Anti religious/anti catholic hit piece

Narrator was great but biased hit piece overall. Loved the narrator though. would not recommend

6 people found this helpful

Badly researched, one sided and ignorant at the times.

Well, another great review from somebody who falsely claims being impartial (and even less informed) . No wonder Mr Obama was confused. The whole science fiction work sounds like commissioned by marshal tito. yugoslav nostalgia dripping from every page.

5 people found this helpful

Interesting, but Problematic

Robert Kaplan does exactly what he set out to do. He creates a well written and compelling travelogue/ series of essays on his experience in the Balkans in the 1980s, that highlight key issues and conflicts. Yet it is problematic for a few reasons. He often tells histories through questionable narratives and often leaves the reader/listener confused about the breath of historic events. On top of that his generalizations and reliance on personal friendships reveals a bit of a bias. He makes good points, but also generalizations. I am also a bit skeptical of the effectiveness of this style of book over such a huge and diverse area. He might have said it best at the beginning when he suggested such a book could encourage readers to read more on this subject and thus develop a stronger understanding of the region themselves.

5 people found this helpful

No Central Theme

The book drifts too much and there is nothing solid in it. Too many stories NOT tied together makes this a bad book.

5 people found this helpful

I felt privileged to read it

Not the first Kaplan book I've read but certainly the best. I loved the singular travelogue perspective through space and time. It's very well written and delivered and I learned much despite having traveled to many of these places during the same years. I didn't want it to end. This is what makes audiobooks worth it! And for those who feel shorted by the less than a master class in Balkan history, or too one-sided, I say, ha! That proves the point. That's why they call it "Balkanization." No one is ever happy about anything.

4 people found this helpful

Exceedingly well narrated for a very interesting book

This is more than a travel book. Kaplan writes with clarity and erudition giving the reader an interesting wealth of historical background.

2 people found this helpful

Long but very informative

I have a better understanding of why the region has struggled so badly. Basically they have been screwed by every one. And still denied the freedom they deserve

Fascinating Read

As an American, I grew up painfully unaware of most of the Balkans — despite my Slovenian heritage. This is a fantastic summary of the region across the past century and a half that served as a great catch-up for the history I wish I’d learned decades ago.

A very slow dissection of the Balkans

Robert Kaplan does a master class job of explaining and very great and compelling detail the history of the different countries that make up the Balkans, of the present day, Croatia, vasquez, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece , as well as the role the ottoman empire played in the sheathing, and so many ethnic and religious hatred that exists even to this day. Says the book is written in the early 1990s at risk being a little outdated, but the history and background homemade relevant or any leader who wants to understand this very complicated reason.

Another great read by Robert Kaplan

What an adventure it would be to actually travel with Robert Kaplan. This was a wonderful journey.