Robert C. Austin’s Making and Remaking the Balkans: Nations and States since 1878 is a guide to Balkan political history that, though it may appeal to academic specialists of the region, was written with a broader audience in mind. The book is intended to serve as a guide for three specific groups of readers: interested generalists, Balkans-bound travelers, and undergraduate students. The author’s chief purpose is to explain to his readers “why the Balkans are relatively unsuccessful in a number of ways despite a lengthy transition period and enormous amounts of financial aid” (xiv). In recounting the history of the region, Austin’s main analysis focuses on those Balkan countries that today remain outside of the European Union. Austin examines the fortunes of each Balkan state both individually and in comparison with others in the region, while also carefully explaining and emphasizing patterns that are universal and thus crucial to the...

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