Another Fool in the Balkans, In the Footsteps of Rebecca West  •  Tony White CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES White -- who made his own modern pilgrimage to the region -- tackles with humor and insight our preconceptions of the Balkans. He takes as his model the travels and writings of Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, a classic portrait of what was then Yugoslavia first published in 1941. (BLK44, $14.95)
Art of the Byzantine Era  •  David Talbot Rice ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1985 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES An indispensable classic and a thoroughly illustrated introduction to Byzantine art, wide-ranging and literate. Though it focuses on the extraordinary early Christian treasures of Constantinople (including site plans and photographs of mosaics, carving and decoration), the book also includes chapters on Sicily, Venice and Slavonic art of the Balkans. With 250 illustrations, many in color, and accompanying text, it is a compact introduction to the art and architecture of the era. (TKY22, $16.95)
Balkan Babel, The Disintegration of Yugoslavia From the Death of Tito to the Fall of Milosevic  •  Sabrina P. Ramet HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 440 PAGES A scholarly political assessment of the last twenty years in the Balkans, and the causes and results of the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Fourth edition. (BLK34, $44.00)
Balkan Tragedy, Chaos and Dissolution after the Cold War  •  Susan Woodward HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 536 PAGES A scholarly, detailed analysis of Yugoslavia's collapse, published by the Brookings Institution, where the author is a senior policy fellow. Woodward places the Bosnia-Herzegovina war in an international context, showing how Western Europe and the U.S. policies contributed to the explosion of violence. (BLK18, $24.95)
Balkan Wars, 1912-1913, Prelude to the First World War  •  Richard C. Hall HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES In this concise history, Hall analyzes the diplomatic and military aspect of the war between Ottoman Empire and the Balkan coalition that took center stage in the outbreak of WWI. (WAR86, $36.95)
The Balkans Since 1453  •  Traian Stoianovich  •  L.S. Stavrianos HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 996 PAGES A seminal -- and hefty -- study of the Balkans from the Ottoman conquest to the Second World War, originally published in 1958, and eminently useful for its sweep and perspective on the region. With a new introduction by Traian Stoianovich. (BLK36, $33.00)
The Balkans, From Constantinople to Communism  •  Dennis Hupchick HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 468 PAGES Hupchick looks at European, Orthodox Christian, and Muslim influences in the Balkans from early kingdoms through the 1990s in this useful survey. The author, who also co-wrote the excellent Palgrave Concise Historical Atlas of the Balkans, is director of the East European and Russian Studies Program at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. (BLK37, $24.95)
The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-1999  •  Misha Glenny HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 752 PAGES A history of southeastern Europe from Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia, to Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria. Glenny poignantly challenges the intervening role historically played by the "Great Powers" in the region. (BLK32, $20.00)
Bradt Guide Croatia  •  Piers Letcher GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES This convenient guide in the excellent British series is a personal, informative overview of the country, covering Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik in detail. With excellent travel information and good information on nature, history, and culture. Letcher's familiarity and love of Croatia distinguishes the book. (BLK55, $23.99)
Bradt Guide Macedonia  •  Thammy Evans GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A detailed overview of Macedonia, its history, wildlife, culture and major attractions in the series by Bradt. Geared for the independent traveler, it includes maps, town plans, and lots of practical travel information. (EUR168, $25.99)
Bradt Guide Montenegro  •  Annalisa Rellie GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER A compact, detailed overview of Montenegro, its history, wildlife and major attractions in the series by Bradt. Geared for the independent traveler, it also includes maps and lots of practical travel information. (BLK47, $24.99)
Bradt Guide Serbia  •  Laurence Mitchell GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series with good information on transportation, historical sites, and accommodations, with an extended section on Belgrade, the capital city, and a separate chapter on Kosovo. (BLK67, $24.99)
Bradt Mini Guide Dubrovnik  •  Piers Letcher GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A helpful, condensed guide to the city in the popular Bradt series. (BLK46, $13.99)
