Book Description
"I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. In objectivity, in range, in mastery of detail in beauty of language and feeling for the people involved, this work surpasses anything else on the subject.... It stands alongside the work of the best of them."--New Republic
Customer Reviews:
A Non american perspective of this Epic.......2005-09-10
Well, Mr. Footes trip tyk has been applauded for many years and most of it is said. Being a non-american, I can only attest to the fact that Mr. Foote, in this, the final volume, stays clear of being a Civil War nerd, un-intelligable for non-americans. He as well, stays clear of being the sterile academic. His style is clear and displays a very good interest for the individuals. Great story telling without too much embellishing.
What he however does best, is to bring home the fact , that, of all conflicts, this was the true watershed of the U.S. The casualties were far higher than any other conflict , it was fought on native soil and the civilians were badly hit.
Forget the images of Bunker Hill, Iwo Jima or the landing in Normandie; the house of Mrs. Henry at first Bull Run is a better, and more personal, reminder of the price of war. And the effects are far more enduring than, let's say, Vietnam.
Timely delivery and product accurate.......2005-07-04
No problems with the purchase. Got the correct book on time for a reasonable price.
News from the Front.......2000-12-20
Shelby Foote takes the Civil War and dissects its every twist and turn in a writing style that feels as if your hearing news from the front in an ongoing war. That is a good thing since these three volumes are very hefty. This book is not for the mildly curious, you will get bored and overwhelmed by the dates, names and places. But to military history, history, or civil war buffs, it is as detailed and factual as you could want. This is truly a thesis of study on the war between the states.
The book handles personalities of both individuals and cultures and their effects on the war. The reading can be slow going at times as armies march toward each other and the order of battle becomes established with the commanders names and stations, but the battle details seem incredibly well researched and the accounts of individual soldiers/officers bring home the reality of this conflict.
This book is well worth the effort to read, it imparts a sense of what the United States has survived and clarifies many historical perceptions of the era and the people involved in this massive conflict. My only suggestion, keep a note pad at your elbow as you read this book, it is slow going and you'll need to take notes about commanders and places to keep it all straight in your head.
Does not live up to its reputation.......1999-11-19
It's too bad that Foote writes so well (even if he's a bit wordy at times) because that has ensured that these bad books have become one of the most important sources of popular opinion on the Civil War. All three volumes are filled with errors; not just interpretive but serious factual errors as well. Read McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" instead. Even Bruce Catton's older stuff has stood the test of time better and, in my humble opinion, is far more eloquent
one of the greatest pieces i have ever read!!.......1998-12-18
shelby foote has shown that he is the premier writer of this century..though his modesty wouldnt permit him saying that..i think he far surpasses all his mentors..percy,faulkner included!!!!
Book Description
This is the story of the "Handschar," a Muslim combat formation created by the Germans to "restore order in Bosnia." What actually transpired was quite different. , over 250 b/w photographs, 6" x 9"
Customer Reviews:
Excellent work.......2007-10-07
Wow, this book is amazing, it`s full of pictures and maps that illustrate the real truth about SS Handzar, excellent work, i recommend this book to all Bosniaks.
Great book!.......2007-08-23
Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943-1945 by George Lepre is the most important book in english on this Bosnian Division of Waffen-SS; well written and information is supported by documents, veterans,... It's also "most have" for everyone, who is interested in military history of World War Two in this part of world.
Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943-1945.......2007-02-21
great background history to today's strategic events in Middle East
Impressive..........2004-10-08
Undoubtedly the most complete study concerning this obscure formation of the Waffen SS (the military branch of the SS organization) ever published. George Lepre, an american historian, tells us in details, the creation, the training and the military records of the 'handschar' division.
Raised in 1943, when Nazi germany was facing a manpower shortage, the 'handschar division' was the first Waffen SS unit, in a nazi point of view, made of 'racially inferior' elements (as Slavs were considered to be...). Thus, this mountain division (13th of the armed SS) was combining an 'all german' staff (officers and ncos) with a muslim-slav infantry (some muslim-albanians from kosovo were also accepted although). The fact that the nazis, known for their strict atheism (Hitler was the only 'God' they were encouraged to praise...) were willing to accept in their ranks, for the first time, some very religious muslim-slavs is another evidence of how bad the military situation had turned for them...
