Readers of Charles Simic will not be disappointed in this collection and will find Ristovic's voice familiar. True, there may never have been a writer better than Simic at finding mystery (and sometimes even horror) in familiar things. But Ristovic makes his own contribution to that genre in "Old motif," where he asks, "For whom are you intended, wine in the corked bottle? / Through whose veins will you send your merry little flame, / making him behold the most ordinary things / in many strange and unaccustomed ways?"

However, perhaps the best comparison is not to Simic but to Czeslaw Milosz. Like many of Milosz's best poems, this book makes the most sense as a reaction against relativism, both moral and aesthetic. (Compare, for example, Ristovic's "Genesis according to the rules of universal poetics" with Milosz's "One More Day" in /Unattainable Earth/.) The discontentment, fear, and terror that follows when subjective will denies objective values finds expression in many of these poems, of which the best include "Purgatory" and "The essential." Chilling is Ristovic's statement that "fake evidence passed off as truth" is a thing "a dead man could be interested in."

Much of the humor Ristovic delights in follows from the absurdity of mixing the noble with the profane: In "Lavatory theatre," for example, Greek tragedy and the bathroom occupy the same dramatic space. But Ristovic never blurs the distinctions. The readers in the "Lavatory library" are those "for whom / Dante's or Homer's verses / and the writings of some scribbling nobody / have equal value."

In his introduction, Simic notes, "Many twentieth-century poets have believed in angels, but Ristovic may be the only one who believes in the devil." He appears to have put his finger on what makes these poems creep off the page in such a chilling and authentic way.

Karl Baumann managed to combine the written records and knowledge of the last 2000 years and earlier of this Baltic land and its people into one easy comprehensive book. Many hardships were brought by big power crusaders starting with soldiers of Boleslaw I Chrobry from the south/east in 997 AD . Until the massive expulsions under the communists and allies in the 20th century ,the people survived.

The unique sounding language in the mysterious land, cleansed of most of its native population 1945/49 is now only heard occasionally in scattered parts of the world.

Strangers were moved in and took over the 800 year old Hansa cities with the E.T.A. Hoffmann Nutcracker charme .

This book should be translated into English to give the large English Speaking public an inside glimpse of this enchanted land.

I study the history of modern Greece at graduate level. This is one the very few history books that I have read more than once. It is very reflected, very eloquent, very critical. Good craft, simply. There is surprisingly little writing of this level about modern Greek history in the English language. Most others seem to be either extremely old-fashioned (British), extremely biased (Greek) or extremely naive (American). I mention no names, but if you read them you know to whom I'm referring. The essays cover a lot of topics, not all is interesting to everyone, but "Imagined Communities" is a must for anyone studying 19th century Greece. I couldn't recommend it more.

This books helps to find real historical unknown facts from the past viking age and European history, which is still under question mark. If possibble, please send me the names of the other publishers from the world, who have published this book or some other Edgar Valter Saks books.

Enn Kaljo "Kuldaeg" publishers Estonia

To the contemporary mind, the Crusades represent a bizzare, even horrific, historical event. It is difficult, if not impossible, for those living in the 20th Century to comprehend the religious fervor that prompted thousands from Western Europe, both the great and the humble, to commit themselves and their fortunes to the expirgation of the infidel from the Holy Land. Of the sordid history that is the Crusades, however, the most baffling is perhaps the notorious Fourth Crusade in the early 13th Century, when Christians from Western Europe, and their Venetian allies, attacked and laid waste to Constantinople, arguably the greatest city on earth and, more to the point, inhabited by fellow Christians. The mystery is made even more remarkable by the knowledge that the Pope himself forbade the Crusaders' attack of Constantinople. What prompted the Crusaders to rebuke the Holy See? What went wrong? The present work provides an insightful and lucid analysis of the unhappy events that culminated in the destruction of the greatest city in Christiandom. "The Fourth Crusade" is essential reading for anyone who has tried to make sense of a momentous historical event that seems to defy rational explanation, or for those who simply conclude that Constantinople fell victim to the Crusaders' greed. The reality is much more complex, though "The Fourth Crusade" manages to present its analysis in an entertaining and engaging manner that brings to life a period of history like no other.

This book is an excellent example of how to synthesize a wide variety of archival and secondary resources. It provides a deep analysis the relationships between the Holy Roman Empire and the Scandinavian countries. There is much to learn from this book in order to understand European relationships with foreign countries. A must read!

This is a well prepared, objective, non-academic "reader-friendly" book, in spite of being about one of the most complicated corners of the world (historically and politically) doesn't go deep and drawn in details so thats why I preferred to call it "reader friendly". Great Job.

It is Nikos Economopoulos's drama, an excellent b/w scene performed by people from Balkan Peninsula, about their daily life, street, religion, at work, strike, etc.

Within the Balkan Peninsula, the borderline between countries is so blurred, where the mindset of people may be still not separable from their history. We can see uncountable traces of their history, where their struggle continues today.

In the beginning, I was attracted by the cover image, like a monster with children. The strong visuals are so dramatic, across the contenients of countries with no border.

In this unique and comprhensive book on the recent NATO intervention in Kosovo, William Buckley provides insight into one of the most violent and convulted conflicts of the Post-Cold War era. Buckley, as editor and contributing essayist, brings together over 67 pieces from world figures such as Slobodan Milosevic, Kofi Annan and Henry Kissinger to real life accounts from Kosovar Albanian refugees, a doctor from Medicins Sans Frontieres and Belgrade city dwellers who lived with the NATO bombing campaign to name a few. Without the usual dry theories about international conflicts and intervention, this book underscores the human experience in the Balkans as a whole and in Kosovo particularly. Indeed, the origins of ethnic conflict and religous differences in the region are seen explicitly in essays by soldiers, politicians and villagers alike. The nature of U.S. and NATO intervention is debated vigorously as well, dispelling many notions that Americans may hold about our involvment in the Kosovo crisis. Every viepoint is represented--some typical, some disturbing--but all a testament to the myriad of perceptions and an insight into the roles that history, nationalism, ethnicity and religion can play in modern conflict.