With The Balkans, Dennis P. Hupchick has written the definitive survey of the history of the Balkans. The term 'Balkans' is intentionally used consistently throughout the text in an effort to emphasize the region's cultural and historical uniqueness relative to Western Europe. Hupchick follows the history of the region from the end of antiquity through the collapse of communism, hoping to strip the Balkans of Western biases so the region can be viewed and understood - for good or ill - on its own, unique terms within the setting of 'Europe' in general.