PRAISE
“Astonishing, entertaining, and informative ... How can you write a book that covers thousands of years over half a continent and keep your readers with you? ... Tomek Jankowski tells it in a way you have to listen. And sometimes you get so excited that you want to repeat his stories to your friends.”
PRAISE
FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION
“A sweeping history of Eastern Europe … a commendable feat.”
“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.”
“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.”
“[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.”
“An entertaining and fact-filled historical survey of a fascinating and important part of the world all too infrequently covered ... for academics, students, and the general public alike, leading the reader on an approximately 2000-year odyssey stretching from the Balkans in the south to the Baltic region in the north.”
“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.”
“A veritable intellectual feat.… A must-read for all who want to learn about and understand this forgotten part of Europe.”
“A valuable contribution to a field that needs a well researched and engaging introduction.… A joy to read.”
“In contrast with historical narratives… where audiences are bid to suffer alongside the victims of history, Tomek Jankowski’s Eastern Europe! Gives a refreshing view… using a more fully human embrace of the comedic, serving to personalize these histories.”