Kecmanovic deals with the phenomenon of ethnonationalism, both as a broad,
worldwide concern and as a key ingredient to the struggles in the former
Yugoslavia. As in the former Yugoslavia, the rise of ethnonationalistic
sentiments and attitudes coincided with the transition from a state-and
party-run affair to a new, post-communist type of government and society.
Drawing upon his personal experiences in Sarajevo, Kecmanovic provides a unique
view of the conflict.
In a style accessible to students and general readers, he traces the
transformations of leading principles, value systems, behavioral patterns, and
views of people in times of severe ethnic tensions. At times nearly novelistic,
the book examines epidemic