Broken April  •  Ismail Kadare LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES In this best-known novel by the contemporary Albanian writer, a bereaved mountaineer and a young anthropologist couple both wrestle with the age-old traditions of the author's native High Plateau. Set in the early 20th century, the tale specifically revolves around the custom of blood feud. (BLK70, $14.95)
Burn This House, The Making and Unmaking of Yugoslavia  •  Jasminka Udovicki HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 337 PAGES A collection of articles by journalists and academics still living in the region, these essays present the history and analysis of the particular geopolitical circumstances that resulted in the fall of Yugoslavia. It follows the development of medieval states in the region, partitioning by the Hapsburgs and Ottomoans and groundwork for the 20th-century formation of a united Yugalavia. The authors argue vigorously against the notion of deep-seated ethnic hatred as the cause of the 1991-1995 war. (BLK07, $23.95)
Bury Me Standing  •  Isabel Fonseca CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 322 PAGES The Roma, as the Gypsies call themselves, have a long tradition in Eastern European culture -- influencing the music, foods, religious and folk traditions. This is an excellent book on the evasive subject of Roma culture in Eastern Europe, painstakingly researched by Ms. Fonseca as she traveled and lived among Gypsies. Black-and-white photos help give a human face to the conditions of the Roma, their history among the settled peoples of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany and the prospects for their cultural survival in the "new" Eastern Europe. (EUR09, $14.95)
Cafe Europa, Life After Communism  •  Slavenka Drakulic HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES More essays from the author of How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed. Drakulic is a Croatian journalist, novelist and contributing editor at The Nation who divides her time between Austria, Sweden and Croatia. (BLK53, $14.00)
The Call of the Toad  •  Gunter Grass LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES An aging German art historian and widower becomes romantically linked with a Polish art restorer and widow he meets in Gdansk on All Soul's Day. They decide to go into business together returning the remains of Germans exiled after the war to Danzig. The idea of reconciling Polish and German Danzigers in a cemetery falls prey to modern greed reminiscent of Nazi land-grabbing. Seemingly casual, the book packs a powerful, satirical punch of the past into the present, flaying both Communism and capitalism. Grass's novel Cat and Mouse is also set in Gdansk. (PLD23, $14.00)
A Castle in Romagna  •  Igor Stiks LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER A short novel of two alternating stories: one set in Renaissance Lombardy, the other set on a Croatian island during the Bosnian War. (BLK82, $12.95)
Central Europe Map  •  Freytag & Berndt 2004 •  MAP A colorful physical relief map of Central Europe at a scale of 1:2,000,000. (EUR12, $11.95)
Central Europe, Enemies, Neighbors, Friends  •  Lonnie Johnson HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 351 PAGES An academic survey of the social, political, and economic past of Central Europe, and the conflicts that stir modern-day European politics. From medieval to modern times, the formative historical events of Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia, are all introduced. Johnson is especially successful in analyzing the struggle of small nations in the face of imperial powers and how these experiences have created a diverse European heritage. With maps. Awarded an Outstanding Academic Book of 1997 by Choice. (EUR69, $39.95)
The Contested Country: Yugoslav Unity and Communist Revolution, 1919-1953  •  Aleksa Djilas HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES This in-depth scholarly history of Yugoslavia focuses on period from the end of WWI to 1953. (BLK51, $26.00)
Conversations With Stalin  •  Milovan Djilas BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1963 •  PAPER  • 211 PAGES This is a scathing memoir by one of Tito's top aides, ousted from the Communist Party in 1954. It captures some of the absurdities of life in communist Yugoslavia. (BLK24, $13.00)
Croatia Coast Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP This nicely shaded, double-sided map covers the entire Dalmatian Coast -- from Trieste south to Pula, Split and Dubrovnik -- at a scale of 1:200,000. Fully indexed and excellent in its topographic detail, it is a useful guide to the complex coastline of the Adriatic. (BLK17, $11.95)
Croatia Map  •  World Mapping Project MAP A map of all Croatia, including the entire coast, at a good scale of 1:325,000. Printed on and water- and tear-proof paper, the full color map is on two sides, with the eastern half of the country on one side, and the western half on the reverse. Elevations and bathymetry are indicated alson with rivers, waterways, islands, roads, and attractions. (BLK61, $9.99)
