Historical dictionary of Bosnia and Herzegovina /

This historical dictionary is a welcome reference source among the numerous new works about the region's history and political situation. Cuvalo's work conforms to the standard arrangement of titles in the series--a lengthy introduction, a detailed chronology, and an extensive bibliography in addition to the encyclopedic entries themselves. The bulk of the text is concerned with persons, events, and places in Bosnia. The entries cover more than 200 pages and provide an excellent background (especially for recent history), and include entries for Westerners who have made an impact on Bosnian history (e.g., Cyrus Vance, General MacKenzie). Entries for broad terms (economy, literature, political parties) are as much as seven pages in length. The bibliography, almost 100 pages long, is a well-organized collection of articles and monographs published in the last few decades; it is especially worthwhile for undergraduates who will rely on these primarily English-language sources. There is no comparable reference source. Highly recommended for all libraries. I. Tomljanovich Dickinson College

Expanded from the previous (1997) edition, this updated resource provides historically enriched definitions on just over 350 entries related to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Various time periods are covered. Entries review topics such as battles; organizations; people (ethnic groups and individuals); military and paramilitary units (e.g., Green Berets); historical documents; geographical features (lakes, rivers, towns, cities, regions); periodical titles; political parties; and religious entities (e.g., Bosnian Church), to name a few. Readers will find both broad entry headings, such as Industry, Music, Religion, and Yugoslavia, and more specific entries, such as Banking, Glas (a newspaper), the historic town of Bobovac, and Sarajevo Days of Poetry (an annual literary event). Within entry text, words in bold type indicate other entry headings. Additionally, many definitions end with see also references. Most entries are a paragraph or two in length, with a few shorter entries (e.g., Glagolitic script, the village Pale) and some longer multipage entries (e.g., Elections National, 8 pages; Literature, just over 6 pages). Definitions take up about half of the volume. Other features include a 41-page chronology (from before AD 600 to October 1, 2006, with in-depth coverage beginning in the 1990s); a 48-page introductory historical survey; and a 119-page unannotated bibliography (organized by subjects such as Medieval Period, with a section devoted to Web sites). Illustrations are limited to 5 maps of fair quality. A list of acronyms and abbreviations is included. With few competitors, this revised text will be a helpful addition to libraries supporting research on Bosnia and Herzegovina.--Fadel, Stephen Copyright 2007 Booklist

In this update of a 1997 edition, Cuvalo (Joliet Junior Coll.), who is both an academic expert on the Balkans and a native of the region, treats his complex subject with breadth, depth, and clarity. While he does not neglect earlier periods, the most intensive sections of this dense volume deal with the complex sociopolitical aftermath of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords, which helped put an end to the civil war in the region. The work follows the standard format of the publisher's "Historical Dictionaries of Europe" series, which includes a chronology from antiquity to the present, a detailed introduction of the geography and history of the country, an alphabetical dictionary of 300 entries, and an up-to-date bibliography so extensive that it occupies nearly a quarter of the book and has its own table of contents. Additional sections on spelling, acronyms, and abbreviations provide important support for the English-language reader. Entries for organizations are alphabetized by the English translation of their name first, while publications such as newspapers are alphabetized by the original language name first. BOTTOM LINE English-language reference works on the Balkans are few, and when it comes to Bosnia, this is pretty much it. Fortunately, the book rises to the occasion, providing information not easily available online. The only drawback is that the line-drawn maps are of poor quality; still, this is recommended for all academic libraries supporting Slavic and Balkan studies programs and public libraries where there is interest.--Nadine Cohen Baker, Univ. of Georgia, Athens (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.