The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia

by Tim Judah

Journalist Tim Judah’s classic account, now brought fully up to date to include the overthrow of Miloševic, the assassination of Zoran Djindic, the breakaway of Kosovo, and the arrest of Radovan Karadžic.

 

Praise for the first edition:

 

"A lively and balanced history of the Serbs."—Aleksa Djilas, New York Times Book Review

 

"Judah writes splendidly. . . .The story he tells does much to explain both the Serb obsession with the treachery of outsiders and their quasi-religious faith in the eventual founding, or rather reestablishment, of the Serbian state."—Mark Danner, New York Review of Books 

 

"Judah's book is probably the best attempt to date to explain the calamitous situation of the Serbs today through a meticulous consideration of the Serb past."—David Rieff, Toronto Globe and Mail

 

Tim Judah was Balkans correspondent for the London Times and the Economist, and has been a frequent contributor The New York Review of Books.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, European History, Travel, Military Fiction, Geography

414 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 1997

About the author

Tim 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.

Reviews

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and even-handed history of the Serbian people from antiquity until the end of Yugoslavia. Who would've thought that such a small people would have such a grand idea of their historical destiny? The Greater Serbia ideology that led to the 1990s war has deep roots going back into medieval history. Serbia has seen itself as a repressed empire, but its attempt to enact its imperial project ended in disaster. The Serbs putative Russian friends along with other Europeans have frequently dismissed them as “barbarians”, though at times they have also been upgraded to the status of noble savage. They have also suffered real oppression in their past, as a tower made of Serb skulls built by the Ottomans still standing in Niš can attest.

The history sections could have used some editing but there was some really great reporting at the end of this book about the wars; unique stuff which is not easy to find elsewhere. The author strikes a good balance between condemning the psychopathic crimes of the Serbian paramilitary war machine and recognizing the suffering both historical and contemporary that Serbs have also undergone. It strongly comes across how avoidable the war was and how little it had been based on "ancient hatreds," although embers of such hatred did exist in enough abundance for unscrupulous politicians to fan them.

A brief note about the cover to my edition: I found it unfair that a history of a people should be represented with an image of them as kidnapping bandits keeping blindfolded hostages. Although this is certainly a part of their history it seems a low way to sum it up, though I suppose it does capture the global perception of Serbia during the 1990s and to a lesser extent today.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A picture says 1000 words. The front cover depicts a bunch of males presumably Serbs smiling while giving the Serbian (three finger) salute. In the forefront are several men wearing blindfolds presumably being kidnapped by those dastardly Serbs. What is the impression anyone would get from this cover? Well I've already alluded to it which is that the cover depicts Serbs as treacherous, heartless criminals. It is extremely problematic in that the cover exacerbates stigmas surrounding Serbs and perpetuates Western narrative that Serbs are the boogeymen of the Balkans. There is no counterbalance in this photo to show the humanity of Serbs.

We also see this narrative continue in the contents section with subtitles like "Kosovo: Use Brute Force" and "Bolshevism is bad but nationalism is worse (Radovan Karadzic.)" Now the most problematic item in the contents section is the omission of the Serbian Genocide. If you give Karadzic a subtitle then you MUST give one to the head of the Ustase "Ante Pavelic" who ordered a genocide against the Serbs (and Jews and Romas) 100 times larger than Karadzic/Slobodan's genocide. Judah's work is overtly unbalanced and consequently becomes mere narrative land.


Judah takes great delight in discounting Serb historian Ekmecic by saying on page 134 that Ekmecic "omitted to say that 'bloody understandings' also began with lying with statistics and playing with history." In that very same chapter, Judah points out that Albanian and Croatian historians also can't be trusted. So, why does he single out Ekmecic at the end of the chapter other than for dramatic effect?

