Dictionary of East European History Since 1945

(Hardback)

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Description

Eastern Europe has been in ongoing crisis since the breakup of the Soviet union. This book aims to provide basic, up-to-date information on the events and background that have led to the current crisis, and the volume includes maps and photographs of key figures and scenes of everyday life. Librarians should find this reference tool a reliable, informative source for students and others trying to understand today's conflicts. The volume covers all of the countries that formed the colonial empire of the Soviet Union - Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Hungary, Poland, Romania, and former Yugoslavia. In an introductory essay, Held begins with an overview of the region's general characteristics and history prior to 1945. The volume is then divided into separate sections on each country. Each section includes basic information about the country, a map, and a chronology followed by entries, arranged alphabetically, on people, places, political parties, and the events that have shaped the country's history since 1945.

Reviews

Because it makes available in succinct and readable form rather detailed historical information on the countires of Eastern Europe (defined in cold-war terms to exclude the Soviet Union) during the period of communist rule, Joseph Held's Dictionary of East European History since 1945 should be on the shelves of every social science research library. The main body of the book is organized by country, so that each of the eight sections provides an easily accessible overview of the post-World War II history of an individual country. Future generations of students and scholars owe Joseph Held a debt of gratitude for providing them with a reference work that greatly facilitates access to basic information on the history of the communist period in Eastern Europe.-The Historian
The country-by-country organization is well suited to the topic (and to easy browsing). This timely tool will simplify the search for information on tangled topics in a volatile part of the world.-Wilson Library Bulletin
The dictionary will prove to be of greater reference value. It provides enough information on various events to satisfy those with an interest in the subject.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
This book is a good first stop for anyone who wants to understand quickly the background of events in the volatile area formerly dominated by communist regimes and the USSR.-Choice
This should prove a handy reference source for both librarians and college students.-ARBA
"The country-by-country organization is well suited to the topic (and to easy browsing). This timely tool will simplify the search for information on tangled topics in a volatile part of the world."-Wilson Library Bulletin
"The dictionary will prove to be of greater reference value. It provides enough information on various events to satisfy those with an interest in the subject."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"This book is a good first stop for anyone who wants to understand quickly the background of events in the volatile area formerly dominated by communist regimes and the USSR."-Choice
"This should prove a handy reference source for both librarians and college students."-ARBA
"Because it makes available in succinct and readable form rather detailed historical information on the countires of Eastern Europe (defined in cold-war terms to exclude the Soviet Union) during the period of communist rule, Joseph Held's Dictionary of East European History since 1945 should be on the shelves of every social science research library. The main body of the book is organized by country, so that each of the eight sections provides an easily accessible overview of the post-World War II history of an individual country. Future generations of students and scholars owe Joseph Held a debt of gratitude for providing them with a reference work that greatly facilitates access to basic information on the history of the communist period in Eastern Europe."-The Historian

Author Bio

JOSEPH HELD is Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University and the editor of The Columbia History of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century.