Fully trained and well equipped, the unit, according testimonies of some of its german officers, could not be compared to a german division of a similar nature. In spite of that, the Handschar was involved from february to september 1944 in several anti-partisan operations in which, it gained many successes but also some serious setbacks... In overall, that unit, thanks to its superior german leadership and its heavy armament, was a deadly opponent to the partisans. Lepre doesn't hide the atrocities the unit was accused to commit against christian-serb civilians and partisan members during some operations... Needless to say, such ugly things probably happened (for further details concerning war crimes commited by some of its members, see 'the Waffen SS' by George H. Stein), and were made by all sides, as usual in a civilian and ethnical conflict. It has to be told that counter-insurgency operations are often characterized by such excesses...
The increasing of desertion rate (about three thousands of men, in a total of about eighteen thousands, according to the author), made a reorganization of the unit necessary. Several thousands of muslims, considered as unreliable, were dismissed, or transfered to labour units in october 1944 (It has to be told that most of the deserters joined Ustasa or muslim militias whereas several hundred of them choosed to fight alongside the partisans!). The few remaining, would eventually fight until the end of the conflict in hungary, very far away of their homeland they were promised to protect...
Lepre, in his study, tells us some reasons why the 'handschar division' was finally a failure : the constant opposition of the so-called "Independent State of Croatia" (in reality, no more than a puppet in german and italian hands) toward the 'muslim division', the never solved shortage of officers and ncos, the generally bad relationships between german personnel and muslim-slavs. Moreover, for many german officers and ncos, a transfer to such units wasn't a thing they were enjoyed. To them, 'Handschar' couldn't match the crack elite divisions 'Das Reich' or 'Adolf Hitler'... Last but not least, the military situation, for the germans, worsened inside and outside yougoslavia...
To conclude, this book is a must read. Some may see a pro-muslim point of view. True or not, one should consider that the author, using both german and yugoslavian official sources, has made a very complete research about this 'unknown' unit. Lepre shows us how and why thousands of muslims of the south-eastern europe decided to join nazi germany between 1941 and 1945... This a is a true historical masterpiece for everyone eager to understand what occured in Croatia during World War II.
Interesting Book on an Obscure Topic.......2004-01-06
One of the paradoxical aspects of Hitler's "elite" Waffen-SS was that more than half of the estimated 900,000 men that served in its units were not full-blooded Germans, and this fact interested me enough while attending university to write a paper on the subject. It was, therefore, while doing the research on these non-German "volunteers" that I came across George Lepre's Himmler's Bosnian Division, which documents the story of the 13th Waffen Gebirgs Division der SS "Handschar" (hereafter Handschar). In its original form as a thesis, this work was awarded the Sydney Zebel History Award from Rutgers University.
The first divisions of the Waffen-SS were essentially purely German in manpower, but starting with the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking," the Germans began to draw on foreign volunteers from occupied countries. Initially, only Nordic volunteers were accepted, but as the war progressed, and manpower shortages became more acute, the Germans began to broaden their definition of "acceptable races" to encompass just about every race except Africans and Jews.
The Head of the SS, Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler, was, in fact, fascinated by the fighting capabilities of certain non-German peoples, and this included the "Islamic faith, which he believed fostered fearless soldiers". He envisioned the creation of a Bosnian SS division constituted solely of Bosnian Muslims in a manner similar to the Bosnian divisions of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hitler, however, does not appear to have been so enthusiastic about such an undertaking, and it took some time before he finally permitted the division to be created.
The approval came in February 1943. By mid-April, approximately 8,000 men had volunteered for service with Handschar and three months later the number had only risen to 15,000. As this was still far short of the number required for a full division, recruiting of ethnic Albanians was begun, and finally the incorporation of Croatians--approximately 3,000--was permitted.
Training continued until mid-February 1944. Handschar was then returned to Bosnia where it was assigned the task of securing the northeastern region of Bosnia bordered by the Sava, Bosna, Spreca and Dvina Rivers. Anti-partisan operations commenced almost immediately, and these were carried out successfully. One of the largest was Maibaum, which was conducted in late-April against the Partisan III Bosnia Corp. After several days of fighting, one German report claimed that close to 1,000 partisans had been killed.
As was always the case, however, the setbacks that the partisans faced was not permanent. While successful, Maibaum did not fully rid the northeastern section of Bosnia from partisan activity in general, and by early June the partisans had regrouped and were on the offensive again. Heavy fighting took place at Lopare on June 8, 1944 and units from Handschar positioned there were overrun. In total, the division sustained just over 200 dead and a further 600 injured--the most serious losses to date.
