Average customer rating:
- Objectivity Might Be the Key Word Describing this Book
- Kosovo (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies)
- Exceptional historical insight in region
- Exceptional political insight into Kosovo
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Kosovo: Background to a War (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies)
Stephen Schwartz
Manufacturer: Anthem Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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Serbia
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Yugoslavia
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Russia
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International
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ASIN: 1898855560 |
Book Description
A unique contribution to the continuing debate over one of the most important international conflicts to emerge as the century turned, Schwartz offers a readable, profound, and multifaceted overview of the long Albanian-Serbian controversy over the troubled province, drawing on sources previously ignored by non-Balkan authors. He presents an original and detailed analysis of the collapse of Yugoslavia, a penetrating critique of Western inaction in the face of the long-festering Kosovo crisis, and a rare, unblinkered diagnosis of the weakness of Western and international policies in the Balkans following armed intervention.
Features include:
** Unique perspective of a long-term resident in the region.
** Draws on information unavailable to non-resident authors.
**Highly readable yet thorough history of the ethnic violence in the Balkans.
Customer Reviews:
Objectivity Might Be the Key Word Describing this Book.......2003-06-12
Considering its location, in the continent considered as the hearth of modern knowledge, culture and science, there hardly exists any other place about which the world knows less than Kosovo. So every attempt to enlighten this obscure part of Europe should be congratulated. The matter becomes even more important after one of the most recent wars, where NATO, the world's biggest and best-equipped military force, was involved.
Schwartz begins with discussing the origins of Albanians and Slavs, their first historical evidences about the inhabitation of the region, and their encounter from the Slavic invasion of the Balkans throughout the Ottoman era. He then goes through the post Balkan Wars and the two World Wars - when Serbia conquered and consolidated its rule over Kosovo, backed by the victorious powers, as a reward for being their war ally. Kosovo was added to the big newly formed YugoSlavia, and with the isolation of its motherland Albania by the communist regime of Enver Hoxha who did or could do nothing about Kosovo; it was left alone like an orphan amidst Slavs, its eternal enemy. The author in the following section focuses on this part properly, since it forced Kosovars (as the Kosovo Albanians are called) to rely on and organize among themselves, under the continuously growing discrimination and pressure by Slavs. Lastly, Schwartz analyses the post-communist period, overloaded with significant developments for this case. Loss of trust to nonviolence resistance, which was surprisingly "rewarded" with massacres by the Milosevic regime, led to the formation of Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK). This is the starting point of armed conflict between Serbs and Albanians, which brought NATO airpower on the skies of Yugoslavia for 78 days.
The author could do better in the last chapter 1999 - Intervention and its aftermath. He is not able to make a clear analysis of the consequences of the intervention, probably because time is needed for these fresh events, whose impact goes on even today, to become pure history. He could also give some alternative or prediction about the final status of Kosovo, which is still unresolved and unknown even to those interested most: the Kosovars, the West, and the Balkan countries.
But Schwartz has special merits for successfully referring to and examining both Slavic and Albanian non/official sources, considering the huge inconsistencies among them, to make the book clear and highly readable. He also seems to successfully reach his goal of writing this book, giving a "background to a war", by analyzing and combining history, culture and even myths or other psychological factors, which contributed to the formation of the identities involved in the conflict. He extracts old and new, well-known and usually unknown facts and evidences to many of the Westerners and even domestic inhabitants, evaluates and serves them in a easily comprehendible fashion to all readers who want to have an insight in the case.
So the book deserves an important place among many of the books that are being written recently about Kosovo. It is highly recommendable especially to those exploring the conflict in depth since "it is drawn on sources previously ignored by non-Balkan authors" and maintains an impartial position, different from that of Balkan writers who advocate their own or particular group/countries' interests.
Klediol Murati, June 11, 2003
IR Student, Middle East Technical University
Kosovo (Anthem Slavic and Russian Studies).......2001-12-01
Only intellectual blindness may prevent reader to instantly recognize Stephen Schwartz subjective and groundless interpretation of history.