Croatia, A History  •  Ivo Goldstein  •  Nikolina Jovanovic HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 281 PAGES • COMING IN A concise, balanced history of Croatia, from medieval times to the present, by a professor at the University of Zagreb. (BLK30, $22.95)
Croatia, A Nation Forged in War  •  Marcus Tanner HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A modern history of Croatia from its medieval origins to the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia to 1995, when thousands of Serbs fled Krajina. Written by a London Independent correspondent who was eyewitness to events of 1993, it is an absorbing and largely sympathetic portrait of Croatia with a focus on the drive for independence. (BLK23, $20.00)
Croatia, Through Writers' Eyes  •  Barnaby Rogerson ANTHOLOGY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES This collection of stories, tales, and travel narratives, illuminates the history and culture of Croatia. Including contributions by Rebecca West, Lawrence Durrell and Fitzroy MacLean. (BLK95, $33.95)
The Culture of Lies, Antipolitical Essays  •  Dubravka Ugresic HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 273 PAGES (BLK60, $31.95)
Danube  •  Claudio Magris CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2008 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES • COMING IN OCTOBER A gifted novelist's stimulating journey down the Danube from its source in the heart of what once was the Austro-Hungarian Empire through the Balkans to the Black Sea. The book is an intellectually charged, evocative portrait of the places and personalities of Central Europe. Magris is an erudite, cerebral guide with a penchant for history. On some level, this wholly unclassifiable book is a travelogue. (EUR58, $16.00)
Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture  •  Slobodan Curcic  •  Richard Krautheimer ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 357 PAGES Now in its fourth edition, this is classic, well-illustrated history covers the Eastern Mediterranean from the age of Constantine to the era of Justinian. A volume in the Pelican History of Art published by Yale. (TKY72, $37.00)
Early Christian and Byzantine Art  •  John Lowden ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES An illustrated guide to the architectural heritage of the early Christian period (860-1453), including a survey of the philosophy, ideas and intellectual climate of the time. With hundreds of photographs of Byzantine art, decorated churches and illuminated manuscripts. (EUR23, $24.95)
Early Christian Buildings, A Graphic Introduction  •  Warren Sanderson ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1994 •  PAPER Intended as a guide to looking at architecture, this book is a highly accessible, illustrated introduction to the architecture of Christian antiquity. With 124 illustrations of key buildings constructed between c.300 and 600, it is an excellent introduction for travelers. With a glossary, chronology and guide to further reading. (EUR21, $24.95)
Economic and Social History of Medieval Europe  •  Henri Pirenne HISTORY •  1936 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES • COMING IN Pirenne, an important economic historian, traces the economic and social development of Western Europe from the end of the Roman Empire to the middle of the 15th century in this classic book, first published in 1936. It gives a concise picture of medieval Western Europe, including social disturbances, economic and social catastrophes, famine and the Black Death. A separate section on the North Sea and the Baltic contains specific references to the Hanseatic League. (EUR18, $15.00)
Endgame, The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica  •  David Rohde CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES The horrific tale of the murder of 7000 Muslims in Srebrenica in July 1995 -- and its aftermath -- by the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Rohde tells the story through the eyes of seven people, Serbs, Muslims and international peacekeepers, who were present. (BLK71, $20.00)
Europe's Last Summer, Who Started the Great War in 1914?  •  David Fromkin HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Fromkin puts the imperial struggle between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian over Serbia at the heart of this enthralling, persuasive analysis of the events leading to World War I. Fromkin, a historian at Boston University, is author of Kosovo Crossing and Fromkin, the author of Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East, (EUR183, $15.95)
Exit into History, A Journey Through the New Eastern Europe  •  Eva Hoffman TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 410 PAGES • COMING IN In this first-hand report from Eastern Europe, Polish-born Hoffman describes changes during the years immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. A great example of wonderful travel writing, the book goes beyond the sights and sounds to plumb the mindset of politicians, literati and everyday folk during this critical time. The Wall Street Journal called the book "refreshingly unpretentious," and we couldn't agree more. (EUR10, $14.95)
