending the geo-political situation of former Yugoslavia more difficult. For most of its former republics, resolutions were via the bloody wars of the 1990s.
And then there's Kosovo, with its independence declared in 2008, but how much resolved?
For the sake of my day job, I had to get a good grasp of the situation of Kosovo. A good friend endorsed my short-listed choice of Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Tim Judah, Balkan Correspondent for The Economist.
In the Author's Note, Judah says that his book is to give general readers a straightforward introduction. He well achieves this. But a "general reader" who has some education in international relations, or at least is an avid reader of The Economist, will find the introduction that much easier to absorb. This is not because Kosovo is not easily accessible; it is. But there is a good amount of history and culture to take in the book's concise 160 pages.
Judah does well in the first two chapters to provide cultural and historical overviews of Albanians and Serbs. Of course, this has to be a little superficial in such a generalist book. But an important highlight is that for Albanians, and particularly for those residing in Kosovo, it was language more than the role of the church that influences their nationalism. This contributed to a delayed nation-building -- surrounding peoples and places having several hundred years' head start -- with its own consequences.
We are told how the Serbs see Kosovo as their Jerusalem (p. 18), with the full poem provided, "The Downfall of the Serbian Empire". What interests me is that this is not the only contested place in the world with a Jerusalem-status, the sense of birthright and/or redemption.
The chapters are the right length, covering the essentials while moving you along to the next episode.
As in other contested places, the education system plays an important, often crucial role. For some decades, Albanians enjoyed an Albanian-language education (but while still needing to learn Serbian). However, when Serbian authorities clamped down on this in 1991, an underground, parallel system was created (p. 73). The consequence was that hereafter young Kosovo Albanians would be instilled with more nationalist thinking than under the "brotherhood and unity" era of Yugoslavia. For me, the significance is whether ethnic-based education is part of a wider whole or a particular sect.
Likewise, Judah describes the re-establishment of the Kosovo police service, one of the notable achievements (p. 95), moving from no service at all in 1999 to one comprising over 7,000 officers (6,082 Albanian; 746 Serbs; 414 others) in 2007. However, with Kosovo independence, retaining an integrated, singular police service has become more of a challenge. Here, I hope there are applicable lessons from the recent years of the reform of policing in Northern Ireland.
Judah explains one particularly curiosity -- multiple international calling codes (p. 99). Essentially, in the break up of Yugoslavia, Serbia retained code +381. For cell/mobile phones, new Kosovo wasn't going to use that nor the Serbian +063, so it acquired underused Monaco +377. I can attest that in areas such as Mitrovica, individuals who need to contact both Albanians and Serbs will carry two mobile phones/SIM cards.
There is a good description of the Ahtisaari Plan (setting out Kosovo's future, sans independence but with "supervised independence") (Chapter 10). While this plan was blocked by the UN Security Council, all EU members backed it and proceeded to establish an International Civilian Office (ICO), to deal with matters of law and headed by an International Civilian Representative (ICR).
Then, after Kosovo's declaration of independence, the EU replied by providing a Special Representative (EUSR), responsibilities which include "promoting overall EU coordination and coherence in Kosovo".
The thing is, the ICR and EUSR are the same person: Pieter Feith. On one hand, Feith's remit is to the EU's unanimous consent to the Ahtisaari Plan, while on the other hand he serves as EUSR even though not all EU members recognise Kosovo's independence. This conundrum is not lost on the local population.
Judah also succinctly puts the Kosovo situation in a global context of international relations (Chapter 12). Barring the wars that took place in the region in the 1990s, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, for the most part, reflected the disintegration of the Soviet Union, in that there was a reverting to previously existing republics (the "R" in USSR). Except Kosovo, which was not a pre-existing republic. Its declaration of independence, or at least EU semi-protectorate de facto status, is an unprecedented situation for the EU, which must proceed intelligently as other nations/subregions express their self-determination.
There's clearly more to say on this matter, and Judah's book is not the place for it. Indeed, while those with deeper knowledge of any particular dimension of the Kosovo scene won't find sustenance by Judah's overview, I found it an ideal primer and very useful in my subsequent visit. I sincerely recommend Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know as the first book to read in the path of unravelling the threads of politics and history in Kosovo.
