A Paper House
The Ending of Yugoslavia
Description:... Timely and incisive, A Paper House powerfully evokes what was once Yugoslavia and gives a cogent analysis of its violent disintegration, which has become headline news the world over. In the summer of 1991, Yugoslavia died amidst a hail of cluster bombs and mortar rounds. The nation that had once boasted of forging a middle ground between Western capitalism and Eastern communism was unable to preserve its own existence. While two factions were willing to die for independence, two others were willing to die to keep the state together; the rest of the people were caught in the middle. But the catastrophe of 1991 had been in the making for decades, and its roots can be traced back to centuries-old conflicts over power and territory among the several nations that made up the former republic. Since 1987 Mark Thompson has lived and traveled throughout Yugoslavia as it lurched ever deeper into crisis, investigating its politics, history, and culture. From his encounters with politicians, writers, rock musicians, die-hard nationalists and famous ex-dissidents, as well as ordinary people on buses, trains, and in pubs, Thompson has written a profound and personal account of this complex land.
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