Eyewitness Guide Croatia  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Gorgeously illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact book is a thorough overview of Croatia, its history, traditions, cultures and sights. With 850 color photographs and illustrations. (BLK39, $23.00)
Fires of Hatred, Ethnic Cleansing in Twentieth-Century Europe  •  Norman M. Naimark HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES This illuminating study focuses on five cases where genocide was a matter of government policy: The Armenians and Greeks of Anatolia; The Nazi Attack on the Jews; Soviet Deportation of the Chechens-Ingush and the Crimean Tatars; The Expulsion of Germans from Poland and Czechoslovakia; and The Wars of Yugoslav Succession. Norman Naimark is director of Stanford's programs in International Relations and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. (EUR179, $20.50)
Fodor's Venice's 25 Best  •  Citypack GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A shirt-pocket guide to Venice, this slim book includes an excellent map of the center of the city and essential information on its highlights, including restaurant recommendations and sightseeing. (ITL106, $11.95)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
The Haunted Land, Facing Europe's Ghosts After Communism  •  Tina Rosenberg CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 437 PAGES In this groundbreaking book, a journalist reports on how the newly democratized people of East Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have confronted the horrors of their former governments. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. (EUR54, $16.95)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
Historical Atlas of Central Europe  •  Paul Mogocsi HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 232 PAGES An influential, authoritative survey of maps and shifting borders in the region from the Middle Ages until the present. With dozens of superb color maps illuminating the history and ethnic complexity of this bewildering part of the world. The atlas covers the region from Poland, Lithuania, and the eastern part of Germany to Greece and western Turkey and extends in time from the early fifth century to the present. (EUR33, $45.00)
A History of Venice  •  John Julius Norwich HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 673 PAGES A vivid 1,000-year history of the Venetian Republic from its ancient settlement to its humiliating defeat by Napoleon in 1797. Norwich, who also wrote a three-volume history of the Byzantine empire, marshals myriad personalities, battles, sieges, and facts into a compelling history of Venice's rise to power under the Doges. He's a terrific writer, and a great admirer of this "most beautiful of cities." (ITL177, $25.00)
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed  •  Slavenka Drakulic BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1993 •  PAPER  • 227 PAGES These short essays capture the absurdity, struggle and day-to-day reality of being a woman in Yugoslavia under Communism (including vignettes about friends and colleagues in other Eastern European countries). Drakulic is a Croatian journalist, novelist and contributing editor at The Nation. (BLK38, $13.00)
Imagining the Balkans  •  Maria Todorova HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 257 PAGES A challenging book, but well worth the effort for its insight, this collection of essays examines in scholarly and critical detail the roots of our stereotypes and misconceptions about the Balkans. (BLK19, $24.95)
The Impossible Country, A Journey Through the Last Days of Yugoslavia  •  Brian Hall TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1994 •  HARD COVER  • 448 PAGES As Yugoslavia deteriorates, the American journalist author journeys throughout the country by bicycle, documenting the people, politics and mood of the place. Beautifully written, it's an engaging snapshot of the region at a critical moment. (BLK22, $23.95)
Inventing Eastern Europe, The Map of Civilization on the Mind of Enlightenment  •  Larry Wolff HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 419 PAGES A scholarly analysis and history of European geopolitics during the Age of Enlightenment. The author, a professor of history, looks back to Rousseau, Voltaire and Western (mis)perceptions of Eastern Europe during the late 18th century. With chapters on 18th-century literature, fantasy and folklore, travelers and voyages. Recommended for intellectually minded travelers with a serious interest in geography, this book sheds light on widely shared conventions about Eastern Europe. (EUR34, $29.95)
Balkans Southeast Europe Map  •  Freytag & Berndt 2008 •  MAP • COMING IN OCTOBER A nicely detailed travelers map of Southeast Europe from Prague east to Odessa and south to Italy, Greece and western Turkey, including the Danube, Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea from Odessa to Istanbul. At a scale of 1:2,000,000. (EUR147, $12.95)
