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Life & Times
Tito
A biography of the charismatic and controversial Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito.
The near-mythological figure Josip Broz Tito was a complicated one. An oppressor, a dictator, a reformer, and a playboy, Tito was an inspirational partisan leader and scourge of the Germans during their occupation of Yugoslavia in the Second World War, a doctrinaire communist, and an ever-present thorn in Moscow’s side. He managed Yugoslavia’s internal tensions through personality, a force of will, and political oppression.
It was only after his death in 1980 that the true scale of his influence was understood. At that time, Yugoslavia’s institutions and politicians were revealed as rudderless, and the country created by Tito—a Croat turned Yugoslav—collapsed into a bloody and at times genocidal civil war. These ethnic conflicts were Tito’s nightmare, yet, as Neil Barnett shows in this short but engaging biography, they were in many ways the result of his own myopic egomania.
The near-mythological figure Josip Broz Tito was a complicated one. An oppressor, a dictator, a reformer, and a playboy, Tito was an inspirational partisan leader and scourge of the Germans during their occupation of Yugoslavia in the Second World War, a doctrinaire communist, and an ever-present thorn in Moscow’s side. He managed Yugoslavia’s internal tensions through personality, a force of will, and political oppression.
It was only after his death in 1980 that the true scale of his influence was understood. At that time, Yugoslavia’s institutions and politicians were revealed as rudderless, and the country created by Tito—a Croat turned Yugoslav—collapsed into a bloody and at times genocidal civil war. These ethnic conflicts were Tito’s nightmare, yet, as Neil Barnett shows in this short but engaging biography, they were in many ways the result of his own myopic egomania.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 12, 2011
This isn't bad - £1 from a mass moving bookshop meant that I didn't expect great things from the outset. As a result, I wasn't disappointed and was sometimes pleasantly surprised. There are interesting episodes on the Tito-Stalin relationship which explain to some extent why Josip Broz could stand up as a leader of independence. That independence was something of an illusion as Tito managed to engineer relations to keep both superpowers onside with sufficient kowtowing and concessions for stability.
Note also how Tito the personality was just that - the mishandling of restructuring crises or reluctance to engage in domestic politics left the system to a slow decay where it should have either been rejuvenated or dismantled without the acrimony that characterised the final chapters of Yugoslavia. It's a good introduction and makes use of other sources which are oddly scarce considering the Tito story. If you are looking for a solid historical biography, this is probably not the base for you but is a useful resource for the layperson or undergraduate student.
There are some cliches wheeled out about the inevitabilities of nationalism and the "eternal Balkan question" which make any informed reader gag and do nothing to advance proper understanding of Balkan history but they are only briefly referred to. Some typos prevail also but that is a minor irritation. Perhaps also one could see a slight anti-Serb bias in turns of phrase but that is so commonplace in much popular literature on the Balkans now it would be difficult to criticise it here without rounding on the other numerous villains who perpetuate the idea.
Overall, not bad. Just pass it by if you're widely read and critically minded toward the Balkans, you will only be revisiting stories that are familiar. Tito still waits for a comprehensive and non-partisan scholar to chronicle his life and times, this wasn't it.
Note also how Tito the personality was just that - the mishandling of restructuring crises or reluctance to engage in domestic politics left the system to a slow decay where it should have either been rejuvenated or dismantled without the acrimony that characterised the final chapters of Yugoslavia. It's a good introduction and makes use of other sources which are oddly scarce considering the Tito story. If you are looking for a solid historical biography, this is probably not the base for you but is a useful resource for the layperson or undergraduate student.
There are some cliches wheeled out about the inevitabilities of nationalism and the "eternal Balkan question" which make any informed reader gag and do nothing to advance proper understanding of Balkan history but they are only briefly referred to. Some typos prevail also but that is a minor irritation. Perhaps also one could see a slight anti-Serb bias in turns of phrase but that is so commonplace in much popular literature on the Balkans now it would be difficult to criticise it here without rounding on the other numerous villains who perpetuate the idea.
Overall, not bad. Just pass it by if you're widely read and critically minded toward the Balkans, you will only be revisiting stories that are familiar. Tito still waits for a comprehensive and non-partisan scholar to chronicle his life and times, this wasn't it.
March 5, 2009
Nothing says Happy Birthday like a biography of a dictator! I can't wait to read it...
A very brief overview of Tito's life. I would like to read something more detailed in the future.
A very brief overview of Tito's life. I would like to read something more detailed in the future.
August 28, 2025
My taxi driver in Dubrovnik in seeing me read this book said “you know we all say Tito Tito please wake up we need you!” Tito was by all accounts one of the coolest men in history. The inspiration for Bond, a revolutionary and the epitome of a politics Leviathan. I love the Balkan joke of its states as members of a classroom held together by its teacher (tito), without Tito the region plunged back into chaos of nationalism and xenophobia and has not really recovered. There is a lot to learn from Yugoslavia and from the man.
One of my favourite parts of this book is describing the personality traits of a laudable leader, strong willed, pragmatic, charismatic and most importantly modest with a “sense of adventure”. Tito was the only man to stand up to Stalin, to Churchill to west and east and fought only for the people of Yugoslavia.
