Eastern Europe

“Trouble in the Balkans” was a familiar headline in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as the European nations living under the rule of the Ottoman Empire simmered with nationalism, unrest, and a covetous yearning for one another’s territory. The Ottoman Empire had seen centuries of dominance, but by the start of the twentieth century, the once-powerful Turks were declining. As reformers within the empire sought routes to power, Ottoman subjects—denied access to the avenues of influence—sensed that the time was ripe for rebelling.

True Believer reveals the life of Noel Field, an American who betrayed his country and crushed his family. Field, once a well-meaning and privileged American, spied for Stalin during the 1930s and '40s. Then, a pawn in Stalin's sinister master strategy, Field was kidnapped and tortured by the KGB and forced to testify against his own Communist comrades.

The Chernobyl Disaster, which occurred in late April 1986, was the worst nuclear accident in history. It not only caused widespread radioactive contamination, but even more importantly, it claimed many lives and caused panic worldwide about the safety of nuclear power. In short, it changed the face of nuclear energy globally.

Retrace the history of Ukraine and discover its unique cultural identity with this incredible history audiobook. With a gripping and deeply informative exploration of the fascinating history behind Ukraine, this audiobook offers an unparalleled look into the rich cultural legacy of a country that has endured the tests of time. Drawing on a foundation of history, archaeology, and anthropology, this audiobook provides a comprehensive account of Ukraine from prehistoric times to the present day. Delving into the diverse people and tribes that ruled Ukraine.

1670, Kyiv. A German convert to Russian Orthodoxy is writing history. Not merely a book about history: he believes that his work will save his beloved Kyiv from the scourge of Catholicism. Innokenty Gizel has never been to Moscow, but he wants to create the illusion that Kyiv shares a common history with the seat of the Orthodox Church. The story he comes up with - a fantasy - pleases Moscow's rulers so much that it will remain their official line all the way into the 21st century.

Historic quarters in cities and towns across the middle of Europe were devastated during the Second World War—some, like those of Warsaw and Frankfurt, had to be rebuilt almost completely. They are now centers of peace and civility that attract millions of tourists, but the stories they tell about places, peoples, and nations are selective. They are never the whole story. Exploring seven old towns, from Frankfurt and Prague to Vilnius in Lithuania, Marek Kohn examines how they have been used since the Second World War to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history.

Ukraine the Forging of a Nation offers listeners a chance to understand more about Ukraine's remarkable past, examining the crucial moments of Ukrainian and global history of the past 1000 years. In this compelling history, learn how the emergence of medieval states, the discovery of America, the industrial and French revolutions, two world wars, the emergence and collapse of totalitarian regimes, recent middle-class revolutions and the 2022 Russian invasion - are all closely affiliated.

Greater Than a Tourist – Albania by Redina Zela offers the inside scoop on Albania. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Defectors fleeing the Soviet Union seized the world's attention during the Cold War. Their stories were given sensational news coverage and dramatized in spy novels and films. Upon reaching the West, they were entitled to special benefits, including financial assistance and permanent residency. In contrast to other migrants, defectors were pursued by the states they left even as they were eagerly sought by the United States and its allies. Defectors follows their treacherous journeys and looks at how their unauthorized flight via land, sea, and air gave shape to a globalized world.

Сербия — одна из немногих стран, где к русскоговорящим гостям относятся с особой братской теплотой и радушием. Одних она привлекает живописной природой национального парка Тара и Копаоника, других — богатой историей.

The searing accounts of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Evgeniia Ginsberg, and Varlam Shalamov opened the world's eyes to the terrors of the Soviet Gulag. But not until now has there been a memoir of life inside the camps written from the perspective of an actual employee of the Secret police. In this riveting memoir, superbly translated by Deborah Kaple, Fyodor Mochulsky describes being sent to work as a boss at the forced labor camp of Pechorlag in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle.

Nearly three million Jews came to America from Eastern Europe between 1880 and the outbreak of World War I. Filled with the hope of life in a new land, most were young, single, uneducated, and unskilled. Many were children or teens. They were, in a sense, unfinished citizens of either the old or the new world.

A portrait of a man who became a legend, even though he didn't even want it. Tomek Mackiewicz changed the impossible into reality. Eight years ago, he set himself a goal to be the first person to climb Nanga Parbat, Naked Mountain in the winter. Famous Himalayan mountaineers entered the race, but “Czapkins” didn't want to compete. He wanted to climb the mountain on his own terms...

From Christmas music to gifts and food, as well as a look back through the country's rich and troubled history through the perspective of the festive season, this beautiful and powerful book introduces listeners to Ukraine's unique Christmas traditions. In a country where East and West meet, this is a fascinating and unmissable guide to capturing the spirit of one of the most important times of year and a powerful reminder of the strength of holding on to your culture and beliefs, even as others try to take everything from you.

El centro de Praga es el corazón que bombea vida al resto de la urbe. En sus alrededores se puede pasear esquivando los lugares típicos para realizar buenas compras en tiendas singulares y disfrutar del encanto de sus calles.

Today, Chechnya is a republic with some degree of autonomy in the contemporary Russian Federation. The history of the Chechen people in the region is, nevertheless, long-established, and Chechnya has become synonymous with conflict, civil war, and discontent. To understand Chechen history, it is necessary to understand the region’s development, including invasion, settlement, emigration, and the various confrontations and conflicts that have transpired there.

Greater Than a Tourist - Cambridge, UK by Jennifer Baines offers the inside scoop on the city of Cambridge in England. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Can trauma be inherited? It is this question that sets Alex Halberstadt off on a quest to name and acknowledge a legacy of family trauma, and to end a century-old cycle of estrangement. As Halberstadt revisits the sites of his family’s formative traumas, he uncovers a multigenerational transmission of fear, suspicion, melancholy, and rage. And he comes to realize something more: Nations, like people, possess formative traumas that penetrate into the most private recesses of their citizens’ lives.

A millioner and a self-made businessman, Marek Zmysłowski, built African Amazon and became one of the most famous people in IT in Africa. One day it turned out that he's also a fugitive wanted by the Interpol. How did this happen? In his autobiography, Zmysłowski doesn't take himself too seriously and with humor shows the backstage of doing business, which was sometimes dangerous. With his journalistic verve, he draws a colorful picture of Africa, which became his favorite continent.

An old lady, an antiques dealer, dies in Basel, Switzerland. Her devoted daughter-in-law finally steels herself to do what all families must in the aftermath of a death - she heads upstairs to the attic to sort through the old lady's effects. But this wasn't just any old lady, and this wasn't just any old family house. Helene (Leni) Elias was born Helene Frank, only daughter of Alice Frank and sister of Otto Frank, who in turn was Anne Frank's father.1929 destroyed the Franks' banking business in Frankfurt; the rise of the Nazi party began to destroy their lives.