An example of Judah's lacking analysis can be seen on page 130 which states in reference to the Bleiburg massacre that not everyone killed was a Croat. No further details are provided except that "the numbers included Slovenes and Chetniks." We don't know if 95% 50% or 10% of the people killed were Croat due to the vague language and lack of research of explanation on Judah's part. Based off of my own research from historians like Paul Mojzes, the majority of victims were Croatian Ustasha.

In a grossly detached manner, Juadah spent less than 10 pages of a 337 page long book recounting the worst event to ever happen to the Serbian people- the Serbian Genocide of WWII in which around 300 000 - 500 000 Serbs were brutally slaughtered by the Croatian Ustasha. He does not delve into the c the concentration camps, survivor testimony, killing methods, which are some of the most brutal ever used. Nor does he provide a good analysis of the ISC.

There are sparse moments when he latches onto a truly meaningful point only to abandon it and jump around incoherently between centuries.

For example, I liked the point he made that Serbs weren't allowed to heal from the genocide of WWII under Tito's regime. It would have been really interesting to see him focus more along that train of thought.

Instead, Judah frames the book around events in the Yugoslav wars in which Serbs were the perpetrators. He continuously does not provide a counterbalance of events in which Serbs were the victims. Judah doesn't delve much or at all into: the Belgrade bombings, Grdelica train bombing, Operation Storm, Operation Flash etc. The former two were war crimes against Serbs committed by the US. The latter two were war crimes committed by the Croatians against Serbs back when Croatia was headed by Ustasha sympathizer and revisionist Franjo Tudman.

The carefully selected photos in the book generally depict Serbs as neutral or as perpetrators. Military pictures almost always include the caption of "Serbs retreating" as a way to showcase them as failures. There is not a single photo of Serbian Genocide victims killed by the Croatian Ustasha. Not one. Nor is there a single photo of any of the Ustasha members who committed the genocide. Nor is there a single photo of Operation Storm which was the largest exodus in Europe since WWII; 200 000 - 300 000 Serbs were forcibly ousted from their homes in Eastern Croatia with brute force by Croatians in 1995.

Judah also puffs up the KLA as the "most successful guerrilla organization in modern history." Whilst completely disregarding their war crimes against Serbs as well as the fact that they were bolstered by the US. (Maybe that had something to do with their "success"?)

Judah's complete lack of impartiality, through omission, obfuscation, over-emphasis or downplaying of particular events as well as through his language and pictures, has created what is almost certainly his true intention of the book; curating a Balkan hierarchy whereby Serbs rank at the very bottom. This book is very much a product of its time; back when anti-Serb sentiment was at its peak. It should be analyzed only in that context so that students can analyze the bias that pervaded Western literature and media at the time. It is a pseudo-intellectual's failed attempt to grasp Serbia and its rich history in a balanced manner. The fact that it was published by the Yale Press makes it all the more repugnant and revealing of America's insidious Ivy League frailties. The ivy vines are intertwined with American foreign policy rendering it incapable of objective analysis.

Freire said "language is never neutral." Indeed, this work by Judah epitomizes this quote.

1 star.

[Igor Ljubuncic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very decent and engaging book.

Basically, it tells the story of the Serb nation over the past thousand years. But more than that, it ties historical facts - and myths - with contemporary events. It is amazing how seemingly distant and supposedly isolated (or insignificant) things can have such long-lasting effects.

Of course, there's the struggle of Serbs against the Turks, the 19th century nationalism, the Balkan wars - a neverending series of them. In fact, the best way to summarize this book would be to call it The Balkan Boogaloo 3.

The book purposefully focuses on Serbs, so in some cases, the perspective of other participants in the equation is missing. Even so, this is a fascianting read. Most of the material covers the post-WWII era, the Serb paradox under Tito, the build-up of nationalism, and then side by side with the wars of 1991-1995 and the Kosovo conflict, you also get a very interesting glimpse into the life of ordinary Serbs in Serbia in these times. Some of it simply feels too surreal - but here, the author's personal experience adds an entertaining if bizarre and sad flavors, as he has lived in Belgrade in that era, and witnesses the boogaloo first hand.

