Serpent in the Bosom: The Rise and Fall of Slobodan Milosevic

The violent disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, and its aftermath, highlight the importance of a detailed understanding of the Balkan region. The political outlook and behavior of the Serbs and Serbian elites has been particularly bewildering to Western citizens and decision-makers. Serpent in the Bosom provides an analysis of Serbian politics from 1987 to 2000 that centers on an examination of Slobodan Milosevic's rise to power, his pattern of rule, the war in Kosovo, and the recent democratic “revolution” in Serbia. Lenard Cohen examines Milosevic's shrewd admixture of Serbian nationalism and socialism and his utilization of the media, and other agencies, as part of his "technology of rule." He also explores Milosevic's complex relationship with Serbia's intelligentsia, the Serbian Orthodox church, the police, and the army, as well as Serbian-Albanian relations, and the Belgrade regime's ongoing controversy with Montenegro's political leadership. What emerges is a clear understanding of Serbia's enigmatic leader, his influence on the Balkans, and the process of political transition in Yugoslavia.

Lenard J. Cohen is Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. He lives in Langley, British Columbia.