When Dreams Collide
Travels in Yugoslavia with Rebecca West
Published on 20. June 2022
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-910533-63-5 (ISBN)
Description
When Dreams Collide is Nicholas Allan's intimate pilgrimage across the former states of Yugoslavia. Shedding the received knowledge of headlines, he explores the splintered co-evolution of these lands over the last ten centuries, guided by the inimitable Rebecca West's masterpiece, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.
Written 80 years in the past, West's account serves as a fascinating reference for the optimistic interwar years of the 20th century between the Ottoman decline and the Nazi onset. The evolving balancing act of Tito's Yugoslav experiment and the atrocities following its break-up were still to come.
Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms.
At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same).
Enhanced with delightful hand-drawn maps of the Balkans including Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. 73 informative photograph's showing some the areas key historical figures including Ibrahim Rugova, Hitler, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Tito, Draza Mihailovic, Slobodan Milosevic, Alecksandar Vucic, Alija Izetbegovic, Radovan Karadzic, Ante Pavelic, Franjo Tudjman, and Fitzroy Maclean.
Written 80 years in the past, West's account serves as a fascinating reference for the optimistic interwar years of the 20th century between the Ottoman decline and the Nazi onset. The evolving balancing act of Tito's Yugoslav experiment and the atrocities following its break-up were still to come.
Collapsing empires and proud young nations, monasteries and mosques, brotherhood, hatred, war, music, frescoes, food, costume, people, mountains, rivers and seas, the distant rumbles of the centuries take many forms.
At a turning point in his own life, Allan is drawn to explore this complex area, through the lens of his part Eastern European heritage. He records personal encounters and richly drawn characters interwoven with history and art, politics and religion (too often one and the same).
Enhanced with delightful hand-drawn maps of the Balkans including Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. 73 informative photograph's showing some the areas key historical figures including Ibrahim Rugova, Hitler, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, Tito, Draza Mihailovic, Slobodan Milosevic, Alecksandar Vucic, Alija Izetbegovic, Radovan Karadzic, Ante Pavelic, Franjo Tudjman, and Fitzroy Maclean.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
73 photographs plus section maps
Dimensions
Height: 164 mm
Width: 241 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
758 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-910533-63-5 (9781910533635)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
After graduating from Cambridge in the History and Philosophy of Science, Nicholas Allan spent thirty years working in finance. For much of this time he was travelling, with long spells in each of Asia, London and the US, latterly as an Asian specialist. His main business interest now is in boutique Indian hotels.
He has a deep love of music. Formerly Deputy Chair of the English National Opera, he is the Chair of the National Opera Studio, Britain's leading operatic training organisation. He is also involved in a number of local charities around Devon, where he lives with his wife Sarah. They have four children and two grandchildren.
In his spare time, he enjoys walking in the hills, singing and cryptic crosswords.
He has a deep love of music. Formerly Deputy Chair of the English National Opera, he is the Chair of the National Opera Studio, Britain's leading operatic training organisation. He is also involved in a number of local charities around Devon, where he lives with his wife Sarah. They have four children and two grandchildren.
In his spare time, he enjoys walking in the hills, singing and cryptic crosswords.
Content
Author's Note.
Introduction.
MONTENEGRO.
KOSOVO.
SERBIA.
NORTH MACEDONIA.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.
CROATIA.
Epilogue.
Acknowledgements.
List of Key Events.
List of Selected Rulers.
Nemanjic Dynasty.
Petrovic-Njegos Dynasty.
Karadjordjevic Dynasty.
Obrenovic Dynasty.
Bibliography.
Index.
Introduction.
MONTENEGRO.
KOSOVO.
SERBIA.
NORTH MACEDONIA.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.
CROATIA.
Epilogue.
Acknowledgements.
List of Key Events.
List of Selected Rulers.
Nemanjic Dynasty.
Petrovic-Njegos Dynasty.
Karadjordjevic Dynasty.
Obrenovic Dynasty.
Bibliography.
Index.