Guerrilla Radio

I'm finally back to the blog after a 2-week layoff, and I'm even more out of date by talking about a book that's been out since 2002, Guerrilla Radio by Matthew Collin. I'm not the only one just getting around to it, though, as Nick Hornby discussed it in The Believer earlier this year, and Barbara had it up on Flaskaland. With those two recommendations, I decided to check it out, and now I have to give it my own support.

Collin focuses on the B92 radio station that served as a spot of resistance in Belgrad during Milosevic's regime. He gets in to both the workings of the station and the music coming out against the administration (as well as turbo-folk and other styles that were used as governmental props). It's a great look at the way the arts can be used successfully as political resistance.

I'm glad I read it because I truly have no understanding of the Yugoslavian events. Despite seeing frightening similarities between Kosovo and early stages of the Holocaust (which I was studying in-depth during my senior year of college), I never really took the time to separate the major figures and factions over there. Not that I could have done much, but I wish I had a better understanding of what was going on. Collin's book presents a lucid history, as well as a quick-reference chronology to at least help someone get started.