Author(s): Adam Lebor

Biography & Memoir

This is the first authoritative biography of Slobodan Milosevic, the man whose policies instigated four wars, whose rhetoric whipped up Serb nationalism to a frenzy of 'ethnic cleansing' and yet who retained for a decade the ability to wrap the 'international community' round his little finger. All through a decade of war and misery, Milosevic was courted by world leaders, diplomats and international envoys, with whom he played a game of cat and mouse, until NATO bombs rained down on Serbia.

Adam LeBor, a critically acclaimed author and journalist who covered the Yugoslav wars for the Independent and The Times, draws the most complex portrait of Milosevic yet, with access to those closest to the man himself. He describes Milosevic's marriage to the Lady Macbeth-like figure of Mira, his relationship with his betrayed best friend Ivan Stambolic, and Milosevic's powerful love for his children. In particular, LeBor details Milosevic's relationship with key politicians, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. Finally, he reveals behind-the-scenes details of the international operation to bring down the Milosevic regime, culminating in his trial at The Hague.

'The best Milosevic biography so far ... highly readable'