Yugoslavia as History: Twice there was a Country

by John R. Lampe

Yugoslavia as History is the first book to trace the bloody demise of the former Yugoslavia through its history and its earliest roots. A Yugoslav idea had already emerged before the First World War, and it led to two states called Yugoslavia, between 1918 and 1941, and from 1945 until 1991. This book examines the origins of that idea among the related but separate peoples who have populated the region over the last 1,000 years, drawing out the connections this story has with the violent end of Tito's Yugoslavia in 1991. The author follows these peoples, their institutions and ideas from their earliest interaction, into the two World Wars and the states which resulted from them, detailing the tortuous search for political and economic viability which characterised Yugoslavian statehood. Accessible and authoritative, this book provides a unique insight into the origins of the tragedy that has overtaken the region.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, 20th Century

441 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a history of Yugoslavia and is, at times painful to read - not just because of the subject matter but because the author tends to jump back in forth throughout history and provides a confusing picture of an already complicated situation. That being said, it is still full of useful data and is probably one of the more through books about the rise and (mostly) decline of the once nation of Yugoslavia.

[Biljana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, though much more in-depth politically and economically than expected.

[Филип Михајловић · Rating 1 out of 5]

Једна звезда је дарежљива.
One star is too much for this.

[Stefan Maras · Rating 4 out of 5]

What ended in Bosnia-Hercegovina in 1992 was the long search for a microcosm of what any Yugoslavia had to be, however the idea behind it was abused. Now, after seventy years of two Yugoslavias created by two world wars and their survivors, another war has incinerated even the identity. Perhaps the saddest of the present survivors are those for whom the ashes still glow. For they were Yugoslavs, and once, or twice, they had a country.

[Νικόλας Μπάστας · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who is interested in the subject and wants to start from somewhere, this book is a must read. It gives you a solid base knowledge about Yugoslavia it's peoples and politics that shaped this land and it's future. I highly recommend it.

[AskHistorians]

A great overview of the turbulent 20th century and the brief existence of a Yugoslav state.