“Armatta has produced a valuable book that will be of interest to specialists on the former Yugoslavia, and especially to anyone with interests in international justice and human rights. . . . Armatta’s book deserves a wide readership of those seeking to better understand the attempt to bring to justice the people responsible for the violence in the former Yugoslavia.” — Max Bergholz, Canadian Slavonic Papers
“Armatta’s detailed narration and analysis of Milosevic’s trial makes this book vital for students and researchers interested in the ramifications and contradictions of international law and justice.” — Ramona Wadi, British Politics and Policy at LSE
“Armatta' s Twilight of Impunity provides an excellent account of Milosevic's trial while both highlighting the challenges of prosecuting a head of state and unpacking the typical ‘lessons leamed’ commentaries that have emerged from Milosevic's trial.” — Maya Karwande, Berkeley Journal of International Law
“Here, Armatta—a journalist, scholar and human rights lawyer who had a front-row seat at the proceedings—trains her focus on the trial of Milosevicc itself rather than attempting to offer a pure history of the conflicts in Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Croatia. Nevertheless, indications of the many different versions of that history do emerge, and clearly the complexities are huge. Particularly useful is her commentary on the operational failings of trials of this nature. . . . There are never excuses for genocide, but what, in the end, is truth? Armatta's absorbing work suggests that it is found somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of views on such events, and that the victors do not have a monopoly on truth or morality. That much, at least, is certain.” — Penny Booth, Times Higher Education
“Judith Armatta, a lawyer, reporter and human-rights campaigner, has written a detailed and thorough account of the trial that is certain to answer more questions than any lay reader is ever likely to have. As a record of the proceedings, and of the substance of Milošević's presumed crimes, Twilight of Impunity is invaluable.” — Toby Vogel, European Voice
“This book will rightly become a key reference in the literature both on the war and the politics that surrounded Yugoslavia’s dissolution and on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. . . . In presenting a strong assessment of all the evidence produced, Armatta has gone some way toward offering the judgment that the judges could not have reached a different conclusion on certain points, even if Miloševic´’s death had not caused the consequent ending of the trial before it was completed.” — James Gow, Slavic Review
“This is a definite source for the examination of post-WW II human rights trials and post-conflict resolution institutions. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.” — S. R. Silverburg, Choice
“[An] amazing book. . . . Armatta . . . has brought a boots-on-the-ground understanding of the Balkans from previous work in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. In her observations, she proves to be an acute student of law, character, strategy, and history. . . . [T]his is a wonderful and important book. Armatta has captured not only the sights and sounds of the court, but also of the Balkans itself, and the book emerges analyzing the biggest themes of international justice. It has enormous implications for the future. . . . Every practitioner and student of international relations should read Armatta’s book.” — Wesley Clark, Washington Monthly
“[Armatta’s] is the front-row view of a first-rate court reporter, giving the reader a TiVo-like version, culled of dead space and repetition, that is still exhausting in its arduous pace and detail. Diligently, she watched and recorded as the court probed all three charges from Kosovo, back through the Croatian and Bosnian wars, tediously piling up the evidence as Milosevic bobbed and weaved. One comes away half heartened by the effort to answer unspeakable cruelty and suffering with justice but, in a way, more saddened by Milosevic's slippery success in persuading his partisans and many of his countrymen that they, not he, were on trial, the victims of great power bullies.“ — Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs
“Armatta’s encyclopedic compendium is impeccably researched, meticulous, detailed, prudent, and careful. It distinguishes itself as a must-read.” — Mark A. Drumbl, Law and Politics Book Review
"Armatta is quite evenhanded in her description of the court and its procedures." — William Pruitt, H-Genocide, H-Net Reviews
“As the only independent lawyer to have monitored and reported regularly from the Milosevic trial courtroom from its first day, Judith Armatta has produced an unparalleled, firsthand account of the first truly international war crimes trial of a national leader. She captures the courtroom atmosphere and personalities with a thoroughly engaging reportorial style, but brings her legal and regional expertise to bear in explaining and analyzing important testimony and judicial decisions. Twilight of Impunity is not only a singular history of the trial, but a compelling narrative of the major battles and convoluted diplomatic struggles of the Balkan wars. The book is filled with previously unreported insights arising from the testimony of major figures of the era, including Milosevic, former world leaders, NATO officials, victims, judges and prosecutors. A compelling and thorough source of unconventional wisdom on the trial and its impact, this book must be read by anyone hoping to understand the Balkans and the new era of international war crimes trials.” — Nina Bang-Jensen, former Executive Director/Counsel, Coalition for International Justice
“In Twilight of Impunity, Judith Armatta has done for the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, the Butcher of the Balkans, what Hannah Arendt did for the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the Architect of the Holocaust: present an unflinching depiction of the crimes, the anguish of the victims and witnesses, the arrogance of the killers, the virtues and flaws of the judicial process, and the banality of the evil that can arise when leaders assume they enjoy impunity.” — Chuck Sudetic, author of Blood and Vengeance: One Family’s Story of the War in Bosnia
“Judith Armatta spent three incredible years with a front row seat in the trial that many hope will signal a beginning of the end to impunity. Through this book the reader is granted a rare privilege to share Judith’s journey through the trial of Milosevic. As such, Twilight of Impunity serves as an indispensable cornerstone to the historical record of the Yugoslav conflict, and is a must read for anyone who seeks to understand how and why genocide returned to Europe.” — Paul R. Williams, American University Washington College of Law