Goodbye, Eastern Europe

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In light of Russia's aggressive 2022 invasion of Ukraine, this book is a crucial read, chronicling a thousand years of strife, war, and bloodshed—from pre-Christianity to the fall of Communism. It illuminates the cultural significance and richness of a region often lost to history's margins. The term "Eastern Europe" has fallen out of favor since the Soviet Union's collapse, leading many to misplace countries like Estonia, Slovakia, and Croatia. Yet, this area remains a powerful marker of identity, defined by a fragmented history of hardship and suffering. The narrative begins with early pagan accounts and offers a kaleidoscopic tour through the rise and fall of empires—Ottoman, Hapsburg, and Russian—while addressing the impacts of Fascism, Communism, and Capitalism, as well as the birth of the modern nation-state. The author, a student of literature and history, paints a portrait of a diverse region and its people, who share a story of being dominated rather than dominating. The result is a celebration of the distinctive and vibrant cultures that have persisted at the margins of Western Europe, providing a powerful corrective to our understanding of how the modern Western world took shape.