Put another way, I found comprehending the geo-political situation of former Yugoslavia more difficult. For most of its former republics, resolutions were via the bloody wars of the 1990s.
And then there's Kosovo, with its independence declared in 2008, but how much resolved?
For the sake of my day job, I had to get a good grasp of the situation of Kosovo. A good friend endorsed my short-listed choice of Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Tim Judah, Balkan Correspondent for The Economist.
In the Author's Note, Judah says that his book is to give general readers a straightforward introduction. He well achieves this. But a "general reader" who has some education in international relations, or at least is an avid reader of The Economist, will find the introduction that much easier to absorb. This is not because Kosovo is not easily accessible; it is. But there is a good amount of history and culture to take in the book's concise 160 pages.
Judah does well in the first two chapters to provide cultural and historical overviews of Albanians and Serbs. Of course, this has to be a little superficial in such a generalist book. But an important highlight is that for Albanians, and particularly for those residing in Kosovo, it was language more than the role of the church that influences their nationalism. This contributed to a delayed nation-building -- surrounding peoples and places having several hundred years' head start -- with its own consequences.
We are told how the Serbs see Kosovo as their Jerusalem (p. 18), with the full poem provided, "The Downfall of the Serbian Empire". What interests me is that this is not the only contested place in the world with a Jerusalem-status, the sense of birthright and/or redemption.
The chapters are the right length, covering the essentials while moving you along to the next episode.
As in other contested places, the education system plays an important, often crucial role. For some decades, Albanians enjoyed an Albanian-language education (but while still needing to learn Serbian). However, when Serbian authorities clamped down on this in 1991, an underground, parallel system was created (p. 73). The consequence was that hereafter young Kosovo Albanians would be instilled with more nationalist thinking than under the "brotherhood and unity" era of Yugoslavia. For me, the significance is whether ethnic-based education is part of a wider whole or a particular sect.
Likewise, Judah describes the re-establishment of the Kosovo police service, one of the notable achievements (p. 95), moving from no service at all in 1999 to one comprising over 7,000 officers (6,082 Albanian; 746 Serbs; 414 others) in 2007. However, with Kosovo independence, retaining an integrated, singular police service has become more of a challenge. Here, I hope there are applicable lessons from the recent years of the reform of policing in Northern Ireland.
Judah explains one particularly curiosity -- multiple international calling codes (p. 99). Essentially, in the break up of Yugoslavia, Serbia retained code +381. For cell/mobile phones, new Kosovo wasn't going to use that nor the Serbian +063, so it acquired underused Monaco +377. I can attest that in areas such as Mitrovica, individuals who need to contact both Albanians and Serbs will carry two mobile phones/SIM cards.
There is a good description of the Ahtisaari Plan (setting out Kosovo's future, sans independence but with "supervised independence") (Chapter 10). While this plan was blocked by the UN Security Council, all EU members backed it and proceeded to establish an International Civilian Office (ICO), to deal with matters of law and headed by an International Civilian Representative (ICR).
Then, after Kosovo's declaration of independence, the EU replied by providing a Special Representative (EUSR), responsibilities which include "promoting overall EU coordination and coherence in Kosovo".
The thing is, the ICR and EUSR are the same person: Pieter Feith. On one hand, Feith's remit is to the EU's unanimous consent to the Ahtisaari Plan, while on the other hand he serves as EUSR even though not all EU members recognise Kosovo's independence. This conundrum is not lost on the local population.
Judah also succinctly puts the Kosovo situation in a global context of international relations (Chapter 12). Barring the wars that took place in the region in the 1990s, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, for the most part, reflected the disintegration of the Soviet Union, in that there was a reverting to previously existing republics (the "R" in USSR). Except Kosovo, which was not a pre-existing republic. Its declaration of independence, or at least EU semi-protectorate de facto status, is an unprecedented situation for the EU, which must proceed intelligently as other nations/subregions express their self-determination.
There's clearly more to say on this matter, and Judah's book is not the place for it. Indeed, while those with deeper knowledge of any particular dimension of the Kosovo scene won't find sustenance by Judah's overview, I found it an ideal primer and very useful in my subsequent visit. I sincerely recommend Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know as the first book to read in the path of unravelling the threads of politics and history in Kosovo.
