Journalist John Reed (most famous, I guess, for his book about the Russian Revolution, Ten Days that Shook the World, and for being played by Warren Beatty in the movie, Reds) traveled throughout Eastern Europe along with illustrator Boardman Robinson (whose drawing add quite a lot to the overall effectiveness of the book) during the spring and summer and into the fall of 1915, looking for battles report on. They kept missing actual combat, but instead provided a fascinating picture of people living in a war zone, victims of physical depredations and outrages (mostly the rural settings) and/or of the political skullduggery, corruption and dishonesty of their governments (mostly the urban settings, especially Moscow). Perhaps most compelling was depiction of Serbia. Reed and Boardman visited Serbia in early 1915. The Serbs had recently repulsed an Austrian invasion and were proud of that accomplishment. Yet the scene was one of starvation, disease and recent slaughter. Described are incidents of rape and murder of civilians perpetrated, at least as reported, by Hungarian soldiers within the armies of the Austrian Empire. This is made all the more poignant by our modern knowledge that a few months after Reed and Boardman's departure from the area, the Austrians launched a new offensive and succeeded in overrunning and occupying Serbia until almost the war's end.

The journeys start in Salonika (now known as Thessalonika) in Greece, move to Serbia and then on to Russia, Poland, Constantinople, Rumania and Bulgaria before looping back to Serbia and Greece. The plight and poverty of the populations and the absurdity and dishonesty of the various bureaucracies are illuminated in detail. Reed also had a wonderful facility for describing street scenes and picturing the amazing mix of cultures and nationalities that intermingled in so many of the crossroad cities of the region, especially during wartime. Reading this, I felt I was getting an intimate picture of the final days of 19th century Eastern Europe on the eve of its being ripped asunder in terms of culture and politics. Reed reports wide agreement that however the war ended, both the Austrian-Hungarian and the Ottoman Empires were assuredly done for.

Pictured very effectively is the futility and indolent corruption of the Tzarist Russian army as they slowly retreat from the advancing Russians.

Also fascinating was Reed's description of Jewish life in the region. He is frequently appalled by the squalor and poverty of Jewish neighborhoods and villages, the indescribable stench of the houses and stores and what he describes as the obsequious, furtive characteristics of the people, and laments what he perceives to be the negative results of generations of inbreeding and suspicion. Being Jewish myself, and of Russian ancestry, I was very interested in Reed's take. At times he seems to go overboard for shock value. But what do I know? He was there and I wasn't. And on the other hand, he speaks strongly against the institutionalized prejudice against Jews, especially in Russia. Here are some particularly memorable passages on the subject:

I can never forget Rovno, the Jewish town of the Pale of Settlement . . . The street was heaped with evil-smelling rubbish, amid slimy puddles splashed up by every passing conveyance Clouds of bloated flies buzzed about. On both sides a ultitude of little shops strangled each other, adn their glaring signs, daubed with portraits of the articles for sale, made a crazy-quilt up and down as far as ne could see. The greasy proprietors stood in their reeking doorways, each one bawling to us to buy from him, and not from his cheating competitor across the way. Too many shops, too many cab-drivers, barbers, tailors, herded into this narrow world where only Jews are allowed to live in Russia; and periodically augmented with the miserable throngs cleared out from the forbidden cities, where they have bribed the police to stay. In the Pale a Jew gasps for breath indeed.

and

For a thousand years the Russians and their Church have done their best to exterminate the Jews and their religion. With what success? Here in Rovno were thousands of Jews shut in an impregnable world of their own, scrupulously observing a religion incessantly purified, practising their own customs, speaking their own language, with two codes of morals--one for each other and the other for the Gentiles. Persecution has only engendered a poison and a running sore in the body of the Russian people. It is true what Miroshnikov said, as we drank kvass in a little Jewish bar--that all Jews were traitors to Russia. Of course they are.

and, in a later chapter titled The Betrayal of the Jews . . .

I dined with a captain of Atamanski Cossacks at headquarters in a Bessarabian village near the front. He was telling of his regiment: "The are such impetuous fellows, the officers cannot always hold them; when they come into a village where there are Jews, for example. Ah, the rascals! When they get to killing Jews they cannot be halted!"

. . .

"You Americans, {an infantry captain across the table} said, "do not understand what we have to endure from these people. The Jews are all traitors to Russia."

I remarked that that was curious, because in Austria and Germany there were entirely loyal, and in fact had subscribed the greater part of the last two Austrian war loans.

"That is different," replied the colonel firmly. "In Germany and Austria the Jews have civil rights; therefore naturally they are patriotic. In Russia, however, the Jews have no civil rights. So they betray us. So we kill them."

He seemed perfectly satisfied with this explanation, and the others did, too.

. . .

If you decide to read this book, try to find an original, unedited, version, either in print or online. Later editions appeared only a few years later with key chapters removed, including the description of Reed and Boardman's house arrest in Poland. If an edition has an editor's preface rather than only one written by Reed, and if it is missing a chapter "Prison Life in Cholm," look for another. All in all, it's amazing to me that this book isn't more well known. ( )

Interesting earlier work by author of Ten Days the Shook the World,--view of Eastern Front written without foreknowledge of Russian Revolution

This personal account concentrates upon the national & racial characteristics of war-torn Eastern Europe in 1915.Reed has captured the spirit of the age,reminding us all how deep-seated are the ethnic conflicts in the Balkans.

Translation from English original dated 1916