His comic conclusions, and irresponsible pro-Albanian propaganda are only surpassed by his blunt and mindless hatred of anything and everything that is Slavic.
Don't waste your money...
Exceptional historical insight in region.......2000-08-31
KOSOVO: Background to a War (UK) by Stephen Schwartz provides a concise yet detailed account of the main historical and cultural political currents that created the necessity for the NATO intervention and occupation. Schwartz is an especially astute observer of telling historical parallels and refined ethnic sensibilities, probably because he speaks the languages and makes himself available to discuss the political and religious implications with soldiers, politicians, scholars and common people. The study represents a political analysis of the central issues between the Serbs and Albanians that continues to exasperate the area.
Unlike many political commentaries this work provides glimpses of the history, culture, literature, poetry and passion of the people making this account rich read with the narrative flow of a novel.
Exceptional political insight into Kosovo.......2000-08-25
KOSOVO: Background to a War by Stephen Schwartz provides aconcise yet detailed account of the main historical and cultural political currents that created the necessity for the NATO intervention and occupation. Schwartz is an especially astute observer of telling historical parallels and refined ethnic sensibilities, probably because he speaks the languages and makes himself available to discuss the political and religious implications with soldiers, politicians, scholars and common people. The study represents a political analysis of the central issues between the Serbs and Albanians that continues to exasperate the area. Unlike many political commentaries this work provides glimpses of the history, culture, literature, poetry and passion of the people making this account rich read with the narrative flow of a novel.
Average customer rating:
- An important study of ethic rivalry and nationalism
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Between Nation and State: Serbian Politics in Croatia Before the First World War (Series in Russian and East European Studies)
Nicholas John Miller
Manufacturer: University of Pittsburgh Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Croatia
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
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Serbia
| Europe
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Yugoslavia
| Europe
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Russia
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General
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History & Theory
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General
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Political History
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ASIN: 0822939894 |
Customer Reviews:
An important study of ethic rivalry and nationalism.......1998-01-17
This readable and well researched study of the Serbian community in Croatia sheds bright light on the political, ethic, and regional rivalries that endure in the tragedy of modern Yugoslavia.
Average customer rating:
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Serbs and Russians
David MacKenzie
Manufacturer: East European Monographs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Eastern
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Serbia
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ASIN: 0880333561 |
Book Description
In Part I of Serbs and Russians, MacKenzie deals in general terms with the historical relationship of the two groups, and his impressions of Serbia during the Western-imposed embargo of 1995. Part II describes the roles of four important Serbian leaders who contributed to Yugoslav unification and national development before the second World War. Part III deals with Russia's relation to Serbia between 1876 and 1917, and Part IV is devoted to Serbian conspiracies and conspirators.
Average customer rating:
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Ethnic conflict and European affairs revisited: The Serb-Croat quarrel and French diplomacy, 1929-1935 (The Donald W. Treadgold papers in Russian, East European, and Central Asian studies)
Brigit Farley
Manufacturer: Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Europe
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| Albania
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ASIN: B0006RIV0S |
Average customer rating:
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Paronymes russo/serbo-croates: "amis" et "faux-amis"
Jovanka Cemerikic
Manufacturer: Publications-diffusion, Universite de Provence
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Polyglot
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Russian
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ASIN: 2853991814 |
Product Description
Learn about and identify birds using Stan Tekiela's state-by-state field guides. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. Using this field guide is a real pleasure. It's a great way for anyone to learn about the birds in your state.