Overall, it's a very decent read - there's lots of stuff that I've not seen covered elsewhere, it doesn't sugarcoat anything, and it gives a fairly balanced overview of the area and its war-happy nations. The most revealing thing is that whatever's been happening in the region in the past 20-odd years is absolutely nothing new - just the latest episode of old, unresolved issues. Alas, neither the Hapsburg nor the Ottoman Empire are around to blame anymore.

Quite recommended.

Igor

[Lucinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book soon after the astoundingly stupid line, "His control over the empire disintegrated after his death." An astute editor might have caught such a problem with logic.

[Wesley Andrews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five Star Potential
It needs: 1) a timeline; 2) a set of maps in which every body of water, geographical feature, region, and municipality is included; 3) a biographical index with at least a sentence about every individual mentioned more than once; 4) basic proof-reading for grammar and punctuation; 5) editing for clarity; 6) beta-readers who are unfamiliar with the subject (he's, perhaps inadvertently, written a book that only people familiar with the subject can follow)

How anyone could ever have managed this book without the internet is a terrific mystery. Encyclopedia Britannica would not have been adequate. It's been a challenge even with Wikipedia and Google Maps.

Tim Judah clearly knows his material. And that's why, in spite of how often I have cursed him and his 1.5 star book, I'm reading it a second time, having already scoured the internet during the first reading (and made copious notes in the margins and index).

I experienced the same frustration with his shorter book, Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know, which is also, clearly not written for everyone, but for readers who are already familiar with the story. I read it twice too. Simply put, there are not a lot of other books available on the Balkans at my public library, and like I said, Tim Judah really does know his stuff.

Below is just a really great excerpt describing the madness of totalitarian genocide:

"It may be asked why in the Bosnian Serb-held territories more individuals did not take a stand to prevent massacres, rapes or executions. It is a legitimate question, but one which fails to grasp the sheer terror of those times and the fact that many of the most sadistic killings were done by dangerous men who, according to many testimonies, had been on extended drinking binges. There is no more eloquent answer to the question than testimony cited by Hannah Arendt of one Peter Bamm, a German Army doctor who gave his account of the murder of Jews in Sebastopol during the Second World War. They were killed in mobile gas vans by SS units and the corpses were then dumped into ditches. He said:

'We knew this. We did nothing. Anyone who had seriously protested or done anything against the killing unit would have been arrested within twenty-four hours and would have disappeared. It belongs among the refinements of totalitarian governments in our century that they don't permit their opponents to die a great, dramatic martyr's death for their convictions. A good deal of us might have accepted such a death. The totalitarian state lets its opponents disappear in silent anonymity. It is certain that anyone who had dared to suffer death rather than silently tolerate the crime would have sacrificed his life in vain. This is not to say that such a sacrifice would have been morally meaningless. It would only have been practically useless. None of us had a conviction so deeply rooted that we could have taken upon ourselves a practically useless sacrifice for the sake of a higher moral meaning.' (Judah, Serbs, 237-8)"

[Bob Lundquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Balkan Peninsula has been a trouble spot for centuries starting with the fall of the Roman Empire. Over the years, the people that lived there developed a strong sense of destiny and independence. It was and is occupied by Slavs that moved there after the Roman Empire fell and differentiated each other into subgroups by custom. Religion was very strong with them and they followed either Catholicism or Eastern Orthodox; later, Islam was added to the mix when conquered by the Turks. After World War I and during the fall of the Ottoman Empire, they coagulated into nations. The western Balkans united into the country of Yugoslavia which means Southern Slavs. This included the areas of present-day Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Croatia, and Macedonia. Mixed in with all these areas was the three main religions mentioned before. Serbia had the strongest sense of “nationhood” and so became most troublesome. They were spread throughout the area and wanted to have all Serbs collected in one country by conquering the other regions and removing non-Serbians as much as possible.

