Entre Este y Oeste: Un viaje por las fronteras de Europa
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- Create Date：2023-03-03 03:41:27
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- Author：Francisco José Ramos Mena
- ISBN：8418619392
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Summary
An extraordinary journey into the past and present of the lands east of Poland and west of Russia。 Rich in surprising encounters and vivid characters， Between East and West brilliantly illuminates the soul of these lands and the shaping power of their past。
Reviews
MadelineMcCrae
，
I bought this book expecting a history and analysis of the borderlands of Eastern Europe and its messy relationship with nationalism and ethnicity。 Instead， this book was a bit of a heartless travelogue。 I’ve never read a travelogue before， and I don’t think I will be reading one again after this。 While Applebaum’s history narratives are well researched and written， her own experiences are not。 I was a little shocked at how condescending and derogatory she gets when describing the wide variety o I bought this book expecting a history and analysis of the borderlands of Eastern Europe and its messy relationship with nationalism and ethnicity。 Instead， this book was a bit of a heartless travelogue。 I’ve never read a travelogue before， and I don’t think I will be reading one again after this。 While Applebaum’s history narratives are well researched and written， her own experiences are not。 I was a little shocked at how condescending and derogatory she gets when describing the wide variety of people she meets。 She constantly highlights when a person is “fat” or that she is surprised one woman has all her teeth。 It felt like she was the ultimate judger for these people and I started to trust her recollection of what they had said less and less。 Her thoughts on the people of Eastern Europe started reminding me of some of the Western travel diaries from the late 1700s…incredibly prejudiced。 What was especially strange was how flat and lifeless her own character in her diaries was presented。 Despite their short time in her book， everyone else had so much more personality than Applebaum， who besides narrating the history and thinking horrible things about others appearances， only makes the occasional comment or question and nothing else。 I don’t really know who Applebaum is besides someone who is very judgmental。 I’m really disappointed with this one but I hope her other works will have more merit and will pass less judgement when telling the histories of foreign places。 。。。more
Shelley Alongi
，
This book is as valid now as it was 30 years ago。 I think if we read more on Russian history， we will understand why some parts of their society think it’s so important to get Ukraine back in its territory。 I wonder how many times we will see this history repeated。 I hope there is a way to Arrest it and I don’t think that modern technology will help us or anyone fighting for Ukraine and that destructive cycle。 There needs to be a change of philosophy and there is a really good article in the Atl This book is as valid now as it was 30 years ago。 I think if we read more on Russian history， we will understand why some parts of their society think it’s so important to get Ukraine back in its territory。 I wonder how many times we will see this history repeated。 I hope there is a way to Arrest it and I don’t think that modern technology will help us or anyone fighting for Ukraine and that destructive cycle。 There needs to be a change of philosophy and there is a really good article in the Atlantic about Russia’s perception of empire。 I believe it’s in the January or December 2022 monthly issue。my general comments on this book without adding political opinions or historical opinions is that it is entertaining and enlightening。 It reminds me of someways of other books I have read about Europe and it’s constant struggle for independent nations。 It is always good to check in with this ， slice of history to ensure that destruction wholesale or otherwise is not occurring in this 21st-century。 It is， however you look at it an interesting and sometimes enlightening look at what we might call the human condition in both its positive and negative aspects。 I hope as we get further into the 21st-century that those aspects are more positive。 But I do not hold out much hope， although hope always springs eternal， and that’s the great thing about hope。 Keep bringing this enlightening perspective to our understanding of European history， and I do believe we will find that it sheds light on other parts of human history。 It was a good read。 。。。more
Annika Pellegrini
，
I loved the way Applebaum mixed her experiences in every single city with its history。 That way this book was very easy and pleasant to read！
Paweł Czarnecki
，
Bardzo dobrze napisana książka， będąca tak naprawdę pamiętnikiem czy cyklem reportaży do miejsca， gdzie spotyka się polityczna cywilizacja że światem tubylców
Christoph
，
Why study history？ Because it's still being written！ Sadly， it's also being re-written as a propagandistic tool to support violence and atrocities。 Applebaum sheds light on those regions and countries falling between eastern Europe， Russia， and Ukraine。 Over centuries， borders have changed， kingdoms have risen and fallen， and cultures have been formed and lost。 This book brings to the fore these transformations while also highlighting just a few of the horrific atrocities Russia has committed ov Why study history？ Because it's still being written！ Sadly， it's also being re-written as a propagandistic tool to support violence and atrocities。 Applebaum sheds light on those regions and countries falling between eastern Europe， Russia， and Ukraine。 Over centuries， borders have changed， kingdoms have risen and fallen， and cultures have been formed and lost。 This book brings to the fore these transformations while also highlighting just a few of the horrific atrocities Russia has committed over the last century。 And sadly， they're still committing them！ Russia would have you believe that it has a right to other countries， or that other countries have no real culture of their own。 Applebaum's book isn't just history， but also helps one navigate the false narratives being spun online whilst contextualising Russian brutality within a greater tragedy。 This is a must read book！ 。。。more
