A Concise History of Bosnia

Description

A Concise History of Bosnia integrates the political, economic and cultural history of this fascinating, beautiful, but much misunderstood country. Drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary literature, this objective and engaging history covers developments in the region up to the present day and offers an accessible interpretation of an often contested and controversial history. Importantly, Cathie Carmichael looks at Bosnia over the long term, moving away from a narrow focus on the 1990s to offer a historical rather than a nationalist perspective on events. Integrated within the narrative account, there is a particular focus on the themes of culture and religion, and the effect of geography and regional changes in the landscape on Bosnian history. Engaging and authoritative, the book succinctly explores how Bosnia has changed over many centuries, and focuses on the dynamic and creative aspects of Bosnia's past as well as the darker elements.

Cathie Carmichael is Professor of History at the University of East Anglia and has been Head of School since 2012. She studied in London, Ljubljana and Bradford and completed her PhD in 1993 under the supervision of John B. Allcock. She is the author and editor of several books including Slovenia and the Slovenes: A Small State in the New Europe (2000, with James Gow), Language and Nationalism in Europe (2000, co-edited with the late Stephen Barbour), Ethnic Cleansing in the Balkans: Nationalism and the Destruction of Tradition (2002) and Genocide before the Holocaust (2009). She is an editor of the Journal of Genocide Research.

'This cogent book by Cathie Carmichael, an internationally known historian of Bosnia, is based on her two decades of research and engagement with the region. A Concise History of Bosnia is essential reading for anyone interested in the rich and dynamic history of the country, its culture, and its people.' Ivana Macek, Stockholm University 'Cathie Carmichael has written an accessible historical introduction to Bosnia-Herzegovina, moving beyond the high politics focus of her predecessors to offer insights into [the] cultural, social and economic history of the country. Anyone wishing to find out more about the past and present of this tragic but fascinating part of the world should read this book.' Dejan Djokic, Goldsmiths, University of London 'As the political and economic impasse in Bosnia-Herzegovina drags on, the value of a book like this becomes ever more apparent. Written by a seasoned scholar of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Balkan history, this volume is an excellent new addition to Cambridge's Concise History series. Professor Carmichael makes ample use of illustrations and primary sources relating to everything from gastronomy and the natural sciences to ethnography and diplomacy to discuss the unique and evolving situation of the regions known as Bosnia and Hercegovina from classical times to the present. With an emphasis on cultural and intellectual history, A Concise History of Bosnia is especially useful in its explication of Tito's revisionist communism and the genocide-ridden wars of Yugoslav secession. Debunking myths and comprehensively embracing the latest scholarship in the field, Carmichael is a powerful, engaging, and reliable writer.' John K. Cox, North Dakota State University 'This concise history is the best up-to-date study of Bosnia's rich and traumatic past. Cathie Carmichael is a steady and authoritative guide through the region's unique blend of cultures as well as the controversial questions of ethnic violence. Especially welcome are the vivid eyewitness accounts, by both Bosnians and foreigners, that are skilfully woven into the narrative. The result is a vivid landscape full of mountains and troughs which has withstood a cycle of empires and wars: where the present-day can only be understood by pealing back the layers of the past.' Mark Cornwall, University of Southampton 'An accessible and often insightful summary of a complex land and its people.' Abdullah Drury, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations