Biography vs history

As much as I am enjoying telling my story the book isn't all about me. As I've progressed in my writing and thinking I've focused on the other side of the story. Well really it is the very foundation of the story and that is the history of the conflict in Bosnia. Politically I've taken a stand that some things must be told in the book to give everyone a broader perspective and remind people about some of the things that occured. I traverse ethnic cleansing, rape as a war crime.......how the UNs idea of "Safe Areas" failed to save 8000 Bosnians in Srebrenica. It's not preachy nor are these passages long. Some are told in the context of things I saw post the events themselves, others based on things I heard and still others based on things that emerged post the war. They are designed as simple statements of fact and, I think, to focus solely on my narrow view of the world would be overly self indulgent and downright dispectful. I've learnt so much more about the conflict through writing the book than I actually knew at the time. As I've researched some of the stories behind the stories I heard while there I've gained a richer insight and an even sader perspective on it all. It's strangely rewarding though to wade through some of the complexities and be invited to boil them down, while determined to keep the readers attention.