Lucia
，
Initially， I thought that this book would look at the borderlands through a historical and/or cultural lens， which is what drew me to it。 Instead， although both of the former components were in it as well， this book was mainly a travel diary， if you will。 This meant that many of the details in it seemed unnecessary to me， which made the book drag out longer than I would have liked it to。 However， the stories and perspectives shared by people local to these regions were so interesting to me， espe Initially， I thought that this book would look at the borderlands through a historical and/or cultural lens， which is what drew me to it。 Instead， although both of the former components were in it as well， this book was mainly a travel diary， if you will。 This meant that many of the details in it seemed unnecessary to me， which made the book drag out longer than I would have liked it to。 However， the stories and perspectives shared by people local to these regions were so interesting to me， especially in regards to how they both dismissed and revered Applebaum for being American （the former due to her inability to relate to their struggles， and the later for being part of a nation they considered to be so great）。 Ultimately， I'd say this book gave me a really good idea of just how complicated the borderlands region is， and I empathize a lot with people who belong to it; their identity is evidently， so intrinsically tied to their nationality and to their land， and yet they seem to have little claim on either。 Everything is disputed and everything is messy， and as expressed by one interviewee， most people live in shadows - stuck in the past， during a time when their nation was independent， powerful， and its people were great。 In this regard， there are many parallels between the various people of the borderlands and the way Croatian people understand themselves and their nation， so reading this felt familiar in an odd way。 I'd probably rate this 3。5 stars if I could， but 4 felt too generous for how much of a struggle this was towards the end。 。。。more
Ksenija Al
，
Although published in 1994， it still felt very relevant， especially after russia’s invasion in Ukraine。 I can’t shut up about this book and will keep giving unsolicited recommendations to everyone around me to read it。 Thank you Anne
Dylan
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David Czuba
，
Anne Applebaum’s post-Soviet Union travelogue Between East and West: Across the Borderlands of Europe， breathes new life into an Old World history that， to American eyes， straddles a vague area between oppressive Russia and open Europe。 But the word travelogue denotes a leisurely meandering filled with descriptions of the good life for prospective vacationers。 Ms。 Applebaum took on an adventurous mission through the borderland regions to discover what the people there thought of themselves and t Anne Applebaum’s post-Soviet Union travelogue Between East and West: Across the Borderlands of Europe， breathes new life into an Old World history that， to American eyes， straddles a vague area between oppressive Russia and open Europe。 But the word travelogue denotes a leisurely meandering filled with descriptions of the good life for prospective vacationers。 Ms。 Applebaum took on an adventurous mission through the borderland regions to discover what the people there thought of themselves and their frequently modified landscape， and to contrast these findings against the historical backdrop。 You could say she was on a tear because things were changing as she went。 After the fall of the Berlin wall and subsequent nationalism movements among the Poles， Lithuanians， Belarussians， Ukrainians， and Russians， there was no time to waste documenting popular sentiment。 And waste not， she did。Shoving off in a boat from Gdansk， Poland to Kaliningrad， the Baltic Sea port of the former Prussian state， Applebaum carried with her a vast understanding of events， wars， figures， and geography that served her well。 At each juncture， Applebaum arrived at a city’s scene with an urgent itinerary and found just the right locations to explore， precisely the persons to inquire of。 The mishmash architecture， the slovenly streets and dirty buildings， thriving black-market trade， and sketchy characters flesh out a story of a land under constant contention by opposing forces。 She happened upon both those who regurgitated false government propaganda and those who relived nightmares freshly dug from the earth。 She came across inhabitants who extended their reaching arms， begging her to stay with them， take them with her， or leave them alone。 As a journalist on a quest， she knew she could do none of these。 As a woman of Polish descent， and a Jewish last name， she realized connecting with others contained risks and costs。 Carrying just one book on the central figure of Polish nationalism， poet Adam Mickiewicz， she found supporters and discounters everywhere。 The poet himself was， oddly， （though not oddly after all） Lithuanian。