My books on golf history, economy, society and a travelogue.
Experiencing Balkan on a 12-day Road Trip: An exciting journey to the Old Europe, 2019, digital
From North Adriatic to the Black Sea and back in 12 days. Some 4,500 kilometers. A roadtrip through the Balkan from 2009. It has been published now, almost 10 years after the trip in order to offer a slight time distance which helps in delivering a more objective view.
Written by a Croatian writer who was born in former Yugoslavia and understands Balkan enough yet in the same time finds it provocative and challenging to discover. Posing the same questions that a global reader would pose and with so interesting and transferable to him. Before departing the author admits he is aware of some of his prejudices and we will follow how things develop to the end of the travelogue.
This travelogue can be useful for a reader that wants to get an idea of the Balkan and its culture, way of living and thus a guide how to approach it as a tourist and discover it himself. In the same time it is offering relevant information of the sites the author visited as well as historical and cultural background. Local customs, traditions and cuisine.
They decided to travel by car in order to have the freedom and flexibility. When some interesting place would be encountered nearby their planned route they would detour and visit it. If found that in some place there are more things worthed of visitintg and experience – they would stay longer.
The author went to this trip with two colleagues – „Dara“ from Ljubljana, Slovenia and and „Boro“ from Zagreb, Croatia – a balanced trio we can say. This travelogue offers a quick jump in that, still mystical part of the Old Continent (Europe). Gives a hint why Balkan still has this negative reputation and conotation.
He will not explain to the reader what Balkan is yet will help him get an idea of it himself. Text is accompanied with author’s photographs which are showing interesting sights but also moments on this trip.
HISTORY OF GOLF ON BRIONI ISLANDS
Golf na Brijunima, Damir Ritosa, 2003, print
Golf on Brioni II, 2026., Damir Ritosa, Extended 2nd edition, digital/ (in preparation: PRINT)
This is a book about the history of golf on the Brioni Islands and covers a centenary: from the early 1920s when a golf club was founded on the island of Great Brioni and a golf course was built, all the way to the present days 2020s.
The historical overview and insights presented in the book are the result of the author’s research and recording of the history of golf on the Brioni Islands and the surrounding area over the past three decades. The author was one of the participants in the renovation of the old course and the return of golf to the islands in the early 1990s. For the next 30 years, he actively participated in the development of golf in the region: as secretary of the largest regional club Golf klub Pula (GKP), president of the Istrian Golf Association (IGS), co-founder of European Association of Golf Historians and Collectors (EAGHC), co-organizer of traditional hickory golf tournaments on Brioni, and author of a series of articles on the history of golf.
This is the second and expanded edition of the first book printed and published in 2003.
It traces the glorious and in the same time turbulent past of once fashionable world resort on this Northern Adriatic beautiful archipelago. During the periods of the Austrian Empire, World War I, the Kingdom of Italy under fascism, World War II, Socialist Yugoslavia and the Democratic Republic of Croatia, the Brioni Islands and golf on them went through ups and downs. That path is presented here.
This book includes 205 photographs, captures and hand-sketches, from the period 1910s-2020s
Company Culture, 2026, Damir Ritosa, digital
Unlock the Hidden Force That Shapes Every Organization
Why do some companies inspire loyalty, innovation, and growth — while others struggle with disengagement and distrust?
In „Company Culture“, Damir Ritosa delivers a compelling exploration of the invisible dynamics that drive workplace behavior, leadership effectiveness, and long-term business success. Combining real-world management thinking and philosophy, this practical yet reflective guide reveals how culture influences decision-making, performance, and results at every level of an organization.
Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, HR professional, or ambitious employee, this book will help you understand — and navigate — the forces that define modern workplaces.
Inside this book, you’ll discover:
* What company culture really is (beyond buzzwords and mission statements)
* How values, leadership, and organizational power shape behavior
* The difference between healthy and toxic workplace environments
* Why culture and strategy must work together to drive success
* How digital transformation and AI are reshaping corporate culture
* The critical role of trust, decision-making, and employee engagement
Why readers choose this book:
* Clear, thought-provoking insights for today’s business reality
* Practical frameworks for understanding workplace dynamics
* Relevant to leadership, management, HR, and organizational development
* Ideal for professionals navigating the modern corporate world
Company culture isn’t a slogan on a wall — it’s the DNA of how people think, act, and succeed together. Understanding it gives you a decisive advantage in building better organizations, stronger teams, and more meaningful work.
If you care about leadership, workplace psychology, business strategy, or organizational success, this book belongs in your library.
A forgotten family.
A relic lost to history.
A secret powerful enough to cross centuries.
When Ugo travels from Istria to Pennsylvania for a long-overdue family reunion, a single dinner turns into a revelation that will change everything. His relatives confess to a secret their family has guarded for generations: a mysterious stone chest that has been hunted since the Middle Ages.
From medieval monasteries and the Crusader states to fascist Europe, communist interrogations, and Cold War America, the chest has drawn the attention of monks, secret orders, and intelligence agencies. Its contents—linked to a sacred relic known as the Holy Thorn—are said to carry knowledge capable of shaping history itself.
Handed a cryptic notebook pointing toward the Vatican archives, newly opened after decades of secrecy, Ugo realizes he is the last link in a chain of silence forged by fear, exile, and betrayal.
The Name of the Thorn is a fast-moving historical thriller that blends family mystery, hidden Church history, and international intrigue—where the past is never dead, and some secrets were never meant to be found.
Brioni Golf 