For the rest of the summer, Handschar conducted further anti-partisan operations and by the end of the summer it was worn down and the morale among the men beginning to decline. During this time there were plans to form another Bosnian SS division (23rd Waffen Gebirgs Division der SS "Kama"), and officers and men were transferred from Handschar to facilitate this.
At about this same time, Handschar began to experience organizational and morale problems that were instigated by rumours that the unit would soon be leaving Bosnia. During the autumn of 1944, therefore, Handschar was plagued by desertions, and so Himmler decided that it and the still-forming Kama would be reorganized into two "small" divisions of 10,000 men each. However, on October 17, shortly after Handschar had been transferred to Zagreb (which resulted in more desertions), the men of Kama mutinied and shortly afterward it was disbanded.
It was now becoming quite evident that to the Germans that their Bosnian volunteers were becoming unreliable and as a result many were disarmed. To compensate for the loss of manpower, local Croatians were pressed into service, but this did little to enhance the fighting capabilities of Handschar, which, in mid-November, finally left Bosnia for Hungary, where it fought against the advancing Soviets.
For the rest of the winter, Handschar occupied three defensive positions--Margarethestellung, Dorotheastellung, and the Reichsschutzstellung--and were successful at slowing the Soviet advance in mid-April. It was all, of course, for no purpose as the war ended several weeks later.
Lepre relied almost entirely on primary sources in order to write Himmler's Bosnian Division and, as he explains in the preface, even these were scarce, and those that were available are "notoriously inaccurate". One has to wonder what information is not available and the implications that this has for our understanding of the true conduct of Handschar in its prosecution of its anti-partisan operations. But in terms of the book being a "chronicle of the birth, life, and ultimate death" of Handschar, the author has done an excellent job, and one hopes that it will lead to a better understanding of the paradoxical "volunteer" aspect of the Waffen-SS and the nature of the war in the Balkan Theater.
Book Description
"I have been able to follow a Bosnian community over a period of six years, during which it has undergone dramatic changes. In the late 1980s people were working hard against economic crisis. In 1990 they were full of optimism for the future. In January 1993 the village was in fear, surrounded by war on all sides. In April 1993 it was attacked by Croat forces. In October 1993 none of the Muslims in the village remained. They had either fled, been placed in detention camps, or been killed."
Thus begins Tone Bringa's moving ethnographic account of Bosnian Muslims' lives in a rural village located near Sarajevo. Although they represent a majority of the population in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Muslims are still members of a minority culture in the region that was once Yugoslavia. The question of ethno- national identity has become paramount in this society, and the author focuses on religion as the defining characteristic of identity. Bringa pays particular attention to the roles that women play in defining Muslim identities, and she examines the importance of the household as a Muslim identity sphere. In so doing, she illuminates larger issues of what constitutes "nationality."
This is a gripping and heartfelt account of a community that has been torn apart by ethno-political conflict. It will attract readers of all backgrounds who want to learn more about one of the most intractable wars of the late twentieth century and the people who have been so tragically affected.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent description of Bosnian Muslims.......2006-01-04
Over the past three years I've become close to a Bosnian Muslim extended family living in Central Texas. This past summer I was invited to spent almost 3 weeks in the Sanski Most area. About two years ago I read this book, and it has been invaluable in helping me understand customs practiced in Bosnia, and to some extent practiced in the U.S. when practical. I gave the book to one of the youth who is having a problem adjusting to U.S. life. She found some solace in having a snapshot of a life she never fully lived as she had to leave when she was 7 years old. The book is well written, engaging, and more importantly, reflects the life of these rural Muslim Bosnians very accurately.
an extremely useful work.......2005-07-22
Bringa provides here a very readable and accessible discussion of identity boundaries in a mixed Muslim/Catholic village during the period directly before the Bosnian War. Her chapter on the history and historiography of Bosnian identity is, I think, the best piece available on the subject. Her treatment of local culture and local boundaries is warmly written and scholarly... in the best tradition of anthropological literature.
I have used this course in an undergraduate seminar I taught to very good effect. The students enjoyed the book and seemed to get a lot out of it.
This book is not a primer on the Bosnian War, nor does it attempt to make a global explanation for why that war occurred. It is however a tremendous resource on Bosnian Muslim culture and a very important contribution to the literature on identity and cultural boundaries. For those interested in such issues, I can give this work a very strong recommendation.
