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The War in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Ethnic Conflict and International Intervention
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Comments/Reviews
Description: This is a probing examination of the historical, cultural, and political dimensions of the crisis in Bosnia and the international efforts to resolve it. It provides a detailed analysis of international proposals to end the fighting, from the Vance-Owen plan to the Dayton accord, with special attention to the national and international politics that shaped them. It analyzes the motivations and actions of the warring parties, neighboring states, and international actors including the United States, the United Nations, the European powers, and others involved in the war and the diplomacy surrounding it.
With guides to sources and documentation, abundant tabular data, and over thirty maps, this will be the definitive volume on the most vexing conflict of the post-Soviet period. One reviewer commented: "Superb! There is nothing like it. Extraordinarily knowledgeable and well-documented. It has depth, it's insightful, and it's intelligent. The analysis is brilliant; it captures the goals and motives of the parties as well as their priorities. It will get lots of attention."
Selected Contents:
1. Introduction: Bosnia, Ethnic Conflict, and International Intervention
2. Conflict and Accommodation in Bosnian Political History
3. The Descent into War
4. The War on the Ground: 1992-1994
5. The International Community and the War: The Vance-Owen Plan
6. The International Community and the War: Negotiating Partition, 1993-1994
7. Imposing the Dayton Agreement
8. Dilemmas of Intervention
Comment(s): "This book is the most lucid, comprehensive and balanced account yet written of the trials of Bosnia and the American role in them." -- Michael Mandelbaum, Johns Hopkins University
"There is no better book on the war in Bosnia Herzegovina. Burg and Shoup have provided at once a political history of modern Bosnia and an exploration of the rapidly changing face of Bosnian ethnic conflict. It is a carefully documented account of what the authors call 'the descent into war' and of the horrifying bloodletting that followed. And it is both a highly readable chronicle and a painstaking analysis of the many efforts by foreign powers, West and East, to intervene in the conflict--some for their own purposes, others for the most selfless humanitarian motivations. The book will appeal as much to neophytes as to specialists. Burg and Shoup have illustrated their account with 33 specially drawn maps that clearly reveal the course and dimensions of the Bosnian tragedy. In this and in many other ways, theirs is a major accomplishment." -- Richard H. Ullman, Princeton University
"At last we have a book that makes sense of the savage Bosnian conflict. Burg and Shoup's study is thorough, balanced, and convincing. Using sources rarely consulted, they give a full picture of the political, military, diplomatic, and media aspects of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia--why it started; how it was fought; and what ended it. American actions are fully and fairly delineated. The maps, tables, and statistical data are invaluable and well presented. The book can be highly recommended to foreign policy specialists and the common reader alike for its scholarship, policy analysis, and common sense. It is likely to be the definitive study of the war in Bosnia for some time to come." -- Ambassador Herbert S. Okun
Review(s): For those who, confounded by sound bites, are looking for a historically minded overview of a pressing conflict, The War in Bosnia-Herzegovina will come as a relief. [The authors] take readers through the origins of the ethnic strife, previous means of accommodation, direct causes of the war, imposition of the Dayton accords and a view of the remaining problems. Rich with maps and hard data, the book is a careful synthesis of reportage from a variety of sources. Publishers Weekly
A comprehensive examination of the Bosnian conflict. [Burg and Shoup] begin with a cogent analysis of the roots of ethnic hostility in Bosnia and conclude with an interesting probe of the Dayton agreement and its potential for 'solving' the problem. ... For those who wish to be superbly informed regarding what remains a dangerous, volatile region, this book should not be missed. Booklist
We know a great deal about the international response to Yugoslavia, but rarely have we been told, in terms other than those of a morality play, how the crises were generated in the first place and how, even after international involvement, the fate of the successor states still hinges on the details of domestic political life. ... The War in Bosnia-Herzegovina ... do[es] a great deal to change this. ... Wonderfully detailed analysis. Times Literary Supplement
Clearly describe[s] the mutual incompatibility of the goals of the warring Bosnian Muslim, Croat, and Serb communities and their unwillingness to negotiate in good faith, as well as the reluctance of the international community to pay the cost of stopping the fighting or to enforce a negotiated settlement for an indefinite period. ... Concludes with an insightful chapter on the dilemmas of intervention. This is a scholarly, carefully balanced account and thoughtful analysis of a recent tragedy involving large-scale ethnic conflict. It contains many new maps and extensive notes and bibliography. Highly recommended for all library collections. Choice
A detailed history of the Bosnian war, including its background, conduct, termination, and aftermath. [Burg and Shoup] focus on when and how the outside world should intervene to thwart such conflicts ... after describing at length Bosnia's own descent into war. They strive throughout to be fair to all sides. ... There is blame aplenty to go around. Foreign Affairs
A detailed and judicious account of the war, based on prodigious research. It is a superior work of scholarship. The Washington Post Book World
An ambitious book that will serve as a valuable resource for those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of one of the key conflicts that defines the international agenda in the post-cold war era. ... Burg and Shoup's balanced account has moved the scholarly literature on the Bosnian war a significant step forward. ... Likely to become an essential book on the war. Political Science Quarterly
Their study is important not only for explaining the political circumstances of that war, but also for helping us understand some of the dynamics of ethnic conflict and its challenge to the international community...This is a thoughtful study...It challenges us to ask what other efforts are needed to supplement or replace the political-military approach to ethnic conflict. International Journal on World Peace Vol.XVI No. 4
A remarkable and valuable book...The most definitive volume to date on the Bosnian war...One must read this volume to understand how the Bosnian war occurred, was prosecuted, and ended. American Political Science Review
The authors have produced a serious, well-thought-out, and well-balanced study of the war in Bosnia...It is a book that should be read by both those interested in international policy and in the Balkans. Insightful and provocative, this important book will have a central place in all serious future discussions of the war in Bosnia. The International History Review
All in all, this is a quite remarkable and valuable book...the most definitive volume to date on the Bosnian war. American Political Science Review
This book should be the standard reference work on this conflict...The work makes thorough use of original Bosnian sources. Lingua Franca
The War in Bosnia-Herzegovina is probably the best account in print of that confusing and unhappy period. While the authors do not in any way whitewash the Serbs, their account is thoughtful and balanced: no one comes out of it entirely blameless. The book also offers a perceptive analysis of the role of outside powers-what they could or could not have done to change the logic of war...It contains many insights and some surprises...The story is far from over. When it is, one must hope that a book as level-headed and perceptive as this one will be written about it. International Journal
The Burg-Shoup book is destined to remain for some time the principal study of the subject. The South Slav Journal
Striking the right balance between analysis and engagement when discussing ethnic conflict and genocide is extremely difficult. Steven Burg and Paul Shoup have done a remarkable job in producing such a balanced work. Small Wars & Insurgencies
    
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