Triumph of the Lack of Will - by James Gow (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book examines how and why the United States, Britain, France, and Germany failed to cope with the collapse of Yugoslavia and its descent into a savage civil war.

Book Synopsis

This book examines how and why the United States, Britain, France, and Germany failed to cope with the collapse of Yugoslavia and its descent into a savage civil war. This failure also shattered long-cherished notions about how the UN, NATO, and the European Community would deal with such a crisis and prompted a drastic reassessment of their roles. Gow demonstrates that the lack of timing, bad judgment, poor cohesion, and absence of political will over the use of force were the fundamental reasons for this failure.

Review Quotes

The best treatment yet of the interplay between the international players and the events on the ground. The book would be useful in any classes dealing with Bosnia, Yugoslavia in general, the UN and peacekeeping, ethnic conflict, and the foreign policy of the EU and its members.