Customer Reviews:
Birds Of PA.......2007-10-06
Chur-REE! A couple of years ago, these plush, stuffed toy birds showed up in Dunham's, each one with a real bird song inside, recorded by the Audubon Society. My mom and I picked one out as a Christmas present for my nephew, joked how my grandmother Laura would have gotten a kick out of these. I received the red-wing blackbird for Christmas, much to the dismay of the cat but to my endless fascination. For me, it's not the robin who is the harbinger of spring in these parts. As someone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, and who doesn't experience that, to some extent, living around here?), I know winter's back is truly broken for another year when I see the red-wing blackbirds in the fields. And now, after freaking out the cat and annoying my boyfriend by pushing my stuffed bird's button a hundred times, I will never forget what to listen for, as well.
As fun as the Audubon toys are, I can't afford to buy one for every birdsong I'd like to learn. And although it's amusing to open this article with my approximation of birdspeak, I think you'll get more from the expert who will become birders' - amateur and serious - new best friend. Stan Tekiela is an award-winning author, wildlife photographer, naturalist, columnist, and radio-show host from Minnesota. To date, Stan has published nearly sixty books, filled with gorgeous, close-up color photos, and well-organized information. His books include guides on birds in nearly forty states as well as regions like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. He has also penned books on categories of birds, such as raptors or geese; family nature guides; a how-to begin mushroom hunting; and several guides to regional tree and wildflower identification.
With his bird guides for specific states, Stan has taken out the guesswork that comes with larger classics like Audubon, Stokes, Peterson or National Geographic - "does this bird even live in my area?" And best of all, almost every Stan Tekiela state bird book has a companion audio CD (or CDs). At the bottom of every information page in the bird books, there is a reference to the CD track number where one can hear the bird matching the description and photo from the book! The CDs can be purchased separately, or as part of a guidebook-and-CD set at very reasonable prices (suggested retail price of most guide books is around $13, and the CD is around $15). Now that's birding for dummies or for idiots, without the name-calling! I'm thrilled with this new discovery, which will save me from drowning in a hundred of stuffed birds, keep me in good graces with Kevin and Hobo (not always an easy trick, between the two of them), and give me a gift option for last-minute or hard-to-buy-for folks. Plus, I'm hoping to look super-knowledgeable this coming spring and summer as I name birds everywhere I go. Too bad this wasn't available to me when I was a camp counselor. But, it's never too late to learn these heart-lifting songs and teach them to others. My grandmother, Laura, would be proud.
Editor,"Of A Predatory Heart"
The first bird book I reach for!.......2007-09-01
Superb little book that covers most of the birds we see here (Northeast Pennsylvania), enlivened by wonderful text, particularly "Stan's Notes" at the end of each page, which has provided many new tidbits of information. Full page pictures are excellent, and birds are organized by color, with females given their own page when sufficiently different than the male, making it exceptionally easy for id purposes. We don't have the audio CD that is the companion to this book, but plan to get it so we can also hear the bird songs associated with each entry. We have many bird books, but because of the big pictures and excellent text, this is the one most dog-eared and used (we also keep one in the car). A must for both amateur and serious birders.
Excellent pocket guide!.......2007-06-26
If you have a bird in your yard, and you don't know what it is, how would you find out? If you live in PA, you would open this copy. It's catagorized by the primary color of the bird for quick reference. Then, in those colored sections, the bird names are organized by size: smallest to largest. So, if you have a small gray bird with a red head, you can find his name within seconds. Each entry has a brief description, migratory pattern with map, mating habits, call description, and more.
You won't find a whole lot of information about each bird in this book, but that's not its primary purpose anyway. When you want to identify a PA bird quickly and on-site, this is your book.
In fact, I just purchased a second copy to give as a gift...it's that good.
Birds of Pennsylvania Field Guide, Second Edition.......2007-01-20
A pocket size guide thats easy to use. Great photographs so that you see an actual bird not an artists portrayal.
Simply the best.......2007-01-11
This little book is fantasic! The pictures are great and the discussions of each bird include tips that are very helpful in identification.
