Benjamin Curtis
A Traveller’s History of Croatia
Curtis untangles the complex history of this nation at the crossroads of Europe.
Robert D. Kaplan
Balkan Ghosts, A Journey through History
Kaplan interweaves history, art and culture with his travels through Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece in this regional portrait.
Eyewitness Guides
Eyewitness Guide Croatia
Gorgeously illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact book offers a thorough overview of Croatia’s history, traditions, cultures and sights.
Freytag & Berndt
Croatia Coast Map
A nicely shaded map covering the Dalmatian Coast from Porec to Dubrovnik at a scale of 1:200,000, perfect for the complex coastline.
Lonely Planet Publications
Lonely Planet Croatian Phrasebook
A handy, palm-sized guide to pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
Rick Steves
Rick Steves’ Snapshot Dubrovnik
A tour guide in your pocket, this compact guide covers where to go and what to do in flourishing Dubrovnik and surroundings.
Karen Evenden
A Taste of Croatia
This engaging memoir of a three-year sailing odyssey includes 100 enticing recipes.
Boris Danzer-Kantof
Full Steam Ahead, A Golden Age of Cruises
With photographs, archival reprints and firsthand accounts, this coffee table history of cruising focuses on the freedom and romance of cruise vessels in their golden age.
Rebecca West, Christopher Hitchens (Introduction)
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia
First published in 1941, this monumental work explores the complex history of Yugoslavia, its heroes, politics and culture. It’s a big, challenging book – some call it the best ever written on the Balkans.
Slavenka Drakulic
Cafe Europa, Life After Communism
These short essays capture the spirit of Croatia after the collapse of communism.
Robin Harris
Dubrovnik, A History
Harris, a journalist who writes frequently on the Balkans, presents a comprehensive portrait of the historically important maritime city-state in this nicely illustrated, scholarly and readable history of Dubrovnik.
Dennis Hupchick
Palgrave Concise Historical Atlas of the Balkans
The changing borders and complex history of the Balkans are clearly and concisely shown through 50 double-page maps and accompanying essays, that are organized chronologically.
Andrew Wachtel
The Balkans in World History
A professor at Northwestern University, Wachtel focuses on the traditions and contributions of overlapping cultures in this lively short history.
Mark Mazower
The Balkans, A Short History
With eloquence and clarity, Mazower addresses issues of geography, nationalism and nation in this indispensable survey.
V. P., Jr. Gagnon
The Myth of Ethnic War, Serbia and Croatia in the 1990s
A professor of politics at Ithaca College and contributor to Foreign Affairs, Gagnon argues that political and economic elites encouraged violent ethnic conflict in order to retain power in this scholarly, revisionist history.
Laura Silber, Allan Little
Yugoslavia, Death of a Nation
Called “one of the finest volumes to come out of the war” by the New York Times, this book combines eyewitness reports, political commentary and documentary photographs to elucidate the origins and aftermath of the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Marcus Tanner
Croatia, A Nation Forged in War
A modern history of Croatia, from its medieval origins to Nazi occupation to the present day, written by the British correspondent who reported from the region during the events of 1993.
John J Norwich (Introduction)
Croatia
This richly illustrated, large format book offers a collection of essays that guides the reader through key elements of Croatia’s artistic and architectural legacy. Each essay is written by an expert in the field.
Slavenka Drakulic
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed
These short essays capture the absurdity, struggle and day-to-day reality of being a woman in Yugoslavia under communism. Drakulic is an award-winning Croatian journalist and novelist.
Aminatta Forna
The Hired Man
When Duro Kolak encounters a strange car in his small Croatian village of Gost, he offers its British occupants assistance in setting up a summer cottage. But tensions soon develop between the village residents and the foreigners, as painful memories from the Croatian War of Independence are awakened.
Starling Lawrence
Montenegro, A Novel
Steeped in atmosphere, this compelling tale of intrigue set in turn-of-the-century Montenegro evokes the tangled politics of the region – Muslim, Turkish and British. Lawrence follows the adventures of reluctant British spy Harwell Auberon from the Adriatic to mountain villages, capturing the essences of the people and the land.
Ivo Andric, Lovette F. Edwards (Translator)
The Bridge on the Drina
These linked stories by the Nobel Prize-winning author capture the history and complexity of Christian and Muslim relations during Ottoman occupation. Hewn of stone, the bridge dividing the town of Visegrad was Andric’s inspiration.