The title of the book lends a hint about how those lands are perceived and how they have been made to fit into the cyclically changing cultural divisions among the peoples inhabiting these areas。 Each lays out their claims to this or that cultural effect or artifact that reflects in which nation the old borders fell。 Maps， before and after the World Wars， precede each chapter。 From the great height in which nations smear into continents， to say any of these lands have borders would bring a laugh from above。 The shifting borderlands harken to the patriotism every ilk and language feels about its hard-won lifestyle， and how others have fought to impose their language， tastes， politics， and borders on the cross-hatch of these ancient peoples who have come and gone， some by their own volition， but most by fiat of the tyrants in charge。A coworker who knew of my Polish heritage gave me this book， which itself was deprecated from the Bellingham Public Library。 It’s too bad the book is not still shelved on the stacks， since it is replete with observations and fact-checking that gradually sheds light on the current conflict in Ukraine initiated by Russia。 Understanding this conflict was one of my aims in reading the book。 The other was to gain a thirty-thousand-foot view of my Polish father’s origins， why my family survived World War II， and how， through generational trauma， bigotry can maintain a tight fist on families and individuals， despite the dour lessons of history。 Applebaum’s book is highly readable， a fantastic journey to a time when much was possible， before the door closed again。 。。。more
John
，
I read "Between East and West" because of a tweet。It was tweeted by Jane Ferguson， special correspondent for the "PBS Newshour，" who said she was packing it with her on her assignment to cover the 2022 war in Ukraine。Good enough for me， I thought。 It might help me to better understand a region that was currently very much in the news。It delivered， big time。Although this edition is a 2015 update， the book was written in 1994， so don't look to it for up-to-the-moment background。 But since the sibl I read "Between East and West" because of a tweet。It was tweeted by Jane Ferguson， special correspondent for the "PBS Newshour，" who said she was packing it with her on her assignment to cover the 2022 war in Ukraine。Good enough for me， I thought。 It might help me to better understand a region that was currently very much in the news。It delivered， big time。Although this edition is a 2015 update， the book was written in 1994， so don't look to it for up-to-the-moment background。 But since the sibling rivalry involving Russia， Belarus and Ukraine goes back to at least the 17th century， a longer-lens look might be more helpful than the closeup。 One thing that's clear from "East and West" is that if you think it's a complicated situation， you're wrong。 It's way more complicated than you thought。In the 2015 introduction， Anne Applebaum writes， "I probably wouldn't have the presumption to write a first-person travel narrative now， and I'm not even sure I still approve of the genre。"I'm glad she approved of it then， because the travel narrative form is what lends the charm and vigor to the history that's presented here。 Applebaum in 1991 -- when she made the journey upon which the book is based -- seemed to have a peculiar talent for coming across quirky too-good-for-fiction characters， such as the man who tried to speak only in rhyming couplets。 （They don't translate very well。） I think part of the reason she discovered such people is that she went to uncomfortable places and traveled by uncomfortable means， although sometimes there were no other means。 She hitchhiked across the Carpathians， which seems dangerous to me， although perhaps the worst of her several bad rides came when she paid a cab driver for a portion of the trip。Applebaum has a grand eye for detail， and either a great memory or she's a great note-taker。 All of those details make the people and the places profiled come to life， and make this book a delight to read。Given current events， I was particularly happy when I came to Part 3， headed "Russians， Belarusians and Ukrainians。" Reading it made me a little less mystified about these events。 （Yes， it's Putin， but it's not Putin in a vacuum。） Still， every part of the book is a joy， from the search for Germans in Kaliningrad to the final， miserable journey by boat from Odessa to Constantinople。 （A joy to read if not to experience。）This paperback edition is 295 pages long。 I wanted it to be longer。 。。。more
Paul W
，
Over the centuries Eastern Europe has been a significant global player， at the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; subjugated by the war of giants; caught in the cross-fire of wars between Germany and Russia; or engaged in a myriad of wars among its member states。 Sadly this continues in 2022 with Russia’s horrific and brutal war against Ukraine。Applebaum takes the reader on a personal journey through the region in which she introduces the tumultuous and at times tortured history of the Over the centuries Eastern Europe has been a significant global player， at the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; subjugated by the war of giants; caught in the cross-fire of wars between Germany and Russia; or engaged in a myriad of wars among its member states。 Sadly this continues in 2022 with Russia’s horrific and brutal war against Ukraine。Applebaum takes the reader on a personal journey through the region in which she introduces the tumultuous and at times tortured history of the region and shares her perspective of the lives of the people today。One of the two major parts of this book explores the fractious relationship between the Poland and Lithuania。 