The Albanians: A Modern History

Description

This is the first full account of a country that, following decades of isolation, has undergone unprecedented changes to its political system: the collapse of communism, the progression to multi-party elections and the upheaval that followed the March 1997 uprising. Miranda Vickers traces the history of the Albanian people from the Ottoman period to the formation of the Albanian Communist Party. She considers the charismatic leadership of Enver Hoxha; Albania's relationship with Tito and the alliance with the Soviet Union and then China; and the long period of isolation. Newly revised for this paperback edition, The Albanians considers the gradual process of reform and the fragility of the Albanian experiment with democracy, and includes a dramatic account of the days leading up to Sali Berisha's resignation of the presidency. It has now been updated to cover the fight for independence in Kosovo and the progress of Albania's application to join the EU.

Miranda Vickers is an independent writer and analyst of Albanian affairs. She has travelled and worked in Albania for more than twenty years and she is the author of several seminal works on the Albanians and their history.

""A vigorous, well-informed and readable study of modern Albanian history succeeds in making sense of Albania's fragmented, intricate and tangled history, which is a noteworthy feat the book can be warmly recommended."" - Raymond Hutchings, The Slavonic Review ""The first proper survey of modern Albanian history to have been published in Europe since the fall of the Communist regime it is likely to become the standard guide to the subject for English-speaking readers."" - Noel Malcolm, The European Magazine