The recent history of Eastern Europe is one of ethnic and national conflict following the collapse of Communism. A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change by Robert Bideleux and Ian Jeffries, examines these increasingly complex problems within the context of the imperial past and of the interwar years.

The authors provide a thematic historical survey and analysis of the formative processes of political, social and economic change which have played the paramount roles in shaping the development of this region to the present. They also look at the actual boundaries and definitions of 'Eastern Europe' and provide their own categorisation. The lands which lie between Germany, Italy and the former Tsarist and Soviet empires have had the misfortune, in modern times of being sandwiched between overwhelmingly powerful empires: Germanic on the one side and Ottoman, Tsarist of Soviet on the other. Though giving particular weight to the last century, this book also covers ancient and medieval times, including discussion of: the medieval kingdoms, the Partitions of Poland and the influence of Russia and Prussia.

The authors argue that the increasingly complex probles of the post-communist present cannot be understood without the long context offered here. Helpful referencing and a useful bibliography are also provided as aids to research. With the emphasis firmly on issues of national identity, A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change takes economic, sociological, cultural and geographical approaches to the area. As well as thematic and historical persectives, interdisciplinary analyses and comprehensive narratives, this book provides up-to-date, detailed accounts and of recent economic and political changes in individual countries.