Realm of the Black Mountain by Elizabeth Roberts
When Slobodan Milosevic, the son of Montenegrin parents, spoke of Montenegro and Serbia as 'two eyes in the same head', he encapsulated a view of the symbiosis of Serbia and Montenegro that has deep roots in both nations. But many Montenegrins disagree profoundly and reflect bitterly on the baleful experience of being politically lumped together with Serbia since shortly after the First World War. While much has been written on Serbia, little is known of its junior partner in an increasingly loose and fractious federation: the small, craggy republic of Montenegro. This book traces its history from pre-Slavic times, including its part in the battle of Kosovo, and its unique role in resisting the Ottomans. It recounts Montenegro's development under its Prince Bishops towards the independence achieved at the Congress of Berlin (with the public support of Gladstone and the poet Tennyson) and lost after the Versailles Conference when the Montenegrin Assembly voted, under the shadow of Serb bayonets, to join what was to become Yugoslavia. Elizabeth Roberts also analyses Montenegro's largely unsung role in Yugoslavia's demise, during which it made the perilous transition from being Milosevic's staunchest ally to becoming a major thorn in his side, and the prospect - aspired to by perhaps a majority in the republic - of its becoming the first newly independent state this century.
'an intelligent, readable and very important studyA historical book could hardly be more relevant for the future, perhaps for the near future, than this one.' --Aleksa Djilas 'The need for an up-to-date study of Montenegrin history is self-evident. Elizabeth Roberts has provided a succinct, intelligent and readable account of this difficult and complex subject.' -Prof. Richard Crampton, University of Oxford'A fascinating book. It is the history of Montenegrofrom its origins as Zeta to its emergence inearly modern times as a defiant, violent and romanticprincipality ruled by elected Prince-Bishopsuntil, in the eighteenth century, the thronebecame hereditary. The centuries of warfareagainst the Ottomans are described in grippingdetail. ... This is an extraordinary book, plainlywritten, scholarly yet gripping, that presents,through the lens of a tiny, almost forgotten country,a new way of seeing and understanding thegreat events of modern history.' -Simon SebagMontefiore, The Spectator'Elizabeth Roberts, a former diplomat who hastaught Balkan history, has filled [a gap]. Now thatshe has produced such a thorough book, futurehistorians may not bother again: if one historywas enough for the last century, perhaps one isenough for this century too.' -The Economist
Elizabeth Roberts is a former diplomat who has taught Balkan history at universities in Ireland and the United States.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781850657712 |
| ISBN 10 | 1850657718 |
| Title | Realm of the Black Mountain |
| Author | Elizabeth Roberts |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |
| Year published | 2007-02-23 |
| Number of pages | 520 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |