The Balkans Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-2011

This unique history of Balkan geopolitics since the 19th century gives readers essential background to recent events in the war-torn area. It also explains the origins of the modern countries, from Serbia and Bosnia to Romania and Albania, and is studded with portraits of kings, politicians, and guerrillas. Maps. 752 pp. 20,000 print.

Misha Glenny was born in 1958 and educated at Bristol Universty and Charles University in Prague. His coverage of the fall of communism in 1989-1990 was widely acclaimed and led to the writing of his first book, The Rebirth of History. During the Yugoslav crisis of the early 1990s, he was the Central Europe correspondent for the BBC World Service. In 1993, he won a Sony Award for his coverage of Yugoslavia. Glenny's The Fall of Yugoslavia (1993) won the Overseas Press Club Award for Best Book on Foreign Affairs. His other books include McMafia: Journey through the Global Underworld and DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops, and You. He has written for most major news outlets in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia and has lectured around the world, most recently as a Visiting Professor at Columbia University.