Longworth Philip. The Making of Eastern Europe

Lume Books, 2020. — 464 p.In searching for the origins of Eastern Europe’s difficulty in adapting to democracy, this sweeping history ranges from the present day to the time of Constantine the Great, from the Urals to the Mediterranean and the Baltic, and emphasises culture and society, as well as politics and economics.The resulting analysis provides the crucial, long-term background to the current situation facing Eastern Europe. This new perspective and the insight it brings will improve our understanding of this complex region and be of immense value to all students of European history.Has the collapse of Communism resulted in liberation or disappointment for the hopeful millions of Eastern Europe? In The Making of Eastern Europe Philip Longworth argues that their predicament is only partly due to the imposition of the Soviet system: rather, they are largely the heirs of misfortune which dates back centuries.Philip Longworth (b. 1933) is the author of seven books including The Cossacks, The Making of Eastern Europe, Russia's Empires and Russia: The Once and Future Empire From Pre-History to Putin. He was educated by the army and at the University of Oxford and was Professor of History at McGill University (1984-2003).