Belgrade, with all of its historical complexity, joins Zagreb and Prague in representing the Eastern European dimension of the Akashic Noir Series. “Ivanović's contributions are from Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, and Finnish writers--all admirably noirish.” --Kirkus Reviews “History haunts Belgrade...An anthology that has its share of winners.” --Publishers Weekly "Intensely magnetic." --Exclusive Magazine "You have thieves, traitors, spies, corrupt doctors, psychiatric patients, former policemen, and mafia clans all represented in these stories." --Journey of a Bookseller Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Brand-new stories by: Oto Oltvanji, Misha Glenny, Kati Hiekkapelto, Vesna Goldsworthy, Mirjana Đurđević, Vladan Matijević, Muharem Bazdulj, Vladimir Arsenijević, Dejan Stojiljković, Miljenko Jergović, Aleksandar Gatalica, Vule Žurić, Verica Vincent Cole, and Goran Skrobonja. From the introduction by Milorad Ivanović: Belgrade, meaning “White City,” is located in Southeast Europe at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers...Alfred Hitchcock once said that certain creepy parts of Belgrade unnerved him and would be ideal settings for thrillers. Thieves, traitors, spies, corrupt doctors, psychiatric patients, former policemen, mafia clans--they all appear in the pages of this book. Even in the worst periods of its history, Belgrade was always a multicultural, multireligious, and multinational city. This anthology illustrates that. Alongside our Serbian authors, there are stories written by Croatian, Bosnian, British, and Finnish writers. The same is true for our great team of translators, which includes Americans, Serbians, Bosnians, and an Albanian... Right now, you likely believe there are a number of cities throughout the world that would make better settings for good noir stories. But I am quite certain that after reading this book, you will find yourself seduced by the dark charm of the White City.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

"At three o'clock sharp, the enemy must be crushed by your mighty charge, torn to pieces by your grenades and bayonets. The honor of Belgrade must be spotless. Soldiers, heroes, the Supreme Command has erased our names from its roll. Our regiment is sacrificed for our King and Fatherland. You don't have to worry anymore about your lives that no longer exist. So forward, to glory! Long live the King! Long live Belgrade!" -Major Dragutin Gavrilović, September 24, 1915 Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, Boogie began photographing rebellion and unrest during the civil war that ravaged his country during the 1990s. Growing up in a war-torn country defined Boogie's style and attraction to the darker side of human existence. His archives reveal undeniable evidence of the evils that erode the urban space and unite humanity in the despair of impoverished lives. Belgrade Belongs to Me, his third powerHouse Book, shows the city from the inside as the former Yugoslavia began its rapid disintegration into war and the slow resurrection of a people who have fought for centuries for their survival. Boogie does not spare the spectator any social taboos as he documents the daily struggles of the marginalized people whose lives he infiltrates completely, taking us deep into worlds traditionally closed to outsiders. Whether documenting neo-Nazis or gypsies, police or protesters, or the working class people of Belgrade, Boogie's work reflects his respect for his subjects, defying the glamorized stereotypes of urban life and revealing the phantoms that haunt the modern metropolis. "Living under Milošević was like living in a mental institution. It was apocalyptic. Pensions and salaries were three to five United States dollars. People, especially the old and retired, were literally starving. The streets were empty. There was a shortage of gasoline, so there were very few cars on the street. And then, in the middle of the night, you would see a police truck cruising slowly. There were protests against Milosevic every day. In the beginning they were peaceful, so I didn't go. I don't believe in peaceful, passive resistance. It's either grab the gun and go to the woods or sit at home. But then they turned violent. The police were very brutal, beating protesters mercilessly. And that's when I started to go out and shoot photographs. Milosevic wasn't sure cops from Belgrade would be tough enough-they might not want to beat on their neighbors. So cops were brought from other parts of Serbia, huge cops with mustaches, in riot gear. I ran from them a few times. Scary." -Boogie