Baltic Facades: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Since 1945

Description

The three so-called 'Baltic states' - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - are commonly regarded by outsiders as a single entity. In reality, these are separate, quite distinct countries, each continually struggling to find their own place within Europe whilst preserving their local identity. Baltic Facades presents a radical new reading of the region, one that dispels the myth of a single, coherent Baltic identity.

Aldis Purs is an academic and specialist in Latvian history. He has published widely on the Baltic region including The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (co-authored with Thomas Lane, 2002).

"[Purs] shifts easily between the broader analysis and the telling details that make each country's experience distinctive. Overall, this is a lucidly written introduction to the region and its peoples."-- "Choice" "All in all, it is a pleasant book to read: the language is rich and flowing, the text is clear. . . . The book is valuable for drawing the lines of similarity across time and space, and because of its orientation to reproduce the established narratives rather than criticize them. Our understandings, when delivered in a new light--stripped to their core, displayed against one another and reformulated in common-sense terms--may yield refreshing new views."-- "Journal of Baltic Studies" "This book is the first and so far the only monographic exploration of the historically omnipresent and continuing tension between an externally imposed regionalism and three internally generated national identities in which the 'Baltic' concept is perhaps useful in times of crises but not descriptive of their sense of self; it is also the first to explore in great detail the difference between substance and image in the region . . . very satisfying to read . . . [a] well-written and informative essay." -- "History"