David Rieff's book is one of many I have read on the Balkan conflict in the 1990s and I must say I was pretty disappointed with it. The book reads like an extended news report -- dry, factual and extremely boring. There wasn't much personal interpretation of the events, or sadly, anything new to say. The worst thing about Rieff's book I can think of is that it does nothing for one who knows zero about the war. A background of the conflict was not given, and he just went straight into talking about the war itself and the crimes on all sides. Mind-boggling and unfriendly.