September 20, 2020
Great insights and bullet points for Kosovo!
Great explanation in it's early stage developements and historical insights.
Great Read Overall!
Great explanation in it's early stage developements and historical insights.
Great Read Overall!
July 31, 2023
An informative read overall, but I feel like no amount of reading will ever fully help me understand the very complicated nature of the Balkans.
February 12, 2023
Well-written but, given the complexities of Kosovo, too condensed a history to clarify the present.
June 23, 2016
This is a book that delivers on its promise. I've read other books about the fall of Yugoslavia (and the times prior); one of them was written by a TV reporter and the other by a high school teacher. Both had a clear passion for the subject, but their formulation in written words was detectable.
Enter Tim Judah, a Balkan correspondent for The Economist who also writes for other publications. This guy can write. In fact, I like his writing so much, that I just bought his In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine. Read about him on Wikipedia.
The focus is very clearly on Kosovo, so the wars 1991-1995 aren't really covered. This is a strength, especially since the previous two books I read dealt with those wars particularly. So if you need to understand the setting and history before diving into Kosovo, this is not the book to start with.
Also, the maps are quite poor in this book. So make sure you have some better ones at hand.
But make sure you read it.
Enter Tim Judah, a Balkan correspondent for The Economist who also writes for other publications. This guy can write. In fact, I like his writing so much, that I just bought his In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine. Read about him on Wikipedia.
The focus is very clearly on Kosovo, so the wars 1991-1995 aren't really covered. This is a strength, especially since the previous two books I read dealt with those wars particularly. So if you need to understand the setting and history before diving into Kosovo, this is not the book to start with.
Also, the maps are quite poor in this book. So make sure you have some better ones at hand.
But make sure you read it.
October 4, 2011
Great book telling the long story of Kosovo detailing some of the ancient history but focusing most on the recent post-World War II history.
The author starts out discussing the history of Albanians and Serbs. And the historical events that shaped the culture and the demographics of Kosovo. He discusses the Battle of Kosovo of course, but also the Great Serb Migration, the Balkan Wars, the violence of March 2004, and finally the declaration of independence in 2008.
This book was very dense. Full of good information and quick to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone trying to understand what is happening in Kosovo.
The author starts out discussing the history of Albanians and Serbs. And the historical events that shaped the culture and the demographics of Kosovo. He discusses the Battle of Kosovo of course, but also the Great Serb Migration, the Balkan Wars, the violence of March 2004, and finally the declaration of independence in 2008.
This book was very dense. Full of good information and quick to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone trying to understand what is happening in Kosovo.
October 1, 2012
Great insight to the very complicated, still unresolved situation in Kosovo. Also helps you understand peripheral countries' relationships with each other. I felt the author did a great job being objective, and after having read it I still am not decided as to what should be done.
As they say, if the answer was easy the problem would have been solved by now.
As they say, if the answer was easy the problem would have been solved by now.
March 11, 2016
This was exactly what I was looking for: a short, to the point analysis of where Kosovo is at. It helped to read some heavier material before this, as that helped me connect some of the dots with this books overview.
November 3, 2017
The history of Kosovo and the former Yugoslavia is quite complicated and messy. And I don't think Tim Judah does a good enough job teasing that out for those of us (myself) who have almost no background in the region. I found myself lost at times, not sure how he necessarily connected the dots.
February 14, 2009
Really good as a basic introduction...
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July 29, 2011A quick review of the events that shaped Kosovo.
December 31, 2015
Impartial and a good introduction. Does what it says it does.