This book tries to explain what happened with Yugoslavia before its final break-up in the 1990s with vicious wars and “ethnic cleansing.” It is a difficult job due to the unfamiliarity of this area in general for most other people. Place names and people’s names are Slavic so have strange spellings thoroughly alien for those not living there. As a result, it is a challenge to keep track of the people and places involved. One should study a map of the area before reading this to get some kind of understanding of the geography involved. Yugoslavia broke up in a very confusing manner that needs careful reading to comprehend what happened and why. It can be boiled down to the lust for power by the ruling elites. One has to be determined to slog through this book due to its unfamiliar terms and atrocities.

[Patricia Ruban · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a detailed and difficult book to read because for me, it is history of which I was completely unfamiliar. I wanted to understand what happened to Yugoslavia, and why. I actually purchased a historic atlas of Eastern Europe in order to orient myself geographically as events were unfolding in the book.

Some would say the author was biased against Serbs. I will say he was on the ground as a journalist for approx. five of the most tumultuous years during the Bosnian war; unlike other historians. He also speaks the languages of the people that live there.

There is now much more accessible, primary scholarly and historical information available so one can draw ones’ own conclusions if one is circumspect about Mr. Judas’ reporting; or if you would like to know more. It is a very complex history, which is unavoidable when you consider the number of ethnicities living in and transversing this land over hundreds of years..

Another book that I found very helpful, and which reinforces some of the actions that Serbs have taken in European and World history, is “The Sleepwalkers”, by Christopher Clark which outlines and explains the events leading up to World War I.

I recommend, ‘The Serbs’ for anyone who wants to begin to try to understand.

[TroTro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview. I particularly appreciated the author’s explanation of various aspects of Serbian history and how they relate to what happened in the early 1990s. The first half of the book covers history and the second half is more about the details of the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Bosnian war. Published in 1997, in the very last pages the author practically predicts what had not yet happened in Kosovo a few years later. The author really knows the subject and peppers his narrative with interesting contemporary cultural details including references to documentaries that I wish I could watch.

[Ashley Sasnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely involved. I cannot imagine what it entailed to put this book together. It is really really good. I found it balanced which is to say the author does not engage in sweeping indictments but is still critical. Tito was the exception not the rule and the modern Yugoslav experiment was destined to fail. Makes one worry about the stability of many of our artificially created nation-states. Or is it just me?

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes I don't finish reading a book, for whatever reason. Sometimes it goes straight to the bin, at other times I donate it to others who I think might be interested. I must confess this book by Tim Judah was binned earlier than any of the other books I stopped reading. It's a winner! In fact I just got to read the title and examine the cover photo. It told me everything I needed to know. Lucky for me I didn't have to purchase it.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who follows Eastern European politics should read this book for its fascinating insights into the collective Serbian psyche. While generalizing an entire ethnic group is always problematic (at best), this book provides such interesting information and analysis that it is, to me, indispensable.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really excellent pretty comprehensive history of Serbia. Someone on Amazon mentioned that it might not be the best FIRST history of Serbia one reads, but I believe if a person lived through the 1990s and paid some attention, this is an excellent first choice.

[Tucker Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the single greatest book about Serbian history that I've read, and I've read quite a few.

[N P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult book to read, not due to the prose, but due to the content. The Serbs have had a rough time during their history.

[Margaret Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am 60% through this book – it is the fifth I have read about Serbia – and I have to confess that, although I will finish it, it has not been an easy read. In 1985 I visited many of the cities Judah writes about and I remember the war of the 1990’s quite well. Terrible as any war is, I’m not convinced that recording every graphic atrocity (as Judah has almost done) serves any purpose other than to provoke a shocked response from British readers. Can't they recall Britain’s genocide in Ireland if they want entertainment?

