The two dominant features of the Balkans in the 1990s are precipitous economic decline and rampant nationalism. This study addresses three important questions: First, what internal and external factors have deepened the economic crises in the Balkan states over the past three years? Second, what is the nature of nationalism in the Balkans? Third, what is the relationship between economic decline and the rise of nationalism?

By evaluating the costs and benefits of fragmentation and integration in the Balkan states, this study explores the future of the Balkans. Dr. Bookman's conclusion is that, given the nature of the economic and ethnic composition of the Balkan states, larger heterogeneous units remain preferable to the current proliferation of small nation states. This will prove to be a key book for a rational understanding of the complex and terrible problems of the Balkans.