August 24, 2024
Despre Kosovo s-a vorbit mult și totuși cui aparține? Albanezii se consideră stăpânii de drept din moment ce ei sunt descendenții ilirilor și dalmaților, iar slavii au venit în regiune mult mai târziu. Sârbii afirmă că Kosovo e inima Serbiei și în perioada medievală erau foarte puțini albanezi acolo, abia cu stăpânirea otomană aceștia migrează din teritoriul Albaniei spre Kosovo. Inițial albanezii erau creștini, dar s-au islamizat și s-au amestecat cu otomanii. Au avut loc valuri de migrări în toată regiunea balcanică și aspectul demografic s-a schimbat mereu. Dacă în cazul sârbilor și grecilor religia (ortodoxia) a determinat națiunea, în cazul albanezilor a fost limba. Albanezii nu au fost așa norocoși, lupta pentru identitate națională a avut loc mult mai târziu față de vecinii săi, plus că ei nu au avut o instituție care să unească toți vorbitorii de albaneză într-o națiune și anume - biserica. Otomanii nu au permis existența școlilor în Albania. Acum albanezii sunt majoritari în Kosovo și deși aceștia doresc independență, mulți nu vor unirea cu Albania, ci și-au dezvoltat identitatea de kosovar. Masacre au fost comise nu doar de sârbi, ci și de albanezi. E o situație complicată și nu știu cum va fi rezolvată problema până la urmă. Serbia nu va recunoaște niciodată independența lui Kosovo, iar kosovarii vor să se rupă de Serbia.
Cartea abordează relațiile dintre albanezi și sârbi din timpurile medievale până în prezent. Am aflat destul de multe lucruri, dar cumva am rămas nesatisfăcut. Stilul de exprimare al autorului nu e foarte prietenos și adeseori e plictisitor. Uneori abundă în detalii, care după părerea mea, nu sunt de mare interes. Poate pentru că prea mult pune accent pe politică și procese demografice.
Cartea abordează relațiile dintre albanezi și sârbi din timpurile medievale până în prezent. Am aflat destul de multe lucruri, dar cumva am rămas nesatisfăcut. Stilul de exprimare al autorului nu e foarte prietenos și adeseori e plictisitor. Uneori abundă în detalii, care după părerea mea, nu sunt de mare interes. Poate pentru că prea mult pune accent pe politică și procese demografice.
August 15, 2019
An interesting read presenting comprehensive set of perspectives regarding the "new-born" state of Kosovo. It introduces a lot of historical aspects that allow reader to better understand what and more importantly why happened in this tiny state in Western Balkans over the last years. It explores in details differences among the former Yugoslav states, both in terms of religious background but also processes of identity forming. The book explains the geopolitical importance for EU and Russia, but more generally for any states globally engaged in disputes over boarders. Interestingly, it provides arguments why "Greater Albania" might not be an issue a targetted direction, despite the overwhelming majority of Albanian nationals in Kosovo's population. Recommended to anyone planning a trip around Western Balkans.
February 10, 2022
The author tries to present an equal, balanced view of the background and history of Kosovo that takes both Serbian and Albanian perspectives into account. This is mostly good, but considering the fact that Kosovo went from a Serbian majority region to an Albanian majority one, I think Judah skimps out on confronting which people were the primary targets of ethnic cleansing. Dreadful situation all around, and the NATO bombing certainly didn’t help. I’d be curious to see an updated version of this book. Most likely Serbia will never recognise Kosovo, but I also don’t think they’ll be regaining control of the region anytime soon.
February 7, 2025
A Introductory book that provides an overview of the history of Yugoslavia concerning the Kosovo region, spanning from a superficial and brief account of the Middle Ages to a more detailed examination of the Yugoslav Wars and the Kosovo War. The book's most praiseworthy aspect, in my opinion, is its approach of presenting a bilateral perspective, incorporating viewpoints from both Serbs and Albanians.
June 3, 2018
Good introduction to an overall view of the history of Kosovo/a and its peoples. The author does a good job of trying to give a clear and balanced picture of both the Albanian and Serbian perspectives of what Kosovo/a means to each.
April 15, 2023
This concise summary is a great read for readers who want an overview of how and why Kosovo was created. It was written in 2008 so a lot has happened since then. Tim Judah has written several more books about current events in the Balkans that I look forward to reading.
September 14, 2025
I’m embarrassed how little I know of this region and the dismantling of Yugoslavia and the interplay of Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro. Fascinating. Often the names were hard to keep track of - constantly changing players, of course. This book was a good dip into the history of Kosovo.
November 28, 2025
Read a bit too much like a textbook and had too much 13th 14th 15th history for my liking. Yawn!!! But has wetted my appetite for Balkan history and will return to read more about the collapse of Yugoslavia at some point
November 10, 2017
Excellent short history.
August 22, 2019
Tim Judah coverage of the of Kosovo and the Balkans is one of the best there is.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews