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The Columbia History of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century
-- New England Review of Books
- GenresHistory
435 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 12, 2018
This book is much, much more exciting and dynamic than the dreary presentation would seem to suggest. That's academic publishing for you I guess.
It takes each of the major Eastern European "People's Democracies" and dedicates one, long, informative chapter to each. Although each chapter is written by a different historian, they all conform to the same kind of sweeping narrative format, making for a surprisingly readable and well paced history.
Written from a firmly liberal democratic perspective and published in 1990 - at the crucial moment between the collapse of the Eastern European communism but before the end of of the Soviet Union - the text contains a number of fascinating insights, as well as objective historical observations. It avoids the millenarian view of history so typical of modern liberal thinkers and instead plots of a cautious, measured course. From the very beginning it acknowledges how often people have rushed to proclaim Eastern Europe as having been "made ready for democracy", often with disastrous results, and the careful tone of the text reflects that admission.
It considers the communist regimes in reasonable detail, although tends to skirt over anything that could reflect too favourably on them, and includes no actual communist perspectives whatsoever. For example much is made of Mátyás Rákosi's brutal imposition of Stalinism in Hungary, but less of János Kádár's broadly popular and successful era of "Goulash Communism". However, the way the book paints connective lines between the challenges and setbacks of interwar, pre communist Eastern Europe and the difficulties then faced by the latter era Soviet backed states makes for important reading regardless of the readers own political perspective.
I would happily recommend this to someone with a good, broad, pre-existing knowledge of early 20th century and cold war politics, but seeking a more thorough understanding of the specific realities faced by the peoples of the Eastern bloc.
It takes each of the major Eastern European "People's Democracies" and dedicates one, long, informative chapter to each. Although each chapter is written by a different historian, they all conform to the same kind of sweeping narrative format, making for a surprisingly readable and well paced history.
Written from a firmly liberal democratic perspective and published in 1990 - at the crucial moment between the collapse of the Eastern European communism but before the end of of the Soviet Union - the text contains a number of fascinating insights, as well as objective historical observations. It avoids the millenarian view of history so typical of modern liberal thinkers and instead plots of a cautious, measured course. From the very beginning it acknowledges how often people have rushed to proclaim Eastern Europe as having been "made ready for democracy", often with disastrous results, and the careful tone of the text reflects that admission.
It considers the communist regimes in reasonable detail, although tends to skirt over anything that could reflect too favourably on them, and includes no actual communist perspectives whatsoever. For example much is made of Mátyás Rákosi's brutal imposition of Stalinism in Hungary, but less of János Kádár's broadly popular and successful era of "Goulash Communism". However, the way the book paints connective lines between the challenges and setbacks of interwar, pre communist Eastern Europe and the difficulties then faced by the latter era Soviet backed states makes for important reading regardless of the readers own political perspective.
I would happily recommend this to someone with a good, broad, pre-existing knowledge of early 20th century and cold war politics, but seeking a more thorough understanding of the specific realities faced by the peoples of the Eastern bloc.
March 22, 2010
Now this book I found very interesting because I have that very strong interest in Eastern Europe. I find the period from post WWII to the present, especially so. Not recommended as a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews