Junaci Domovinskog rata #3

The third book in the acclaimed documentary-historical series Heroes of the Homeland War by Davor Runtić continues to systematically record and save from oblivion the harrowing and heroic fates of Croatian defenders who bore the burden of defending Croatia during 1991.

This volume is dedicated to the personal treatment of the life and war paths of defenders and volunteers. The book includes the stories and fates of: Jure Giljan and Josip Bijuk, Haris Čerkić, Milenko Turudić, Ante Berić, Julij Novak and Miroslav Oljača, Ranko Štrbić, Martin Omrčanin, Gent Međugorec, Robert Bosak, Mladen Novak, Mija Teskera and Ivica Ercegovac, and Šimun Fotić.

The author, himself a war correspondent and participant, reconstructs the fates of people who jumped into the hell of war from different parts of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina through rich documentary material, statements of surviving comrades, and family memories. The emphasis is placed on the battles from the key crisis points in 1991, personal comrades-in-arms interactions, and the unwavering morale of volunteers on the front lines.

Runtić does not only present a dry military framework and strategies, but also delves into personal dramas, immense courage, resourcefulness, and sacrifice of people who grew into true heroes of defense. The book remains an invaluable document of the truth about the Homeland War, a lasting monument to all who contributed to the creation of a free state, and an indispensable reading for historical studies of that period.