I've done a lot of travelling around the former Yugoslavia and Balkans over the last few years, and although I love the region I've only got a basic understanding of the recent history which has led to the state of play today. Anyone have any recommendations? I'm kind of thinking start of WW1 following through to today, but any suggestions will be appreciated!
I'm not a Balkan specialist by a long shot, but I can certianly vouch for Mark Mazower's book!
Tim Judah's The Serbs and Kosovo are superb, as is Marcus Tanner's Croatia: A Thousand Year Dream. I'll also echo the love for Mazower - it's a breezy but informative introduction.
For a bit of 'flavour' on the breakup of Yugoslavia I heartily endorse Anthony Lloyd's My War Gone By, I Miss It So, which is about his time as a war reporter (this had a profound impact upon me), and Joe Sacco's graphic novel Safe Area Gozarade.
For more historical flavour, Gregor von Rezzori's Memoirs Of An Antisemite is a fantastic account of growing up in the aftermath of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while no list of Balkan book recommendations is complete without the 1930s travelogue Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia by Rebecca West.
A bit more controversial, but for a Serbian nationalist perspective I found Vuk Draskovic's Knife very interesting.
Misha Glenny "The Balkans". Review here http://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/nov/21/historybooks.nealascherson