A History of Eastern Europe

By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

Eastern Europe has long been thought of as the "Other Europe", a region rife with political upheaval, shifting national borders, an astonishing variety of ethnic diversity, and relative isolation from the centers of power in the West. It has also been, and continues to be, pivotal in the course of world events. A History of Eastern Europe offers a sweeping 1,000-year tour with a particular focus on the region's modern history. In 24 insightful lectures, you'll observe waves of migration and invasion, watch empires rise and fall, witness wars and their deadly consequences - and come away with comprehensive knowledge of one of the world's most fascinating places.

In examining this region's remarkable diversity and contested borders, you'll better understand the ever-present tension between the connections between East and West and the areas of marked contrast. These disparities were clear as the world globalized and the US and Soviet superpowers jockeyed for spheres of influence - epitomized by the imposition of the Iron Curtain across Europe and the rise of the Berlin Wall. And yet, throughout the 20th century and into current times, the connectedness of Eastern Europe to the rest of the world continues to be demonstrated beyond question. This region has made itself felt across the globe through:

• The political and cultural reverberations of peace movements and armed conflicts
• The crises of huge population migrations and the new expressions of cultural and economic exchange they spark
• The successes and struggles of NATO and the European Union
• And more

Explore the grand sweep of this epic history, from a series of early invasions to the rise of empires to the collapse of communism and into the new challenges of the 21st century. Meet brilliant poets, writers, artists, and other cultural figures who made an impact on Eastern European history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC

A focused history

While the course was very well done and I learned much, it would be best described as Eastern Europe in the 20th century with some context before and after. Apart from that, a good course.

Really outstanding

This course covered the modern history of Eastern Europe more than it covered the medieval or ancient history. There were only about two lectures or so on the medieval history of Eastern Europe covered in this course, but overall the course was really well done.

good background history

I really enjoyed this book.I recently spent six months traveling through eastern Europe and wish I had read this first. it gives a good overview and provokes you to think and leaves you wanting to learn more. some good jokes...

Wonderful

I enjoyed every minute. Very interesting! I will be looking for more from this lecturer.

Good and sometimes entertaining overview

Eastern Europe remains confusing to me but this helped shine new light on it. While I was disappointed with the Professor's approach being so similar to the manner in which I learned history in school, I did appreciate learning how long the East' s memory is and how events that take place now are frequently rooted in events that happened centuries ago. I just wish his style was closer to that of the Professor who did the World War Two lecture. That was extremely well assembled and delivered. I gave that one 5 stars and would recommend to everyone.

Still, if you want to gain some appreciation for eastern Europe's history, this is a fairly inexpensive and fast route to get there.