A unique book that is well worth reading.......2002-12-25
Filled with observation of the Muslim and (to a lesser extent) Croat culture of a typical mixed Muslim-Croat village in central Bosnia. The author, a Norwegian anthropologist, had done fieldwork in Bosnia-Hercegovina during the five years preceding the 1992-1995 wars. She wrote the book during those wars and after the village that she had studied had been destroyed. Well worth reading. (I discovered Bringa as I was writing Untangling Bosnia and Hercegovina, a book about post-war Bosnia and Hercegovina. I found her book to be an absolutely unique and valuable resource.)
An excellent case study of interethnic relations.......2000-11-07
Bringa, a lecturer of social anthropology at Bergen University of Norway, conducted extensive fieldwork over a period of six years in a mixed Croat-Muslim village in Central Bosnia. Through careful ethnography she has observed the ways in which such concepts as "ethnos", "nation", and "religion" were understood by, and effected the Bosnians with whom she studied. She demonstrates the complexities of interethnic relations on a micro-level. This study helps question overarching theories of nationalism, which exaggerate the difference between different nations. This study is detailed, well-researched and well-written. Despite its detail, it can be highly recommended for anybody working on or interested in Bosnia, former Yugoslavia and interethnic relations.
Average customer rating:
- An Inciteful Well Thought Out Book.
- Excellent introduction to understanding the Balkans
- A complex description of a complex tragedy
- Good book, terribly written
|
The Bosnian Muslims: Denial of a Nation
Francine Friedman
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Islamic
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Human Rights
| Constitutional Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
To End a War (Modern Library Paperbacks)
-
Being Muslim the Bosnian Way
-
Blood and Vengeance: One Family's Story of the War in Bosnia
ASIN: 0813320968 |
Customer Reviews:
An Inciteful Well Thought Out Book........2006-09-20
Dr. Friedman has published a thoughtful and well-researched book. She lays out an accurate history of the Bosnian Muslims throughout time, providing a comprehensive look at the unfolding of events that led to their religious and societal strife. Her work provides a useful tool for further research.
Excellent introduction to understanding the Balkans.......2005-04-15
I've had the opportunity to study under Dr. Friedman throughout my undergraduate and graduate career. While her classes were difficult and research driven, her book allowed for a starting point for further research. I also must admit it was and still is a book I could easily pick up to read again. Dr. Friedman's book successfully shows the reader the trajedy of the ethnic conflicts that have taken place in the Balkans. Her book's strength is showing the historical context for the social and relgious problems between the serbs, muslims, and croats. No single book could hope to fully explain the complexity of the socio-political problems that have taken place in Bosnia, but it should help anyone wanting to have a basic understanding of Balkan politics.
A complex description of a complex tragedy.......2002-11-25
Upon reading Dr. Francine Friedman's "The Bosnian Muslims," I now have a much greater understanding of the Bosnian War and Balkan Crisis. Though wordy at times, "The Bosnian Muslims" provides a thorough description of the history, exploitation, and violent confrontations of this volatile and troubled region.
Good book, terribly written.......1999-09-13
Friedman presents a well thought out, but disorganized history and analysis of the terrible conflicts faced by Yugoslavia, especially by the Muslims. With better writing skill, the material could make a great book.
Average customer rating:
- A concise study of an immigrant minority
|
Immigration & Assimilation
Senad Agic
Manufacturer: Wyndham Hall Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Cultural
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Emigration & Immigration
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1556053703 |
Book Description
Dr. Senad Agiæ (a Muslim imam and community worker)explores the various facets of the Bosnian Muslim community in America. He lays down a solid background of the origins of this distinctive ethic group and explains the various effects that assimilation has had on its culture. Along with some fascinating data focusing primarily on Islamic religious identity, Agiæ presents some remarkable conclusions on the future preservation of Bosnian cultural traits into the future. His work is recommended for all those interested in Eastern European, immigrant or Islamic issues.
Customer Reviews:
A concise study of an immigrant minority.......2005-02-08
This is a concise and well-written essay about a unique topic, which fills an important void in information about the Muslim community in the USA. Imam Agic, an experienced, highly educated and respected religious leader. He represents a great resource and is an exemplary scholar of a Muslim leader that is sorely missing among Muslims in America. He addresses many of the painful but truthful issues that have been defining many of the immigrant's communities to the "land of opportunity". Imam Senad, as his community call him, is a European Bosnian Muslim with a great connection to the Islamic heritage of this country. He is well equipped with his fluency in Arabic and knowledge of Persian in addition to his command of English. Through his example he serves many functions and helps immigrants from his homeland. He understands their issues and is able to connect three generations that he is contemporary with, which represent almost the whole spectrum of the Bosnian community in the US. In addition, he is well connected to his township and neighborhood and to other religions throughout the USA.
