Drawing on Serbo-, Croat-, French-, German-, and English-language primary sources, most of which were written in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Zdravkovski has produced a book that will pass the test of time He casts his net widely, throwing light on the early years of the Serbian state, offering a comprehensive account of the Ottoman system of governance and its peculiarities, explaining the shifting confessional balance in the region, and describing the economic hardships and political intricacies in the Sandžak after its conquest and partition between Serbia and Montenegro. Zdravkovski’s research is impressive and he tells the story well. Highly recommended.

Sabrina P. Ramet, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

In his new book, Aleksander Zdravkovski focuses on the often-neglected history of the Sandžak region of South-Western Serbia and North-Eastern Montenegro. Remaining generally free of serious conflict in the ex-Yugoslav wartime years, the Sandžak has been unjustly neglected by most historians. In this ground breaking volume, Zdravkovski opens up many interesting and complex lines of enquiry, particularly on the key late-Ottoman period. It will be an authoritative guide to the subject for academics, diplomats, and politicians.

James Pettifer, Oxford University