"Croatia in 30 Stories"

This book will offer you a unique insight into Croatia, the dominant character traits of its people and their way of life, what distinguishes them from their neighbors and what unites them. You will learn a thousand anecdotes about Croatia's countless islands, exuberant nature or sporting exploits, about its original traditions and brilliant innovations. You will discover the turbulent history and accelerated present of this booming country located on the Mediterranean shores of central Europe. You may be surprised to learn that you wear an accessory from Croatia every day... You will learn why the Croats love drinking coffee on a terrace so much; why the Swedes used to keep their children in line with scary stories about the Croats; how they were the first in Europe to benefit from public electric lighting; why the Croats are an envious lot, yet generous and the world record holders in organ donation; why Croatia was one of the first countries of Catholic tradition to recognize Islam as a religion in its own right and why American fishermen and wine growers are so indebted to the Croats...

CROATIA IN 30 STORIES

by Božo Skoko and Zvonimir Frka-Petešić

Published by Naklada Ljevak

Edited by Dražen Klarić

Translated by Michael Durgo

Proofread and revised by Betty Bernardica Pavelich

Reviewed by Cody McClain Brown

Ilustrations by Vedran Klemens

Design by Zoran Birman

About the authors

Božo Skoko is a full professor of strategic communication at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Zagreb and a guest lecturer of public diplomacy at Edward Bernays University of Applied Sciences, as well as a publicist and communication expert. He is the co-founder of Millenium promocija (MPR), one of the leading and oldest communication management agencies in Croatia. He is a former journalist and editor with Croatian Radio and Television. He is the author of eight books, including the bestsellers Understanding Croatia (2018) and Croatian Greats (2014). He was born in Ljubuški in 1976.

Zvonimir Frka-Petešić is a longtime Croatian diplomat and ambassador, who has been the head of the Office of the Prime Minister of Croatia since 2017. He was the head of Department for Public Diplomacy at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. He has edited a number of editions on Croatia and its European path, including Croatia, land and people (Institute of Lexicography, 2013). He has organized numerous international exhibitions and events dedicated to Croatian cultural and natural heritage, and is the author of more than a hundred geopolitical maps on the war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, published in professional literature and French media.​ He was born in Paris in 1969.

Vedran Klemens is a freelance artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. He graduated in Visual Communications at the School of Design at the Faculty of Architecture and Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. He worked as a graphic designer and then as an art director in the advertising agency Gray Worldwide Zagreb, and since 2014, he has been devoting himself to an independent career. He designed illustrations and campaigns for Croatian and international corporations such as Google, Coca-Cola and Stella Artois, as well as illustrated book covers. He has won numerous awards for his agency and independent work, including Red Dot. He was born in Sarajevo in 1978.