The Julian Alps of Slovenia, Mountain Walks and Short Treks  •  Roy Clark  •  Justi Carey GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 309 PAGES A compact, practical guide to 50 walks ranging from easy strolls to scrambles in the high mountains and multi-day adventures, including four hut-to-hut hikes. The book is organized geographically with chapters on walks in the vicinity of Kranjska Gora, Bovec, Kobarid, Bled and Bohinj. (CEU15, $22.95)
Lonely Planet Croatia  •  Jeanne Oliver GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES In its hallmark style, this practical guide to Croatia by Lonely Planet features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With color photographs, many local maps, and excellent travel information. (BLK27, $23.99)
Lonely Planet Eastern Europe  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 952 PAGES A comprehensive guide to Eastern Europe, including Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia. It is a compact overview of the region, especially appropriate for the independent-minded traveler visiting several countries. With 150 local and regional sketch maps, and a 10-15-page overview of each country. (EUR72, $28.99)
Lonely Planet Western Balkans  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 440 PAGES A compact, practical guide to the region from Slovenia and Croatia, to Bosnia & Hercegovina, Serbia & Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. (BLK84, $22.99)
Macedonia Map  •  MapLink MAP A detailed, shaded relief map of Macedonia, on the scale of 1:260,000. (EUR27, $6.95)
The Magic Lantern, The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague  •  Timothy Garton Ash HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 167 PAGES A vividly reported eyewitness account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and other dramatic events of 1989 by an astute journalist and historian of Central Europe. With a chapter each on Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin and Prague, it's a good introduction to these vibrant cities during a time of great change. (GER36, $13.95)
Making a Nation, Breaking a Nation  •  Andrew Wachtel HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 302 PAGES A scholarly account of the downfall of Yugoslavia with a focus on the Serb-Croat dynamic. (BLK58, $26.95)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
Materada  •  Fulvio Tomizza  •  Russell Scott Valentino LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER (BLK79, $15.95)
Mediterranean Winter, The Pleasures of History and Landscape in Tunisia, Sicily, Dalmatia, and Greece  •  Robert D. Kaplan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES The prolific journalist and traveler revisits the Mediterranean of his youth in this extended meditation on the pleasures and freedom of life on the road. He conjures images of archaeological sites, Byzantine art, ancient temples and monuments, taking in Carthage, Sicily, Greece, and the Dalmatian coast. (MED78, $14.00)
The Ministry of Pain  •  Dubravka Ugresic LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER This contemporary novel revolves around a Croatian writer and her circle, a group of exiled Croats, Serbs and Bosnians. (BLK97, $13.95)
Montenegro Coast Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A traveler's map of the coast of Montenegro, islands and adjacent countryside at a scale of 1:100,000. (BLK78, $11.95)
The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics  •  Ivo Banac HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER This serious scholarly study by a leading historian focuses on the foundation of the modern Yugoslav state. (BLK52, $36.95)
The Orthodox Church  •  Kallistos Ware RELIGION •  1993 •  PAPER  • 359 PAGES A comprehensive, clear overview of the origins, historical development and practice of Eastern Christianity by a British scholar and Archbishop. With chapters on Byzantium, conversion of the Slavs, the Church under Islam, Moscow and St. Petersburg and the contemporary Orthodox world. (GEN261, $17.00)
Plagues and Peoples  •  William McNeill HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 365 PAGES Wide-ranging, fascinating and well researched, this book traces the waves of epidemics that raged through Europe, particularly the famous Black Death of the 13th and 14th centuries. (EUR26, $15.95)
Return to Diversity: A Political History of East Central Europe Since World War II  •  Joseph Rothschild HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 338 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE An opinionated, well-written and clear political history of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania since WWII, completely revised for this third edition to reflect post-Soviet realities. (EUR31, $34.95)
Rough Guide Croatia  •  Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES A practical, comprehensive guide to Croatia for the traveler. Organized geographically, it also includes a 35-page section on the culture and history of the region. (BLK31, $19.99)
Serbia and Montenegro Map  •  Reise Know How 2004 •  MAP A product of the World Mapping Project, this full-color map, double-sided map of Serbia and Montenegro is at a detailed scale of 1:400,000. (BLK48, $14.95)
