A Concise History of the Baltic States

Cambridge Concise Histories

by Andrejs Plakans

The Baltic region is frequently neglected in broader histories of Europe and its international significance can be obscured by separate treatments of the various Baltic states. With this wide-ranging survey, Andrejs Plakans presents the first integrated history of three Baltic peoples – Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians – and draws out the common threads to show how it has been shaped by their location in a strategically desirable corner of Europe. Subordinated in turn by Baltic German landholders, the Polish nobility and gentry, and then by Russian and Soviet administrators, the three nations have nevertheless kept a their distinctive identities – significantly retaining three separate languages in an ethnically diverse region. The book traces the countries' evolution from their ninth-century tribal beginnings to their present status as three thriving and separate nation states, focusing particularly on the region's complex twentieth-century history, which culminated in the eventual re-establishment of national sovereignty after 1991.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History

492 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 2011

Reviews

[Zorlon Zorlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my quest to read a history of every country in the world as they currently stand, I've read some good shit and I've slogged through some real piles of shit. Nothing compares to this fine volume which is a combined history of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania treated in a macrohistorical way. Plakans pulls no punches taking on retarded notions of how history can be written, or better, how history can be contrived from sparse information. Instead, he shrugs off uncertainties and approaches the Baltic region from a myriad angles which give no real power to nationalist dialogues or external booshit. P. carefully balances the history of each linguistic-historical area showing how they overlap, how they collide, and how their "shared" history was just as much about their respective uniqueness, as not. If you're interested in the area (I've been there; it's awesome!) look no further.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy mother of passive voice! This "concise history" may be concise by some measures (the full OED? an encyclopedia set?), but it is also stultifyingly dull. A sample of the prose:
"Since the word 'stratification' implies an ongoing process, even if available archeological evidence is from points in past time, it is plausible that differentiation by wealth was continuous. Strictly speaking, the evidence from burial sites--with some individuals having more and better quality weapons and jewelry buried with them--tells us only that at the moment of death they had more material possessions than others did, but that practice was common enough elsewhere for the inference to be drawn for the Baltic littoral as well. The evidence about housing is ambiguous because not all uncovered sites had the higher/lower distribution of residences; some of these tribal societies were likely to have been markedly stratified while others remained less differentiated" (p. 18)

It gets marginally better after the pre-historic period, but it never gets enjoyable. And it is WAY longer than it looks--thin pages, small font. That being said, it has good information and analysis and I understand far more about the history of the Baltic States now than after finishing The History of the Baltic States by O'Connor. Which, I suppose, is the point. We can only hope that someday someone will write a history that is both informative and enjoyable.

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a ton of books on Russian and Soviet history. Typically, I think of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as "the Baltics."

Plakans' book on these three nations really was an eye opener for me.

This book is more of a social history than a political history, but that works. Plakans spells out for the reader how these three countries are different and have different experiences and different roots. He also shows how different Russian history looks when viewed from the Baltic provinces.

Really, this book made me challenge my assumptions and think about things in a new way. Hats off to Plakans for doing this.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might argue whether this is a 'concise' history. I would describe it as a scholarly effort to cover the entire history of the littoral. The author loves the word 'littoral'. I certainly do feel that I have a grasp of the history of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania after reading this, and maybe, that I deserve college credit.

[Isabella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t finish this. It was like chewing a brick. How to make such beautiful countries sound so dull.

[Alex Gravina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an informative book that covers an enormous period of time and an area that doesn't have a uniform history.

Unfortunately, I feel the result is that it lacks detail. It consistently feels a bit too generic despite its length. I don't know if it would be possible to change this reality unless a strong narrative was imposed on the area, hence still giving it four stars.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this brief history of Lithuania, Latvia, & Estonia before going on a circumnavigation of the Baltic Sea. It's rather densely written but actually very clear. I learned a lot about the region, which was most helpful & relevant when we traveled there.

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

0/10, writing style not very concise.

[Dimitri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book revolves around two themes: nationalism & agricultural reform. Between them, even the world wars & the great power politics of Imperial Russia come off dry as dust. The disappointment of the year (so far)