Any recommendations on good summary books on the Balkans?

by 10z20Luka

I've got a few in mind but need help making a decision.

The Balkans: Nationalism, War & the Great Powers, 1804-1999, Misha Glenny

The Balkans: Revolution, War, and Political Violence since 1878, Mark Biondich

A History of the Balkans 1804-1945, Stevan Pavlowitch's

The Balkans Since 1453, L.S. Stavrianos

The Balkans: A Short History, Mark Mazower

Any input at all would be a great help.

adenoidcystic

I haven't had a chance to read all those, but Glenny's "The Balkans" is a great place to start. He's a great writer, and briefly mentions all the major events in the entire region. It's a massive book, but I enjoyed every page. That being said, what it has in breadth, it lacks in depth. For instance, it has barely a chapter on the recent war in Bosnia. But for a book that's trying to cover such massive area and time period, what do you expect? Once you've read the book you'll be poised to find other works concentrating on the areas that you're more interested in (checking his works-cited will help with finding other books).