Reviews (1)

everyone should read this book
I am an American of Latvian descent. My grandparents were Lutheran refugees from Latvia and survived the war. Their lives were hard, but were a piece of cake compared to how Freida suffered. She had so many doors slammed in her face when all she wanted to do was live, something most of us take for granted. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. German occupation, 1940-1945    3. History    4. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    5. Jews    6. Latvia    7. Persecutions    8. Personal narratives    9. Riga    10. Råiga   

Subjects:  1. 1900-1965    2. 1919-    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Cukurs, Herbert,    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    10. Jews    11. Kunzle, Anton,    12. Latvia    13. Persecutions    14. Råiga    15. War criminals    16. Biography: general    17. War crimes    18. World history: Second World War   

Subjects:  1. 1991-    2. Baltic States    3. Europe - Baltic States    4. Europe - General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Estonia    9. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    10. History / Europe / General    11. Latvia    12. Lithuania   

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Art    2. 20th century    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art, Baltic    5. Contemporary Art    6. Dissident art    7. European    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Soviet Union    10. Estonia    11. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    12. Latvia    13. Lithuania    14. Russia   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. Government - International    4. History - General History    5. Post-Communism    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    9. Latvia   

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. Europe - General    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Military - Naval    8. Naval operations, Russian    9. Riga, Gulf of (Latvia and Esto    10. Riga, Gulf of (Latvia and Estonia)    11. Slava (Ship)    12. World War, 1914-1918    13. History / Europe / General   

Reviews (2)

Excellent Overview of Latvia's Transition from Communism
This book is about the early years of Latvia's independence from the communist domination from Moscow. Latvia is a small country, one of the three Baltic republics that were independent in the inter-war period but where taken over by Soviet forces in June of 1940, after Hitler and Stalin secretly devided Eastern Europe between themselves. Baltic nationalism was probably the strongest of all nationalism within the Soviet Union. Excellent resource on re-emergence of independence in Latvia
Latvia in Transition, by Juris Dreifelds, is an even-handed and readable treatment of the post-Soviet period in Latvia. Dreifelds asserts that in spite of its stumbling blocks and outright failures on the road to democracy, Latvia-along with Estonia and Lithuania-is a model of successful economic, political, and social transition for its fellow states that once submitted to the aegis of Soviet communism. According to Dreifelds, this transition was made easier by several commonalities shared by the three Baltic nations, but not by other former Soviet republics: 1) they each had the advantage of historical precedent, having experienced two decades of independence between the first and second World Wars; 2) their integration into the USSR was never diplomatically recognized by most Western countries, and therefore their break for independence under the auspices of perestroika was more readily supported by the West and tolerated by the Gorbachev administration; and finally, 3) the ties to Baltic expatriates and their active involvement in the independence movements strengthened the new nations. On the other hand, the so-called "Pribaltika" also faced significant impediments, many of which boiled down to ethnic and ideological rifts which were rooted in the period of Soviet hegemony, and thus it was necessary to evolve rather than merely trying to return to the pre-Soviet status quo. Dreifelds posits that "It is clear that post-communist Latvia is not the country of 1939 altered merely by the normal processes of modernization . . . The obstacles in the way of reforms are formidable. The decades-long discontinuity in the sovereignty of Latvia and its incorporation into the USSR precipitated momentous changes and altered the demographic, economic, political and psychological characteristics of the country." (Dreifelds p. 7)Read more

Subjects:  1. 1991-    2. Europe - Baltic States    3. General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Latvia    7. Political Science    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Europe    10. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    11. Latvia--History--1991-    12. Political Science / General    13. Political economy   

Subjects:  1. Austria    2. Directories    3. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    4. History - General History    5. Jews    6. Poland    7. Reference    8. Russia   

Subjects:  1. 1918-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Germany    5. Historical - Holocaust    6. History    7. History: World    8. Holocaust    9. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    10. Jewish - General    11. Jews    12. Katz, Josef,    13. Latvia    14. Lubeck    15. Lèubeck    16. Personal Memoirs    17. Personal narratives    18. Biography: general    19. Europe    20. History / Holocaust    21. The Holocaust   

Reviews (1)

An admirable life
Herman Branover here tells the story of his' return' to Jewish faith and practice. A struggle which begins in the Soviet Union has its continuation in Israel. In Israel Professor Branover continued to develop his distinguished scientific career and became a pioneer in outreach to the large community from the former Soviet Union in Israel.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1931-    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Branover, Herman,    5. Hasidim    6. History Of Jews    7. Israel    8. Jews    9. Jews, Soviet    10. Judaism - General    11. Latvia    12. Religion - Judaism    13. Religious    14. Riga    15. RÃ¥iga    16. Branover, Herman    17. Jewish studies    18. Social history   

Subjects:  1. Eastern Europe - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Participation, Latvian    6. Revolution, 1917-1921    7. Revolutions    8. Soviet Union    9. Ethnic studies    10. European history: from c 1900 -    11. History / Europe / Eastern    12. Latvia    13. Russia   

Subjects:  1. Baltic States    2. Bibliographies & Indexes    3. Bibliography    4. Eastern Europe - General    5. Europe - Baltic States    6. History - General History    7. National Bibliographies    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    10. Estonia    11. Latvia    12. Lithuania   

Subjects:  1. Estonia    2. European history: from c 1900 -    3. Latvia    4. Lithuania    5. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    6. Second World War, 1939-1945   

Subjects:  1. History    2. Latvia   

Reviews (1)

The exotic nation - "LITHUANAI"
"The Baltic Nations and Europe: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuanai in the Twentieth Century" have to be very exotic book, because there is some new Baltic Nation mentioned - "LITHUANAI". What it is? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Autonomy and independence move    2. Autonomy and independence movements    3. Baltic States    4. Contemporary Politics - Europe    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Nationalism    9. Politics and government    10. Soviet Union   

Subjects:  1. 1985-1991    2. Democratization    3. Ethnic relations    4. Europe - General    5. Latvia    6. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Soviet Union    11. History / United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA)   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Gender Studies    4. Great Britain    5. History    6. History: World    7. Latvia    8. Latvians    9. Social History    10. Women refugees    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Women's studies   

Reviews (1)

Beg, borrow, or -- buy this ASAP!
One of the best books I've read about the reemergence of independent Latvia.The title is a little misleading; the subtitle should come first, because this is really about how the collapse played out in Latvia. Written by a first-hand observer. Enough background to keep everything clear for those not familiar with Latvia.For thosewho are, the author's very clear, precise, informative re-statement of the history that we all know is a huge pleasure to read. This is a scholarly book that is easy to read -- in fact, it's a real page turner! If you get it from the library, you will want to own it afterwards, so just go ahead and buy it -- you will want to lend it to your friends. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1985-1991    2. 1991-    3. Contemporary Economic Situations And Conditions    4. Contemporary Politics - Former Soviet Republics    5. Economic conditions    6. Europe - General    7. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Politics and government    12. Russia (Federation)    13. Soviet Union    14. Biography: general    15. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    16. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    17. History / Europe / General    18. Latvia    19. Nationalism    20. Political structures: democracy    21. c 1990 to c 2000   

Subjects:  1. Baltic States    2. Europe - Eastern    3. Europe - History    4. Europe - Iceland & Greenland    5. Finland    6. Guidebooks    7. Iceland    8. Travel    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Travel Guides    11. Estonia    12. Latvia    13. Lithuania    14. Travel & holiday guides    15. Travel / Europe / Iceland & Greenland