01 - Croatia: Myth and Reality - C. Michael McAdams - Preface

CROATIA: MYTH AND REALITY

C. Michael McAdams

AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

For over twenty-five years, I have attempted to help non-Croatians distinguish myth from reality about Croatia and the Croatians. I first wroteCroatia: Myth and Reality to confront some of the myths about Croatia appearing in the English-language press. Hundreds of copies of the first and second editions, published in 1992 and 1994, were sent to journalists, libraries, universities, and political leaders in the English speaking world to combat the propaganda campaign being waged against Croatia and Bosnia.

The rights to Croatia: Myth and Reality were donated to the Croatian University Press in Zagreb and it was translated into Croatian by Prof. Mirjana Turudic as Hrvatska - Mit i Istina. On May 6, 1993, I was handed the first five copies of the Croatian edition, printed that morning, as I first set foot on free Croatian soil at Zagreb airport. It was the culmination of a long journey of many miles and many years. In 1995 the monograph was published in Swedish as Kroatien - Myt och Sanning and permission has been given to translate the monograph into German, Spanish, and French. Although the rights to all translations were donated, I have been rewarded more dearly than I could have imagined in lifelong friendships.
In the earliest printing of the first edition, I attempted to thank, by name, each of those who had supported this effort with their time, resources, corrections, and previous research. 

It soon became apparent that the list might never end. With this, the final edition, I want to give my profound thanks to every person who has supported this project and others over the past twenty-five years.

Now that Croatia is free, she will have many friends. But there was a time not so long ago that supporting Croatian self-determination was not popular and sometimes dangerous, even in America. Today, Croatia has many more friends around the world supporting the Croatian struggle to maintain freedom and independence. Perhaps this monograph will assist in bringing the truth to a few more people and lead some to read more detailed and scholarly works about Croatia and her ancient history. Croatia has always had a proud past. Today Croatia also has a bright future.

C. Michael McAdams
University of San Francisco
September 1997

INDEX


Author's Preface to the Third Edition
Introduction
Croatia and the Croatians
Myth: "Croatians asked to join Yugoslavia
Myth: "Croatian Assassinated King Alexander
Myth: "All Croatians were Fascists
Myth: "The Basket of Human Eyeballs"
Myth: "Two Million Serbs Died"
Myth: "Croatians Executed American Airmen"
Myth: "No Retribution Against Croatia"
Myth: "Borders were Drawn to Benefit Croatia"
Myth: "The Serbo-Croatian Language"
Myth: "Tudjman and Milosevic were Late Converts"
Myth: "Serbs had no Guaranteed Rights in Croatia"
Myth: "The Fascist Finders"
Myth: "The Croatian Coat of Arms is Fascist"
Myth: "The Fascist Ferret"
Myth: "Yugoslavia"
Bibliography
The Author