Between Serb and Albanian: A History of Kosovo

It is obvious that the opinion about this issue is split and that one side will feel one way, and the other side another way, however to say that this is a bad book just because it does not support one's point of view, that is not valid. I was born and raised in Albania, and I know the strong feeling of nationalism people are raised with in that part of the world. I realize that myths are not history, and I know the claims of the Serbs on Kosovo. Vickers looks at facts as they are, she may express some of her own preference in the book, but that does not make it not valid. Anyone who wants to learn more about this issue should read it, realizing the mindset of the Balkan people and how important one's nation is.

Miranda Vickers does an excellent job of distilling the available primary and secondary historical and geographical material on the former Yugoslavia into a lucid and compelling book. Unlike some writers, she footnotes her sources so the reader can form his or her own opinions based on further reading. Ms. Vickers does not provide in-depth detail because the objective of this book is to provide a synopsis. Her work supports the contention that rivalries of the various ethnic groups have waxed and waned but long been a source of bloodshed. The worst scenarios in this book involved the spilling of blood as the Serbs attempted to overthrow assorted conquerers including the Ottoman Turks, Austrians, Hungarians, Nazis and others. Vickers says the Albanian question is extremely thorny and very old. On the one hand, the Albaninans in Kosovo seemed not to have much interest in being part of Albania proper (probably owing to the radically different and worse standards of living in Albania). On the other hand the Albanians seem not to want to be part of Serbia either, though many of them moved to Serbia. In 1918, during the Great War, when the Albanians had sided with the enemy "Hun" and the Serbs were allies, the U.S. recognized the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo (a battle fought and lost to the Ottoman Turk invaders hundreds of years before). This recognition followed the deaths of 100,000 Serbs as they retreated before the Austro-Hungarian army through Kosovo. "The majority lay unburied, covered by either snow or mud, until only their bones were found the following spring."By the late 1990's many U.S. leaders--for whatever reason--failed to fully appreciate the ancient hatreds. One has to wonder how history might have been different if the diplomatic approach used in the Middle East with the Palestinians and Jews had been attempted in the Balkans.

I've been following and working on the Kosovo situation for over two years. I have read many books and articles on the Balkans and especially Kosovo. I first read Ms. Vickers book in the Fall of 1998. Her writing is clear and concise. She does not confuse the writer with useless terminology that only academics dabble in to demonstrate how "intellectual" they are. Ms. Vickers book is, for the most part, impartial and represents discrepancies on both sides. All sides in Kosovo have myths about their past, this is something not uncommon to nations and people throughout the world. Ms. Vickers demonstrates how these myths have led to Serbian Nationalism and to Albanian reactionarism and the effects these beliefs have had on Kosovo. So, in closing, if you want to gain an understanding into how the events in Kosovo developed, then read Ms. Vickers book.

I have nothing to do with the conflict, and must say that the book is quite fair to both sides. A good place to learn about the emergence of the violent KLA and its challenge to the pacifist movement that was brutally repressed for more than a decade. The book would otherwise deserve a 3 or 4 -- the 5 is my contribution against brain-dead nationalism.

Let me begin by saying that I don't believe this book deserves the five star rating I have given it. Ms. Vickers is not a top tier writer and she definately has sympathies towards the Kosovars. What she is successful at though is painting a picture of moderm Kosovo. She slashes and burns her way through history but as she describes the modern happenings her book blooms. You won't find many books detailing the rise of Albanian resistance in the early 80's or the shadow government of the early 90's. For that she deserves credit. She explains why this passive resistance was needed and why, eventually, it failed and was replaced by a more militant creed. For those of you out there who come across this page do not pay attention to the 1 star ratings. It does not deserve them. It doesn't deserve my 5 star rating either, but raising it's average a bit might draw some new readers. I would give it between 3-4 stars depending on why you are reading it. If you are interested in a much better novel of Kosovo read Noel Malcolm's "Kosovo: A Short History."