Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Zagreb, A Cultural History
by Celia Hawkesworth
An illuminating account of the tumultuous but vibrant history of Croatia's capital, with a strong focus on the art and architecture of the city.
The Balkans, A Short History
by Mark Mazower
With eloquence and clarity, Mazower addresses issues of geography, nationalism and nation in this indispensable survey.
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Macedonia Map
by Michelin Travel Publications
A handy, folded regional travel map (at a scale of 1:1,000,0000), covering former Yugoslavia.
The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-2011
by Misha Glenny
Longtime central European correspondent for the BBC based in Vienna, Glenny (The Fall of Yugoslavia) poignantly challenges the role of the Great Powers in this survey, newly revised and updated to cover developments in the region through 2011.
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed
by Slavenka Drakulic
These short essays capture the absurdity, struggle and day-to-day reality of being a woman in Yugoslavia under communism. Drakulic is an award-winning Croatian journalist and novelist.
The Balkans in World History
by Andrew Wachtel
A professor at Northwestern University, Wachtel focuses on the traditions and contributions of overlapping cultures in this lively short history.
Spies of the Balkans
by Alan Furst
A master storyteller, Furst places senior police official Costa Zannis at the center of this taut World War II thriller, his eleventh. The action (and there is plenty) plays out against a backdrop of the Nazi occupation of Salonika.
Lonely Planet Southeastern Europe
by Lonely Planet
A compact, practical guide to the region from Slovenia and Croatia, to Bosnia & Hercegovina, Serbia & Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, as well as Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia
by Rebecca West, Christopher Hitchens (Introduction)
First published in 1941, this monumental work explores the complex history of Yugoslavia, its heroes, politics and culture. It's a big, challenging book -- some call it the best ever written on the Balkans.
The Bridge on the Drina
by Ivo Andric, Lovette F. Edwards (Translator)
These linked stories by the Nobel Prize-winning author capture the history and complexity of Christian and Muslim relations during Ottoman occupation. Hewn of stone, the bridge dividing the town of Visegrad was Andric's inspiration.
Realm of the Black Mountain, A History of Montenegro
by Elizabeth Roberts
An authoritative history of Montenegro from prehistory through independence in 2006.
Balkan Ghosts, A Journey through History
by Robert D. Kaplan
Kaplan interweaves history, art and culture with his travels through Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece in this regional portrait.
Yugoslavia, Death of a Nation
by Laura Silber, Allan Little
Called "one of the finest volumes to come out of the war" by the New York Times, this book combines eyewitness reports, political commentary and documentary photographs to elucidate the origins and aftermath of the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Palgrave Concise Historical Atlas of the Balkans
by Dennis Hupchick
The changing borders and complex history of the Balkans are clearly and concisely shown through 50 double-page maps and accompanying essays, organized chronologically.
Eastern Europe!
by Tomek E. Jankowski
An entertaining history of the region from its stint as an outpost of Rome through the formation of states, Medieval splendor, Ottoman incursions, wars, the Soviet period and the fall of Yugoslavia. Jankowski divulges, in an epilogue, the recipe for Mrs. Jankowska's Homemade Pierogis.
Bury Me Standing
by Isabel Fonseca
This marvelous portrait of the Roma, also known as the Gypsies, offers insight into their music, foods, religions and folk traditions and also examines their influential but complex relationship with Eastern Europe.
A Traveller's History of Croatia
by Benjamin Curtis
Curtis untangles with alacrity the complex history of this nation at the crossroads of Europe.
The Balkans, From Constantinople to Communism
by Dennis Hupchick
Hupchick looks at European, Orthodox Christian and Muslim influences in the Balkans from early kingdoms through the 1990s in this important survey.