Book Description
Designed to fit in a backpack or pocket for easy access, each of these handy and popular bird field guides comprises 272 pages and features about 175 birds organized by family as approved by the American Ornithological Union. Standard features include:
Locator Map at the front listing regional birding hotspots;
Introduction by an expert on where to find the state's top birds;
How-To-Use Section with general tips on birding and advice on making the most of the guide;
125 Easy-Access Individual Entries providing a photograph of the bird in its habitat, recognition clues, specific details on behavior, habitat, and local sites, plus a special "Field Note" with artwork for extra help in tricky identifications;
Alphabetical Index with life list; and
Color-coded Index.
Pennsylvania offers a winning variety of city and country birds. See the bright-colored, vocal Yellow-billed Cuckoo; the migratory Snow Goose; the stunning Red-Tailed Hawk; the olive Acadian Flycatcher, and more.
Customer Reviews:
excellent!.......2007-08-23
The pictures are wonderful! I have a bird feeder outside my window and have seen many birds that I didn't recognize. The pictures are perfect! I now know what type they are. Other bird books have either drawings or the pictures aren't very clear, or show a terrible likeness...with these pictures I know exactly what I'm looking at! And the information about them is very interesting.
Book Description
Pennsylvania Birds, An Introduction to Familiar Species, is a must-have, reference guide for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're on a nature hike or in your own backyard, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide. The Pocket Naturalist(tm) series is an introduction to common plants and animals and natural phenomena. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map highlighting prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Each is laminated for durability.
Product Description
Everything you need to enjoy the birds in your state is right here in this leather set. Learn about and identify birds using Stan Tekiela's state-by-state field guide. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. You'll also start recognizing birds by sound when you listen to the two audio CDs, featuring the highest quality digital recordings and approximately 120 minutes of bird calls. This set is a must-have, and it makes a perfect gift!
Customer Reviews:
Great book for beginner.......2002-08-05
This is a great book for the beginning PA bird watcher. Ideal for someone with a bird feeder who wants to know who's visiting.
The book is organized by bird colors which makes identification much easier. Other books require you to know what the bird is in order to find it.
Each description includes useful behavior and habitat info that more advanced birders might find interesting too. All images are good quality photographs. It's small enough to carry in a pocket. Don't hesitate, it's well worth the money.
Invaluable reference.......2001-05-30
For the beginning or backyard birdwatcher, this is the best book I have found. First, it limits the birds to your area, thereby ruling out a lot of birds you wouldn't be seeing anyway. Second, it shows both male and female photos if the bird is dimorphic. This makes identifying much easier. Large photos, "Stan's Notes" and organization by bird color make this book easy to use and informative.
Product Description
Learn to identify the birds in your state by sound. This set of two audio CDs offers the highest quality digital recordings, featuring approximately 120 minutes of bird calls. It's a must-have for any bird lover!
Book Description
For the thousands of local birdwatchers and the many hundreds of visitors, this glove compartment-sized book places all the excitement and opportunity of the Delaware Valley's 335 species of birds within convenient reach. Huge in coverage yet compact in size, Birding the Delaware Valley Region is the first comprehensive bird-finding guide available for the region.
With detailed directions like "behind the airport," "follow the shabby road off to the left," and "lock the car and walk the railroad tracks," this exuberant handbook tells the birder exactly how to get to the best locations and what to do when he's there. In addition to providing maps showing topographical outlines, it surveys key areas (all within a two-hour drive of Philadelphia) where most of the region's birds can be found: Hawk Mountain, Cape May Point State Park, Ridley Creek State Park, Tinicum Marsh, Brigantine National Wildlife refuge, and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
Mini-chapters discuss additional birding "hot spots" famous for great numbers of migrants, and short references to another thirty "spots" round out the regions' bird refuges to more than seventy. Simple cross-checking can be done with the annotated list, the list of accidental or casual species, the bibliography, and the index located at the end of the guide. Every question the visitor might ask and the native might wonder about is answered concisely and fully.
Average customer rating:
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Important Bird Areas of Pennsylvania
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Birds
| Field Guides
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0811728099 |
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