The Burdens of Freedom: Eastern Europe since 1989

by Padraic Kenney

From Estonia to Macedonia, this book is a history of 15 countries as they negotiate their transition from communism. For some, the story ends happily, with triumphant entry into the European Union in 2004.Others are caught in limbo, destroyed by nationalist politics, war and genocide, or crippled by corrupt political practices.

The Burdens of Freedom considers the effects of revolutionary change, the resurgence of nationalism and the painful examination of the past. It looks at the process of building stable democratic states, and their integration with international structures. Most of the countries have established admission to the EU as a national objective; but many of them have also been active participants in the American-led occupation of Iraq. Domestically, each has seen a divide emerge between winners and losers. All are moving forward simultaneously to democracy, unity and prosperity, but also to national division and economic disparity.

Genres: History

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2006

Reviews

[Jackie ϟ Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has very little interest in post-communist Europe, or just European politics in general for that metter, it was a bit dry and I found myself not totally absorbing everything I read. That being said, this was something assigned to me for a class outside of my major, so the fact that I read it in about 3 days with very little issues is something I'm proud of. Anyway, it did teach me a lot about European politics, although it was hard to follow at times for someone like me who has very little to no previous knowledge of the subject.

[Nicholas Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very much an academic work, and it's an excellent study on post-Cold War Eastern Europe. If you're looking for a depth of understanding, here it is.