This book is clearly written by an armchair Tori. His historiography tows the British party line (yes am being ironic here as he critiques Stalinism so much while replicating the same uncritical dogmatism that was pervasive in the truthless times of the USSR), conflates anti-zionism with anti-semetism, communism with evil, 3rd world counties as uncivilised, and continually attempts “gotcha” lines to paint Tito as a evil tyrant (they never land for the critical mind). If you dredge through the shit there is a lot of gold in this book and lessons I will take to heart. So many cool stories of this incredible man.
Like he was hunted by police everywhere, imprisoned many times, escaped more times, told Stalin he was going to kill him and lived (Stalin kept the letter and would admire it), organised strikes and counter offences to the Nazis, recited Edward Lears Nonsense poems to Churchill, and most importantly treated his staff and people kindly always putting them first. This guy partied harder than any other leader (except maybe JFK) and had women falling at his feet his entire life.
Another Croatian man detailed how Fitzroy Maclean (a bad ass in his own right and Ian Flemings friend) provided the royal and combat side of James Bond. However Maclean and Fleming were notable ugly, it was only through the extensive time that Maclean and Tito spent together that Fleming got his inspiration for the Martini drinking, smooth talking, skier/poker player etc that makes Bond so cool.
TLDR Tito was fun and a nice hearted man who found himself on the stage of history and shinned.
One of my favourite parts of this book is describing the personality traits of a laudable leader, strong willed, pragmatic, charismatic and most importantly modest with a “sense of adventure”. Tito was the only man to stand up to Stalin, to Churchill to west and east and fought only for the people of Yugoslavia.
This book is clearly written by an armchair Tori. His historiography tows the British party line (yes am being ironic here as he critiques Stalinism so much while replicating the same uncritical dogmatism that was pervasive in the truthless times of the USSR), conflates anti-zionism with anti-semetism, communism with evil, 3rd world counties as uncivilised, and continually attempts “gotcha” lines to paint Tito as a evil tyrant (they never land for the critical mind). If you dredge through the shit there is a lot of gold in this book and lessons I will take to heart. So many cool stories of this incredible man.
Like he was hunted by police everywhere, imprisoned many times, escaped more times, told Stalin he was going to kill him and lived (Stalin kept the letter and would admire it), organised strikes and counter offences to the Nazis, recited Edward Lears Nonsense poems to Churchill, and most importantly treated his staff and people kindly always putting them first. This guy partied harder than any other leader (except maybe JFK) and had women falling at his feet his entire life.
Another Croatian man detailed how Fitzroy Maclean (a bad ass in his own right and Ian Flemings friend) provided the royal and combat side of James Bond. However Maclean and Fleming were notable ugly, it was only through the extensive time that Maclean and Tito spent together that Fleming got his inspiration for the Martini drinking, smooth talking, skier/poker player etc that makes Bond so cool.
TLDR Tito was fun and a nice hearted man who found himself on the stage of history and shinned.
December 24, 2018
Disappointing... Such an important figure in the life of Yugoslavia’s people and yet, his life was not brought to the light at all. I would have enjoyed this biography much more had it been written without all the opinionated statements and self-analysis. The author seems to think he has authority to judge people and events which makes the biography very biased. I can see he tried to avoid it but the bias is still present! Also, the final chapter about Tito’s legacy was so short compared to Barnett’s other chapters about Balkan conflicts that it’s almost embarrassing to call this a biography of Tito’s life. Started out well, but progressively became more and more out of proportion and biased. I hope someone writes a better biography than this... what will the next generations be able to learn if this is their only resource? :(
February 8, 2025
"Lebanon's system of confessional reservations might have been a solution [for Yugoslavia post-Tito], where posts like prime minister and president are constitutionally guaranteed to representatives of each confessional group. But the ongoing Lebanese civil war suggested that this had not been an overwhelming success." (156-7)
"Reform efforts never recovered, and Serbia drifted ever further from the EU ... According to the World Bank, in 2020 Serbia's GDP per head was $7,666 compared to $13,828 in Croatia and $25,179 in Slovenia." (159)
"Reform efforts never recovered, and Serbia drifted ever further from the EU ... According to the World Bank, in 2020 Serbia's GDP per head was $7,666 compared to $13,828 in Croatia and $25,179 in Slovenia." (159)
January 5, 2023
I think the other comments are pretty harsh - I thought this was a great introduction into an interesting character and an even more interesting area and period in time. Off the back I’ve ordered a couple more around the subject - nice and friendly book to make an introduction for anyone interested.
April 21, 2023
Straightforward and concise biography of Tito. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into his life and times, this isn’t it - but it’s a highly readable introduction to the man, with a great list of source materials for further reading at the back.
August 26, 2024
As many of the reviewers state, this is a small book. If you’re new to Tito it’s a great place to start. Those seeking more depth would be wise to choose something substantial.
March 2, 2025
Sorry to say, but most reviewers seem to be right: an entertaining enough overview of Tito's life, but definitely lacking the necessary depth and analysis the man's legacy deserves.
November 16, 2021
Never give up!
November 21, 2011
Serviceable biography, but very little in the way of new insights into the man. More a straightforward "this is what he did, this is how his life progressed."
June 23, 2013
IT's a easy, fast read, yet If you really want to get in deep, and know Tito, or Yugoslavia, It's not at all sufficient,
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews