Evil doesn't live here : posters from the Bosnian War /

Much like the history of the Balkan Peninsula, this collection of poster art from the Bosnian war arouses an array of emotions and opinions: its treatment of the region's diversities is somewhat contradictory, and its attempt to communicate the ultimate truth behind the hatred that has consumed the region for so long is admirable but also cursory. While it should be noted that this collection is the first of its kind, it is also regrettable that the authors a British documentary film editor, a Romanian journalist, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times occasionally make stereotypical comments only a nonnative wouldn't take to heart. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the hazy introduction, where the causes of the war are oversimplified and the perpetrators of evil frequently referred to by their nationalities rather than extremist ideologies, thus encouraging the collectivization rather than the individualization of guilt. Politics aside, the posters, ranging from pure political propaganda to the desperate outbursts of innocent civilians, thankfully speak for themselves even when not written in English or in Latin script and the accompanying captions, although brief, supply relevant background information. Brought together in this way, these powerful examples of graphic art not only reveal two divergent sides of the human psyche but also remind us that the height of human creativity is often achieved under the most hostile circumstances. Mirela Roncevic, "Library Journal" (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.