In the 16th and 17th-centuries these two countries were co-members of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth， one of most populous European countries。 By the end of World War One， however the Versailles map makers at the Paris Peace Conference created ‘a handful of brand-new states， together with a clutch of ancient states that had long been ruled by others， issued proclamations of independence: Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia， Hungary and Poland， Lithuania， Latvia and Estonia， and Soviet Russia。’ None of these states had set borders， all had claims on their neighbours’ territory。 Virtually all of these countries began fighting over borders and other issues。 This included the Polish-Ukrainian war （1918-1919）， the Lithuanian-Soviet War （1918-1919）， the Lithuanian Wars of Independence （1918-1920）， the Polish-Lithuanian war （1920）， and the Polish Soviet War （1920-21）。 As Churchill noted “The war of the giants has ended。 The war of the pygmies will begin。” Along the way they have been attacked by the giants – Germany and Russia – and been battlegrounds for war between the giants。The other major part of this book explores the conflict between Ukraine and to a lesser extent， Belarus’ struggle for independence and Russia’s claims for control over these countries， a conflict which is still being fought in 2022。 Applebaum notes that Russia sees itself as descendants of the princes of Kievan Rus with a historical right to conquer the peoples to the south and west of Muscovy – Belarus and Ukraine。 This viewpoint has been repeated by Putin in 2022。However whether under the Tsars or Stalin， Russian control has been devastating for Ukraine and Belarus。 Applebaum highlights that in the 1930s ‘the purges， famine， and collectivization’ initiated by Stalin were the equivalent of the Holocaust…’ for Belarus and for Ukraine most of all。 Under the brutal murderous Soviet dictatorship more than 14 million Ukrainians died， 11 million died through famine and 3。5 million in the purges and terror that followed。 The extent of this genocide was so bad that Stalin even had the census-takers shot。Yet while the evils of the Nazi regime are well known， Applebaum points out that the effective genocide committed by Russia， Stalin and the Soviets， has ‘never been recognized as such in the outside world。’At the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941， the peoples of Ukraine and Belarus had a dilemma。 Applebaum writes that ‘Faced with a choice between two dictators， one of whom had already murdered thousands [sic millions]， the other still unknown， quite a few Ukrainians， and some Belarusians， chose Hitler。’ An unexplored thread is how history might have been altered if the Nazi regime had sought to enlist Ukraine as an ally instead of sending in their murderous Einsatz Gruppen。Applebaum reminds us that after World War 2 Kruschev sought to open a new relationship between the Soviet Union and Ukraine in 1954， by “gifting” it Crimea as “a token of friendship from the Russian people”。 But adds that ‘as it had in czarist days， Russia was trying one again to hijack Ukrainian history。’ This “gift” was reclaimed by Putin in 2014 with his annexation of Crimea。This new relationship did not last long however。 By the 1960s Breshnev initiated a wave of arrests sending most of Ukraine’s intelligentsia to Siberia。Through the stories she shares Applebaum highlights that brutality has been a consistent hallmark of the Russian psyche， whether under the Tsars or Stalin。 Sadly this continues under Putin’s murderous regime。Appelbaum reminds us that in 1836 a Russian intellectual， Poitr Chadayev， cautioned that “Contrary to all the laws of the human community， Russia moves only in the direction of her own enslavement and the enslavement of all neighboring peoples。” （p150）This book is informative and engaging to read。 Given the events of the last 12 months， it would benefit from a refreshed and expanded edition amplifying Ukrainians’ struggle for freedom。As the duke of Württemberg， Maximilian Emmanel， noted in the 18th century， Ukrainians “want to be a free people， and no subjected either to Poland or Moscow; therefore， they always fight for their privileges and rights”。We are seeing the truth of that today。 。。。more
Fred Rose
，
Excellent book。 The best kind of travel and history writing， combining the two， with daily examples and interviews。 Helps understand some of the current war going on， and why the Russians think of Ukraine the way they do。 So many times these lands have been ruled by different kingdoms and regimes。 The book takes place in the early 90s， no less relevant today。
Shatterlings
，
I liked the history bits better than the travel vignettes but it’s an interesting read especially when we seem to be expecting world war 3 to break out in those parts。
Alec
，
4。5 stars， awesome book。 Loved all the narratives and I'm so jealous of Ms。 Applebaum and all the people she met。 Thirty years doesn't seem so long when eons have passed， yet it's an eternity when we think of a life。 The lives of most of the characters she meets are most likely at an end or approaching it。 A fleeting moment in time， the collapse of the Soviet Union， one not to be replicated or seen again。 Applebaum was able to see it， breathe it and learn from those who lived in the kresy ; how 4。5 stars， awesome book。 Loved all the narratives and I'm so jealous of Ms。 Applebaum and all the people she met。 Thirty years doesn't seem so long when eons have passed， yet it's an eternity when we think of a life。 The lives of most of the characters she meets are most likely at an end or approaching it。 A fleeting moment in time， the collapse of the Soviet Union， one not to be replicated or seen again。 Applebaum was able to see it， breathe it and learn from those who lived in the kresy ; how they felt about identity， history and what an uneasy or unclear future would hold for them。 A great read - makes you want to grab a bag and a notebook and get out。 。。。more
