The Serbs: Guardians of the Gate

So what keeps the Serbs going? Let's look at the history.Serbs have always risen from ashes thought their 15 century old history, while their enemies have burned out. The key was that the Serbs were defending their land, their families, and their religion - Orthodox Christianity, which in synergy with their heroic tradition gave them all the strength and endurance they needed. The mightiest superpowers of their time, which have fought the Serbs, have collapsed: Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Hitler. No, it's not the Serbs that destroyed them - the mightiest were wrong, and that is what destroyed them.Those who don't know the history are doomed to repeat it, and they are repeating it buy pursuing greed, lies, and crime, just like their predecessors. They will either have to change, or their future will be the same as of their predecessors, guaranteed.

This is a really good read for anyone interested in the history of the Serbian people of the 19th and early 20th century. It traces the evolution of Serbian national thought from medieval times to World War I and the aspirations of a united Yugoslavia, or South Slav State. The book is a compilation of lectures given by Laffan, and was originally put together in 1917, during the war. Especially moving is the tale of the hardship the Serbian people endured during the years 1912-1918. They truly were an heroic people during those years and their story is a compelling one. The book is also a source of sorrow to the reader familiar with late 20th century Serbian history, as we now know that the notes of optimism by Laffan for the future of the Serbian nation were crushed by the bloody civil wars that occurred during World War II and the 1990's.