Chris Deliso (www.chrisdeliso.com) is an American writer, journalist and travel author who has been covering the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean from the region since 2002. He is also the founder and director of Balkanalysis.com (www.balkanalysis.com), a leading independent website covering current events in the region since 2004.Chris is the author or co-author of approximately 20 books and many articles in major world media. In addition to co-authoring many Lonely Planet travel guides, Chris has written a travelogue (Hidden Macedonia), textbook (Culture and Customs of Serbia & Montenegro) and current events study (The Coming Balkan Caliphate), the last of which accurately predicted the development of radical Islamism in the Balkans years in advance.Chris is a frequent speaker on politics, security and religion in the Balkans before high-level audience at US government bodies such as the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), Defense Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Council, etc., and international think-tanks and conferences. He has provided field research on Balkan politics for London's Economist Intelligence Unit since 2004, and he has also covered related fields for UPI, Jane's Intelligence Digest and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst.In addition to books, Chris Deliso's travel-writing credits include The Tablet (UK), National Geographic Traveller, the Financial Times,BBC Travel, CNN Travel, The National (Abu Dubai), the Sydney Morning Herald, St Petersburg Times (Florida), and the in-flight magazines of Malaysian Airlines, Korean Airlines and Qatar Airways.Originally drawn to southeastern Europe during MPhil research in Byzantine Studies at Oxford University, Chris has lived in Greece, Turkey and Macedonia, and traveled in over 30 countries from Europe to the Caucasus and Middle East. When not writing, Chris enjoys playing guitar, swimming and sampling good local food and drink.