The book is an important study in history, sociology and psychology of on of the earliest and largest Muslim group of immigrants to the USA. It descries the strife of this group, the variables that impacted their life as any other immigrant community, as a European, Muslim community in addition to their suffering through forced immigration after the early 1990's war.
The social and global issues that impacted this community were so drastic in such a short time. In the early 20th century immigration was not different for this ethnic group was not different from that of any Eastern European group, however, an implied hindrance of language, lack of similar cultural habits compared to the receiving community, may have contributed to delayed assimilation, particularly of blue coaler labor. On the other hand, the unique Balkan war experience in the early ninties provided a more complex dimension to this growing community. He emphasized the role of the Islamic Cultural Center (ICC) in Northbrook, IL and particularly educated women. The outlook of 3 generations on Islam, education, Americanization is thoroughly analyzed. However, minor editorial remarks and the addition of graphs and statistical figures would have made this book perfect.
Average customer rating:
|
In a Bosnian Trench: A Wartime Memoir of a Muslim Bosnian Soldier
Elvir Kulin , and
Maury Hirschkorn
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Biographies & Memoirs
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1412048842
Release Date: 2007-02-05 |
Product Description
Elvir Kulin shares his experiences as a civilian and soldier in wartime Bosnia.
Average customer rating:
|
Text and Context: Folksong in a Bosnian Muslim Village
Yvonne R. Lockwood
Manufacturer: Slavica Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instruments & Performers
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
| Academic & Commercial
| Business
| Children's Literature
| Editing
| Fiction
| General
| Genre Fiction
| Journalism
| Newspapers & Magazines
| Nonfiction
| Play & Scriptwriting
| Poetry
| Technical
| Travel
| Writing Skills
ASIN: 0893571202 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from East European Quarterly, published by East European Quarterly on June 22, 1996. The length of the article is 8376 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: Muslim protests to Austro-Hungarian officials about that empire's administrative practices in the late 19th century culminated in a Muslim independence movement for cultural and religious freedom which lasted until 1909. This movement was the basis for the eatablishment of Bosnia-Hercegovina's first Muslim party in 1906. Reasons for this movement included opposition to the pan-Islamic efforts of the fading Ottoman empire, local agricultural and educational problems and the Muslims' desire to keep the old social system and the privileges they enjoyed under it.
Citation Details
Title: The emergence of the first Muslim party in Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Author: Aydin Babuna
Publication:
East European Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 1996
Publisher: East European Quarterly
Volume: v30
Issue: n2
Page: p131(21)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Australian Journal of Social Issues, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2007. The length of the article is 7528 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the author: Keywords: religion, migration, conflict
Citation Details
Title: Faith, flight and foreign policy: effects of war and migration on Western Australian Bosnian Muslims.
Author: Daniel Vujcich
Publication:
Australian Journal of Social Issues (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 42
Issue: 1
Page: 71(16)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- The Early Study of Nigerian Languages: Essays and Bibliographies (Modern Revivals in African Studies)
- The First Seal: (The Templar Trial)
- The Geographic Revolution in Early America: Maps, Literacy, and National Identity (Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia)
- The Historian's Wizard of Oz: Reading L. Frank Baum's Classic as a Political and Monetary Allegory
- The Indo-China War 1946-1954 (Men-At-Arms, 322)
- The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome: The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in the Words of Those Who Were There (Mammoth Books)
- The Military Operations of General Beauregard in the War Between the States 1861 to 1865: Including a Brief Personal Sketch and a Narrative of His S
- The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt (Hist Atlas)
- The Second Attack on Pearl Harbor: Operation K And Other Japanese Attempts to Bomb America in World War II
- The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Whirlwind: The Godfather of Black Tennis
- The Boston Terrier: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
- Lost Geography: A Novel
- Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics
- Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop
- Robots, Androids and Animatrons, Second Edition : 12 Incredible Projects You Can Build
- Rivers Running Free: A Century of Women's Canoeing Adventures
- Spatial Dynamics of European Integration: Regional and Policy Issues at the Turn of the Century
- Playing for a Living: Without Apology
- Lexis Nexis Corporate Affiliations 2003