Humans have been uniformly hideous to each other since time began and, if you want to single out Serbia, I think its recent practice of historical revisionism is a more important issue (doesn’t bode too well for the future) – that, plus the spirit of revenge that seems to plague most Balkan nations.

Right now, I’m going to pick up my copy and struggle through the rest.

[Meral Ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books ever written in the english language about the sebians people,especially for those who are interested in the often neglected story of serbs in Serbia during the Yugo-wars.
Every page is filled with people from every walk of life and every time period,from the near mythical battle of Kosovo to the Bulldozer Revolution and beyond.Helped me a lot to fill gaps in my knowledge about Serbia.
The best part in my opinion was the how people managed to survive (and thrive) during the longest period of inflation in History(with 363,000,000,000,000,0000 percent inflation EVERY MONTH).A must read for anyone who loves the Balkans

[Anne Haack · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars as I would have welcomed even more maps and visuals. This stitching together of history in all its multiple ethnic and religious and geographical dimensions is impressive. This is replete with vignettes humanizing the tragic events that unfolded. Curiously, the end was the best part in terms of the international response to and profiting from the war! I read this in preparation for travels through N. Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia.

[Rupert Wolfe-Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and sympathetic description of the Serbs descent into hell.

Although he obviously likes the Serbs he explains their desire to dominate the other nations of the former Yugoslavia led to their downfall, and the loss of so much territory.

Unfortunately the Serbs seem unable to face up to their past, share any of the blame and are thus cursed to repeat themselves ad infinitum

[Dragan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah I just couldn’t finish this book, it’s extremely well researched and written and has an amazing analysis. But it is so dry and I adore reading about the Balkans but this book just fell out of love with me. 2 stars harsh maybe but you live and you learn. Wish I could have powered through it honestly.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it spends far too much time in the war years in comparison to the rest of history, I consider it to be a non biased book which explains very well how the Serbs of today feel about their country.

[Matija Petrović · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good review with basic information, but it need be only a piece of any study regarding Serbia and fall of Yugoslavia. there is plenty of solid information, one cannot overlook Judah's obvious pro-Western interpretation. Still, it is worth the time and effort.

[Niko Ingoglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very in depth view of a very complicated history. Author does a good job of painting the full picture and not picking sides.

[Bill Perrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judah does a reasonable job with this history book. Quite well crafted and in some respects well researched; at least well researched in the areas he researched.
Some areas, particularly the more recent events show a lack of balance in the analysis he makes of events. He falls down by not asking why the western powers did what they did.
Pity.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the history of the Serbs from their beginnings as an ethnic nation, up to the present day. Although the emphasis is clearly on the last 25 years.

The book does not dwell for too long on events that were well reported elsewhere. The two world wars and the Srebrenica massacre are discussed but only briefly.

The author asks interesting questions about nationalism. He discusses the artificial propping up of nationalistic spirits by politicians, journalists and poets. He also discusses the reasons why hitherto neighbors became enemies overnight.

I wrote some lecture notes at the following url:

http://clockhands.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/the-serbs-part-1/

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, I was glad to get an American writer's view of Serbia, and I thought it was well done. He really explains how much the Serbians suffered because of their leaders mistakes. He had a crazy chapter about the inflation that had record breaking levels. He also explained how the Serbs eventually left Serbia and the army because of the unfulfilled promises of their leaders. Informative.

[iain meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complex history of a complex region- they all seem to be mad or at least fixated on righting historic wrongs but each group has a different view of history.

Well written- but confusing due to all the strangely named characters.

thanks to City of London libraries

[Bruce Crown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic historical account of the Serbs. Well put together and detailed. Though it is an American's take on the modern day conflicts and history, we're hard pressed to find English books about nations where their intellectuals do not engage in English.

[Zechy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating,enlightening.

[Christopher Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice overview. One cannot understand Bosnia, or Kosovo, or Macedonia, without understanding what "Serbia" is. Well argued and insightful, with lots of useful historical summary.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written history with some journalistic flair.