Reviews

• Fürchte deinen Nächsten

  Ich bin erst durch einen sommerlichen Aufenthalt im mittlerweile befriedeten Mostar auf dieses Buch aufmerksam geworden. Was uns Maass aus dem Bosnienkrieg berichtet, klingt unglaublich. Depremierende Aussichten auf ein Europa im 21. Jahrhundert, dessen Probleme mit wachsenden Flüchtlingsströmen aus Nordafrika und Verteilungskämpfen innerhalb der Staaten sicher zunehmen. Wird es uns gelingen unsere Wertordnung zu erhalten oder ist tatsächlich zu befürchten, dass sie wie in Bosnien auf "shifting baselines" (vgl. Harald Welzer, Klimakriege) sehr schnell ins Rutschen gerät. Entmutigend für mich ist vor allem, wie unglaublich hilflos die internationale Gemeinschaft, vor allem die westeuropäischen Nachbarn, auf die Leiden der Belagerten in Sarajevo reagiert haben. Maass berichtet nicht objektiv, er schildert seine persönliche Betroffenheit und das macht ihn zu einem einzigartigen Zeitzeugen.

• real journalism

  Well written and really helps you understand and see the realities of the war. I love the authors sarcastic tone, he doesn't shy away from exposing the truth and the blind eye the West had turned to the war.

• Highly recommended

  As someone who lived there in 1992-1993, I can tell you that this book is the only completely truthful version of what happened in Bosnia. As horrible as the war in Bosnia sounds in this book, it was even worse. Mr. Maass diluted it a bit. He did a great job explaining the Balkan history. I know it's a bit challenging for an outsider to grasp the Balkans and its complicity, but Mr. Maass understood it completely. I feel so grateful to him first of all for going there in the first place and for taking the time to get to know the Bosnian people. He saw the truth and that's all that matters. Thank you Mr. Maass from the bottom of my heart. I survived the genocide done by the Serbs and I can tell you, it's not something you forget easily. I was lucky to survive, however, not too many of us survived and are brave enough to talk about what happened. You did it for us by writing this book. You told the world about us. Thank you! I would definitely recommend this book be used in schools to educate our children of what really happened because, as a survivor of something so horrible, I find it very hurtful to hear some of the versions of the genocide taught in our schools. My own children are learning that the Serbs were the victims here and the unfairness of it is killing me. The world would be a much better and safer place if everyone would just say the truth.

• Great Read

  For the longest time, I thought this was the same Peter Maas who wrote about true rime and Serpico. I was wrong. The author tells of his travels as a journalist throughout Bosnia and Serbia from 1992-1996, and what he witnessed in both Sarajevo and other towns and villages. Also, describes his interviews with now infamous figures/war criminals. Also, he isn't/wasn't afraid to critique the U.S."s, NATO's, E.U.'s (then EEC's) involvement, or lack of involvement during the war and Siege of Sarajevo.

• Superior War Story

  This is an excellent telling of the author's experiences in the Serbian war of the 1990s. It is very well written with fascinating detail of his experiences in the war. However, I found the story very depressing and suggest if you are prone to depressive episodes to avoid this book.

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