CEU Review of Books

In The Eastern International (Oxford University Press, 2024) Masha Kirasirova explores how the concept of "the East" was used by the Soviet Union and its intermediaries to spread their ideology across Eurasia. Aleksandr Korobeinikov writes that the book offers valuable insights into the complexities of Soviet statecraft and its impact on global and regional politics. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/gJQYeAHM

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In Mothers, Families or Children? Family Policy in Poland, Hungary, and Romania, 1945-2020 (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2022), Tomasz Inglot, Dorottya Szikra and Cristina Raț offer a comparative historical study of family policies couched in a new theoretical framework to identify core and contingent clusters of benefits and services in each country. Orel Beilinson writes that, beyond its specific analyses, the book serves as a fantastic reference for scholars of family and welfare policies of other regions. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/dx57txCp

In The Middle Kingdoms (Basic Books, 2023) Martyn Rady sketches the convoluted histories of Central Europe from the time of the Roman Empire in the second century CE to the renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Joseph F. Patrouch writes that, despite omissions such as gender and minorities, Rady provides a useful overview of the political histories of the region. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/dQTKnbCX

Biopolitics in Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th Century (Routledge, 2022) edited by Barbara Klich-Kluczewska, Joachim von Puttkamer and Immo Rebitschek offers empirically rich case studies, predominantly dealing with specific facets of biopolitics in countries of the region. Vojtěch Pojar asks whether all biopolitical thinking in East Central Europe really limited itself to fearing for the nation or whether there were also attempts to go beyond its narrow confines. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/dHg_E78m

In Survival Under Dictatorships (Central European University Press, 2024) László Borhi examines the Nazi and Stalinist dictatorships and invites the reader to ask whether the difference between dictatorships necessitates a difference in the methods of survival. Dr Lucy Jeffery writes that the book  is a well-researched contribution to scholarship in the fields of Holocaust and Communist studies. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/d22YWMgy

In Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions (Princeton University Press, 2023) Maurizio Isabella tells the story of popular upheavals in the Mediterranean between the Napoleonic Era and the 1860s from a transnational perspective and debunks some long-held myths about these revolutions. Paul Csillag writes that Isabella’s book constitutes a long-needed correction of a previous bias that exaggerated American, British, and French specialness in the nineteenth century. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/dXxbUdzc

Thrilled to have written my first review for the CEU Review of Books! It was a pleasure to read and discuss Mikanowski's Goodbye, Eastern Europe, a great introduction to the region. As anyone looking at the region will know, many works (particularly those for mass market) repeat the same tired tropes - Goodbye, Eastern Europe provides a refreshing new perspective, with skilled interweaving of both familial history and historiography. Of particular personal interest was discussion of Timișoara and the 20th Century, but even those with no academic background will find something to enjoy. For any of my fellow PhD students looking at Central and Eastern Europe, I cannot recommend reviewing highly enough - a great way to read further, and build your writing skills with the support and keen eye the CEURB provides.

In Goodbye Eastern Europe (Oneworld Publications, 2023) Jacob Mikanowski gives readers an intimate and meticulously researched portrayal of Eastern Europe. Jack Dean writes that the book masterfully fulfils its goal of providing a history of a commonly misunderstood and maligned region. Read the review here: https://lnkd.in/dMP3avgZ

In Fate Unknown (Oxford University Press, 2023) Dan Stone illuminates the breadth and depth of the Arolsen Archives collections and reveals how they enhance our understanding of the past. Barnabas Balint writes that as researchers grapple with how to make the most of the Arolsen Archives, Stone provides a leading light in this book. https://lnkd.in/d4Bpf5TR