The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia  •  Tim Judah HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 382 PAGES An even-handed history of Serbia and the dissolution of Yugoslavia by an award-winning journalist who was on assignment in the region from 1990-1995. Timothy Judah (Kosovo: War and Revenge), who was Balkans correspondent for the London Times and the Economist, has also written widely on the region for the New York Review of Books. (BLK49, $18.00)
Southeastern Europe Under Ottoman Rule  •  Peter F. Sugar HISTORY •  1983 •  PAPER  • 365 PAGES A scholarly survey of five centuries of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, from the Empire's first advances in the 14th century up to its decline in the 19th century. (BLK20, $32.50)
Sunflower Guide Slovenia  •  David Robertson GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 136 PAGES A compact, popular guide to suggested walks and drives in Slovenia from the Julian Alps to the lakes, Adriatic coast and Ljubljana. (BLK57, $15.99)
Through the Embers of Chaos, Balkan Journeys  •  Dervla Murphy TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 388 PAGES • COMING IN She's the best. This seventy-something Irish grandmother writes from the heart with authority and verve, interweaving three separate trips throughout the region with history, crack reportage and her usual astute observation. Her Balkan Journeys are three: a visit to Croatia over the holidays in 1991-92, a more extensive trip to Serbia in 1999 and a grand tour through Croatia, Boznia-Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo in 2000. She's no dilettante either, preferring to linger and to travel by foot or bicycle (or, in some cases, by mule). (BLK43, $15.95)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
The Venetian Empire, 1200-1670  •  David Nicolle HISTORY •  1989 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES A volume in the Men-At-Arms series, this clever book features illustrations of the city, people and the miltary of the Venetian Empire at its height. With chapters on the Venetians, The Age of Expansion, Venice on the Defensive, and Arms and Armor. (BLK50, $15.95)
Venice and the Slavs, The Discovery of Dalmatia in the Age of Enlightenment  •  Larry Wolff HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 404 PAGES Professor of history at Boston College, Wolff's expertise is the divide between eastern and western Europe: its intellectual, political and artificial origins. For this volume he focuses on the Venetian empire in the Balkans in the 1700s, finding there much that explains modern Yugoslavia and westerners' attitudes toward the Balkans. (BLK35, $27.95)
Venice, a Maritime Republic  •  Frederic C. Lane HISTORY •  1973 •  PAPER  • 505 PAGES A wonderfully written history of the Venetian empire, engrossing in its scholarly detail. Lane (who has also written a book on Venetian ships) focuses on the history of trade from the origin of the city in the 6th century to modern times. With drawings, maps, and archival photos. (ITL24, $26.95)
Visible Cities Dubrovnik  •  Annabel Barber GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 199 PAGES • COMING IN An informative, personable guide to exploring the city and surroundings, featuring a good overview of the history of Dubrovnik, suggested walking tours, a map of the city center and practical advice on where to go and what to do. (BLK40, $24.95)
Words Are Something Else  •  David Albahari LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER (BLK80, $15.95)
A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age  •  William Manchester HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 322 PAGES In this wide-ranging study, Manchester evokes in vivid detail the great figures and daily life of the 16th century, with information on Henry VIII, Magellan, Borgia, da Vinci and Martin Luther. This is his 18th book and Manchester knows how to tell a great story. It's divided into three sections: Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery. (EUR06, $15.99)
The World of Venice  •  Jan Morris HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 315 PAGES • FAVORITE Morris displays her talent for research, telling anecdote and well-wrought prose in this spirited portrait of a beloved city, its history and inhabitants. If you are going to read one book on Venice, we recommend this favorite. Originally published in 1974 and revised for this edition, it's a tour de force. (ITL12, $16.00)
Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation  •  Laura Silber  •  Allan Little HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 403 PAGES Called "one of the finest volumes to come out of the war" by the "New York Times," an adjunct to a powerful documentary film. With an emphasis on Serbian complicity, the book combines eyewitness reports, political commentary and documentary photographs to elucidate the origins and aftermath of the breakup of Yugoslavia. It follows the Balkan struggles from the stirring of Serb nationalism in 1987 through the Fall of Krajina in August 1995. With a useful chronology, coverage of major personalities and a balanced perspective, it is an accessible portrait of civil war. (BLK03, $17.00)