Albania's Mountain Queen: Edith Durham and the Balkans

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‘informative, well written and well researched’ Robert Elsie

‘A fantastic book bringing a real character back to life. Tanner’s superbly researched book will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the Balkans. In this most readable and enjoyably colourful book he not only traces an amazing and unusual life but also sets Edith Durham’s biography firmly in the context of her time, explaining the otherwise complex manoeuvres, not just of Balkan politicians but of the powers of the time. But, more than that, he explains clearly how the events of a century ago contributed to conflict in our times and how Durham, isolated and forgotten towards the end of her life, has been vindicated by history. An original, timely and refreshing book.’ T i m J u d a h , B a l k a n s c o rr e s p o n d e n t , The Economist

‘a wonderful picture of the place and person’ Norman Stone

Albania’s Mountain Queen

Marcus Tanner is an author and journalist, specialising in Central and Eastern Europe. He was the Independent’s Balkan correspondent from 1988 to 1994 and was subsequently Assistant Foreign Editor. He is the author of Croatia: A Nation Forged in War; The Raven King: Matthias Corvinus and the Fate of His Lost Library; The Last of the Celts; Ireland’s Holy Wars: The Struggle for a Nation’s Soul 1500–2000 and Ticket to Latvia: A Journey from Berlin to the Baltic.

M a r c u s T an ne r

ISBN 978-1-78076-819-9 Jacket images: Edith Durham as a young woman. Not to be reproduced without the written permission of the family. Background - Albanian mountain scenery © Dave Long / Getty Images Jacket design: Alice Marwick

Albania's Mountain Queen AW.indd 1-7

www.ibtauris.com

M a rcus Ta n n er

Albania’s Mountain Queen Edith Durham and the Balkans

W

hilst young women in the Victorian and Edwardian eras had many creative accomplishments, it was highly unusual for them to travel unaccompanied. And for a woman to voyage to the remote corners of South-Eastern Europe, then part of the crumbling Ottoman Empire, was unheard of. But in 1900, Edith Durham set sail for the Balkans for the first time. Her trip was intended as a means of recovering from a period of ill health, and as a break from the stifling monotony of caring for her ailing mother. Her experiences on this trip were to change the course of her life, kindling a profound love for the region which saw her return frequently in the following years. She became a confidante of the King of Montenegro, ran a hospital in Macedonia and, following the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, became one of the world’s first female war correspondents. Back in England, she was renowned as an expert on the region, writing the widely admired book High Albania and, along with other allies such as the MP Aubrey Herbert, becoming an advocate for the people of Albania in British political life. King Zog of Albania once said that before Durham visited the Balkans, Albania was but a geographical expression. By the time she left, he added, her championship of his compatriots’ desire for freedom had helped add a new state to the map. Durham was tremendously popular among the Albanians, earning her the respectful title ‘Queen of the Mountains’ and an enduring legacy which continues unabated until this day. Yet she has been all but forgotten in the country of her birth. Marcus Tanner here tells the fascinating story of Durham’s relationship with the Balkans, painting a vivid portrait of a remarkable and sometimes formidable woman, who was several decades ahead of her time.

9 781780 768199

27/02/2014 15:16


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Albania's Mountain Queen: Edith Durham and the Balkans by I.B.Tauris - Issuu