Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
History more than biography, 14 Feb 2004
I found Lebor's book to be very good; it grabs the reader's attention from the first page and once that happens, it is very difficult to put down. Lebor's book charts Milosevic's life from his hometown of Pozarevac, to his career in banking, to his famous 1989 Gazimestan speech, to the bloody Balkan conflicts and finally to his internment in the Hague. I believe it is more of a general history book, than a biography, however. We get to read about Milosevic, the loving father and family man as well in this book, which makes a nice change from the constant evil and news-worthy "Butcher of the Balkans" persona. However, after reading this book, there is no real way that those people who reserve sympathy for Milosevic can be sympathetic to him any longer. It clearly demonstrates that Milosevic knew and gave the go-ahead for violent Serb paramilitary groups, such as Arkan's "Tigers" to operate freely in Bosnia and Croatia and how Milosevic clearly sold out the Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia by 1993.
Saying that, the book also reveals the extreme hypocrisy of Western leaders, from labelling Milosevic as an evil tyrant in 1992-1993, to a "peacemaker" in 1995 at Dayton, Ohio and back to "Butcher of the Balkans" during the Kosovo conflict in 1999. Well-worth the read!
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A tale of tragedy and delusion, 25 Jan 2003
It is entirely appropriate that this book should start and end with the story of Milosevic’s family: the opening paragraph describes his mother and father, whilst the final sentence tells us that ‘Like Yugoslavia under his rule, Milosevic’s family has been rent asunder’. Without an understanding of his family we are none the wiser about Milosevic and in this regard LeBor does not disappoint, focusing on his parents (both of whom ultimately committed suicide), wife and children. And it is a telling indictment of the man that he was willing to sacrifice the unity of his family, as well as his state, in his quest for power. Milosevic’s father left his mother when Sloba was only six. In a conservative country where single parenthood was disapproved of deeply, this must have affected Sloba deeply. LeBor gives us a very readable account of Milosevic’s early days (‘friendless and fatherless’), suggesting that a lonely childhood, and ambitious single mum must have been significant factors on his later lust for power. Though perhaps not as significant as his obsessive wife, Mira, whom he met and fell in love with at school. And it is the extensive interviews with Mira that lend the book much of its weight. Unable to speak to Milosevic himself, LeBor goes to the power behind the throne. Indeed, if one accepts the ‘Lady Macbeth’ hypothesis – and LeBor provides compelling evidence that Mira was the catalyst for her husband’s lust for power – then we arguably learn more from her about her husband’s rule than we would from Milosevic himself. As well as giving us a rich portrait of the rise and fall of Sloba, LeBor tells us the post-war history of Yugoslavia. This interaction between individuals and wider events is what drives history and LeBor convincingly straddles the two. Of course latterly, Yugoslavia’s and Milosevic's destinies dovetailed tragically: that is why he stands accused of crimes against humanity. Although much of this is territory that has been covered before LeBor’s eye for detail and accessible style make it a gripping read. Perhaps the ultimate tragedy of the tale in this book is the delusion of Milosevic and his wife about the damage their reign caused. There is a strong streak of denial in Milosevic and Mira, which to an extent reflects the mentality of some of their fellow countrymen. It is the need to combat this denial that makes works such as this so important if the world is to learn from the tragedy of the Former Yugoslavia. LeBor’s book is a valuable addition to this project.
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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Milosevic" balanced and revealing, 24 Nov 2002
By A Customer
Adam LeBor has accomplished that difficult task of revealing the complex and very human reality beneath the popular charicature of a disgraced and deposed dictator.
LeBor skillfully guides us through Milosevic's rise through the communist party apparatus in 1980s Yugoslavia, traces his role in the destruction of Tito's creaking creation, and assigns Milosevic his due responsibility for the worst atrocities committed in Europe since World War II.
But the account is balanced, not only in assigning guilt to leaders in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, but also in squarely blaming Western governments for failing to stop the Balkan conflicts sooner. Indeed, some Western politicians emerge more as cynical enablers of Milosevic than as skilled diplomats or peacemakers.
In addition to all this, LeBor manages to capture a three-dimensional Milosevic. He is a heartless political thug and a man with a tragic family history. He is an accused war criminal, yet a warm and caring husband and father. In short, LeBor captures reality, rather than regurgitating established cliches. In the end, we have a clearer picture of the man in the Hague and the events that led him there.
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