Hearts Grown Brutal
Encyclopedia
Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo is a non-fiction
book by New York Times reporter Roger Cohen
chronicling his experiences covering the Bosnian War
and the Bosnian Genocide
. Random House
published the book on August 25, 1998. The book won a Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club
in 1999.
onward and then shows how the Yugoslav Wars
affected the daily lives of ordinary people. He states that, in general, "This was a war of intimate betrayals".
He blasts leaders such as Slobodan Milosevic
, whom he calls "a craven, clever bully", Franjo Tuđman, whom he says played a "macabre dance", and Radovan Karadžić
. He writes with outrage against the United States
and the United Nations
for what he sees as their moral cowardice in the wake of genocide.
praised its "insightful, eloquent journalism" and described the book as "essential reading". Ian Williams in The Nation
wrote "Cohen's prose is impassioned and objective at the same time". Library Journal
stated that "Among the best journalism of the war, it is highly recommended for all libraries." Favorable reviews also appeared in The New York Times Book Review
, Booklist
, and Cohen's own paper, The New York Times
. Foreign Affairs
has written that Cohen's "forceful, elegant prose pulses with anger".
In Mediterranean Quarterly, author Walter R. Roberts gave a critical review, accusing Cohen of a consistent anti-Serb bias. He wrote that Cohen "writes extremely well... and knows how to keep the reader's attention", but he stated that the book contains slanted material and reads more like fiction than non-fiction.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book by New York Times reporter Roger Cohen
Roger Cohen
Roger Cohen is a British-born journalist and author. He is a columnist for The New York Times and International Herald Tribune. He has worked as a foreign correspondent in fifteen different countries.- Biography :...
chronicling his experiences covering the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
and the Bosnian Genocide
Bosnian Genocide
The term Bosnian Genocide refers to either the genocide committed by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica in 1995 or the ethnic cleansing campaign that took place throughout areas controlled by the Bosnian Serb Army during the 1992–1995 Bosnian War....
. Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
published the book on August 25, 1998. The book won a Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club
Overseas Press Club
The Overseas Press Club of America was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member...
in 1999.
Summary
Cohen follows the story of a man named Sead who had been searching for his lost father. Cohen goes on to describe the lives of three other families, one Muslim-Serb, one Muslim, and one Serb-Croat. He details the history of Yugoslavia from the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
onward and then shows how the Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
affected the daily lives of ordinary people. He states that, in general, "This was a war of intimate betrayals".
He blasts leaders such as Slobodan Milosevic
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
, whom he calls "a craven, clever bully", Franjo Tuđman, whom he says played a "macabre dance", and Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
. He writes with outrage against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for what he sees as their moral cowardice in the wake of genocide.
Reviews
David Rieff in The New York Observer called it a "stunning accomplishment" and stated that Cohen captured "the sense of inconsolable sorrow and stony anger that those who watched as Bosnia was destroyed will carry with us to our graves". Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
praised its "insightful, eloquent journalism" and described the book as "essential reading". Ian Williams in The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
wrote "Cohen's prose is impassioned and objective at the same time". Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
stated that "Among the best journalism of the war, it is highly recommended for all libraries." Favorable reviews also appeared in The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
, Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
, and Cohen's own paper, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
has written that Cohen's "forceful, elegant prose pulses with anger".
In Mediterranean Quarterly, author Walter R. Roberts gave a critical review, accusing Cohen of a consistent anti-Serb bias. He wrote that Cohen "writes extremely well... and knows how to keep the reader's attention", but he stated that the book contains slanted material and reads more like fiction than non-fiction.
See also
- War crimes in the Bosnian War
- Yugoslav WarsYugoslav warsThe Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
- Political positions of Roger Cohen
External links
- Roger Cohen discusses the book on The Charlie Rose Show
- Chapter One of Hearts Grown Brutal