Explore the Rich History of the Balkans: A Journey Through Balkan Ghosts

M Clark: Journalist Robert Kaplan travelled through the Balkans during the late 1980s just before war broke out in the region. His travels took him to Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. This travel book includes good summaries of the history of each country and the regions with the country as well as interviews with an interesting and diverse cast of characters. What you hear from these interviews is the remarkable level of hatred simmering in the area. You also learn that what you hear for history of each area depends a lot upon who is doing the telling.

Although the book includes a few essays from a later period, the book still feels dated and makes the reader hunger for an updated history.

Germany on Aug 21, 2023

Bob S: An excellent look back at the dynamic history of the Balkans and its different cultures, religions, languages, etc that exist in so many countries packed into such a relatively small area. How can these people and countries move past their rough and tumble history and finally live in peace?

Canada on Jul 31, 2023

Anatoly: This book opens your eyes on the Balkans and clarifies multiple points on why they are the way they are now from historical perspective. I liked the way of travel guide mixed in it. All in all truly a gem to read to understand modern world better.

United Kingdom on Mar 23, 2023

F. J. Stone: Reading Kaplan's tour de force on the Balkan's provides an excellent foundation for understanding one of the world's least understood - at least by most Americans - regions. Kaplan takes the reader along on his travels through the region one country/sub-country at a time as he experiences the ground level history, issues and environment for each. As you "travel" with him you get a much better appreciation for why issues in the region are so complex; it's combining into the same geographic melting pot religions - Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Muslim; cultures - east and west; politics - democracy, socialism, communism, and fascism; national pride - Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Russia; and conflict - Balkan Wars I and II, World Wars I and II and the Cold War. Taking the time to read Balkan Ghosts is well worth the investment.

United States on Feb 06, 2023

ctelmo: I learned a lot about balkans. As an European (portuguese), didn't know almost anything about sites, politics an "ghosts" in balkans. I am curious about visiting some sites. Sometimes personal opinion of an American is to be balanced by readers.

United States on Dec 17, 2022

Still learning: Kaplan is an excellent writer. If you are interested in the Balkans, and are looking for a bit more insight as to why citizens of these neighbouring countries hate each other so much, Kaplan can help. The book is a wee bit out of date by now, but as someone who has visited the Balkans a few times, I clearly recognize as accurate the pictures Kaplan paints. Four - plus stars.

Canada on Jan 14, 2019

Harry: I drove through Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia this summer to help a friend with some research on his book. I loved the countries and the people, but came away shaking my head. Just under the surface there is still a simmering ethnic hatred and I decided I needed to know more. The author being an American is able to take himself away from the hostility that plagued the area for ages. While there I spoke to older people about the bitterness in the area, I was always told its always the fault of other ethnic or religious groups. When I spoke to younger people that had left their homeland, went to college and returned. I am always told "I am Croatian and I am Catholic so this is my opinion," Or "I am a Serb, and I am Orthodox so this is my opinion." I definitely wanted more of a historical insight. This book was a good starting point. I purchased some other books but can clearly see the authors prejudices. The book is a quick read and covers a wide area. I may purchase a few more copies to give to friends.

United States on Nov 05, 2018

Sterling Wright: I have done archaeological field work in two Balkan states, Macedonia and Romania. I recommend this book to any archaeologist who plans on doing field work in the Balkans, even though it is not an archaeology book. I recommend it because no matter where you choose to go, you will have much greater appreciation about the country you visit. Although most of the book is based on Kaplan's experiences from thirty-plus years ago, many of the sentiments he writes about have remained the same. For instance, he gives great insight about the history of the Balkan states had been shaped by Tito, Ceausescu, and Papadopoulos. However, he is not a cliche historian. He is a journalist and so much of the book includes interviews about the real people he met during his travels to the country. You get to hear what these people have to say about politics, America, communism, and their struggles. I also appreciate that he was not shy about his biases and includes them in the book. If you get a chance, I also recommend his book, "In Europe's Shadow."

United States on Jan 11, 2018

Adrian J. Smith: Balkan Ghosts is a book that defies categorization. In part a travel memoir, in part a historical critique, and in part an analysis of the then political climate. Balkan Ghosts displays an excellent synergy of the above as it does much more than take the reader on, as the title suggests, a journey through history, but rather one is rewarded a stimulating and aesthetic treat, a book that one does not simply digest, but one lives.
Kaplan brings a writing and storytelling style all of his own, something I had become familiar with in his most reason Monsoon, and to a lesser extent in his more ideological treatise Warrior Politics. However, it must be noted that Balkan Ghosts became the travel reading of President Clinton, some say an influence on his Yugoslavia policy, for better or worse, and coincidentally the book that put Kaplan on the map.
Published in 1993, before the worst of the wars in the former Yugoslavia had yet to happen, Balkan Ghosts is as much a study of countries often forgotten in the Western mind amidst the more immediate chaos of the past 20 years. Within these volumes Kaplan examines the poverty and eccentric chaos of Ceausescu's Romania, and its difficult...

United Kingdom on Nov 21, 2010

reader 451: Balkan Ghosts is a compete curate's egg: it is neither history nor travel writing, neither political analysis nor journalism, nor is it all these things together.

Its chief merit is in the prologue: a set of articles published in the 90s by Kaplan arguing for Western intervention in the Yugoslav wars. If anything, these articles were not vocal enough, but they act as a vital reminder of the abject failure of judgement and nerves of the US and EU - particularly the EU, supposedly founded to avoid such wars and atrocities reoccurring in Europe ever again. Then Kaplan says that Clinton may have been influenced by his book against intervention because it sounded the note of unsolvable, age-old hatreds. The author wrings his hands. But the paradox is that when one moves on to the section on ex-Yugoslavia, one understands Clinton. It does portray a stereotypically violent, 'eternally unfathomable East'. It has either too much or too little history. Kaplan's dubious premise consists of John Reed and Rebecca West: not exactly neutral material, and written decades ago. He never pauses to question why his interlocutors - intellectuals and officials - carry on about historical events...

United States on Oct 05, 2009