Adriatic: A Concert of Civilizations at the End of the Modern Age

A very enjoyable read for anyone interested in the shape of this world.

Kaplan travels round the Adriatic coast from Rimini to Corfu - stopping at Trieste, Fiume (Rijeka), Ljubljana, the island of Korcula, Dubrovnik, and Podgorica (I missed a few out). He doesn’t so much as describe the sights as reflect on history and geopolitical contexts, often further reflecting this through literature (Pound, Joyce, Sheboygan, Kadare - and quite a few academic books that he summarises very well). The book starts off quite literature-heavy but ends with more geopolitical views on what Europe means from the perspective of this fringe or corner. He specifically uses the literature to help organise his own layers of memory of the cities and their own layers of memory and filiation.He often refers back to an earlier journey in 1989 to mark the difference between now and then - the terrible wars of the 1990s and EU membership. I made the same journey a few years later, just as the wars were heating up. Back then it was unspoiled, undeveloped and just spectacular. I knew nothing about any of it and so I found Kaplan’s erudite perspective was really fascinating and evocative.One thought- Kaplan seems to have a sort of American humanist conservative attitude. He is more attuned to the nostalgic older generation and the bewildered younger generation than the professional/ working folk in the middle. Like most travel writers he interviews those who have the easy option of chatting during the day (the retired, service sector workers, journalists, writers, politicians and academics). These are professional ruminators and tend to nostalgia, unlike the 9-to-5-ers, who are making and doing. This comment is a bit unfair, but not entirely unfair.Still, I would recommend it because he is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and interesting. Not quite his best, but I really enjoyed it.