This broad overview describes the nearly indefinable region that, until the Berlin Wall's sudden fall, was shrouded behind the Iron Curtain-nations and peoples living amid constantly shifting boundaries in a centuries-old battleground between East and West. . . . [Jankowski] displays an ease and familiarity with cultural minutiae while briskly covering intense topics of genocide, religion, and Communist implosion. . . . Jankowski's history of the region serves as a welcome introduction or refresher course. -Publishers Weekly A brief, concise, and informative introduction to the less-known part of the old continent. No country is left out: from Albania to Moldova, from Romania to Poland, from Bulgaria to Lithuania. No historic period is overlooked: from the dark ages of prehistory to the Middle Ages, from the Renaissance to the two world wars, from the Soviet period to the collapse of communism. This 600-page book can serve as both an introduction to Eastern Europe and a refresher to its intricate history. It is accessible and stimulating reading that includes humor, pictures, maps, tables, charts, and even poems and recipes. A good resource for teachers, students, and all those with roots in this part of the world. - CHOICE [The] colloquial style succeeds in making this an accessible, if thorough, history of pretty much everywhere from East Berlin to the Black Sea back to 500CE. . . . This should be recommended reading for anyone heading to the former Eastern Bloc. - Traveller, easyJet's inflight magazine Jankowski . . . offers a sweeping history of Eastern Europe and does an admirable job of getting information in on nearly every language and religious and cultural group that has existed in the area, a commendable feat. . . . [He] writes in an intelligent, accessible style, and it is easy to read the book from start to finish, or just to pick out sections on certain countries or events. . . . A meaty but not overly challenging read for history buffs and students, Eastern European scholars, and tourists with more than a passing interest in the history of the region. -Library Journal Jankowski takes the reader on a comprehensive journey through the development of Eastern Europe. This is a huge book, wondrously large; detailed and fascinating . . . A must read for any history buff, student or anyone wanting to begin a dive into the wonders of Eastern Europe--I couldn't recommend it enough. -ofbooks.org