Ovidiu Bold
，
Enlightening book about the journey of a young American （Jewish/Polish） journalist through the borderlands of Eastern Europe， the ex-USSR republics on the verge of becoming independent。 It captures the whole resurfaced nationalism in those countries， by contrast to what was a very mixed territory in the 19th century and before。
saïd
，
For a thousand years， the geography of the borderlands dictated their fate。
Yeongbae Kim
，
The book is a good travelogue。 The persons that the author met were well described。 I thought that the author’s descriptions of some people’s physical attributes were unkind， for example， describing someone as fat。
Zach
，
This was a really interesting book overall but lost a star for two reasons: 1） there are a LOT of places， names， and dates in this book and it's really hard to keep track of them without a reference map/timeline 2） towards the end it becomes less about facts mixed in with travel and more about travel with facts mixed in so you get a jarring amount of opinion and speculation given the majority of the book stays more objective。 Well worth the read though if you're interested in borderlands of East This was a really interesting book overall but lost a star for two reasons: 1） there are a LOT of places， names， and dates in this book and it's really hard to keep track of them without a reference map/timeline 2） towards the end it becomes less about facts mixed in with travel and more about travel with facts mixed in so you get a jarring amount of opinion and speculation given the majority of the book stays more objective。 Well worth the read though if you're interested in borderlands of Eastern Europe。 。。。more
Stefan Halikowski
，
Beautifully written， indeed。 Compelling dialogues and worthwhile， erudite， reflections on places few of us would have thought to venture to。 I should have written a book like this， I was travelling this area then， but more in search of my own identity and to feel commiseration for hopeless， failing societies。 Applebaum has purpose and poise， and she puts the Russian she had been studying at college to good use。 Some of the drum-banging for the shibboleths of her own identity （Jewish America） gra Beautifully written， indeed。 Compelling dialogues and worthwhile， erudite， reflections on places few of us would have thought to venture to。 I should have written a book like this， I was travelling this area then， but more in search of my own identity and to feel commiseration for hopeless， failing societies。 Applebaum has purpose and poise， and she puts the Russian she had been studying at college to good use。 Some of the drum-banging for the shibboleths of her own identity （Jewish America） grates a little， but she too was a young woman then and allowance might be made。 。。。more
Jonathan
，
I have to agree with the review that calls this one ‘put-downable’。 This one was often a slog to get through， in spite of the deeply moving subject matter。 Altogether it’s an essential warning about the consequence of war， moving borders， occupation。 We have the situation of human beings believing their identity and character is somehow innately superior to that other culture just down the road。 And human beings that unfortunately blame all of the wrong people for all of the wrong things。One oft I have to agree with the review that calls this one ‘put-downable’。 This one was often a slog to get through， in spite of the deeply moving subject matter。 Altogether it’s an essential warning about the consequence of war， moving borders， occupation。 We have the situation of human beings believing their identity and character is somehow innately superior to that other culture just down the road。 And human beings that unfortunately blame all of the wrong people for all of the wrong things。One often suspects the writer had the story in mind before she even travelled。 Everything that she discovers seems to neatly fit her preexisting point of view。 The characters she meets along the way simply fill in the gaps。 Thankfully those characters and their stories are frequently intriguing and， in fairness， Applebaum writes them up well。I suspect others have told this story better though。 Applebaum makes a good history teacher but it lacks the heart， spontaneity， and depth of exploration that I hoped for。 。。。more
Bruddy
，
Beyond its relevance to Russia or Western Europe， the region described in this book （comprised of Kaliningrad， Poland， Lithuania， Belarus and Ukraine） is seldom regarded by Americans。 Around the time of the fall of the Soviet bloc， Anne Applebaum visited these "borderlands" and examined them through the foggy scope of history。 Reminiscent of Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts， another book which successfully depicts the underlying historical and ethnic tensions of a area， Between East and West is hig Beyond its relevance to Russia or Western Europe， the region described in this book （comprised of Kaliningrad， Poland， Lithuania， Belarus and Ukraine） is seldom regarded by Americans。 Around the time of the fall of the Soviet bloc， Anne Applebaum visited these "borderlands" and examined them through the foggy scope of history。 Reminiscent of Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts， another book which successfully depicts the underlying historical and ethnic tensions of a area， Between East and West is highly informative and insightful。 How little I knew about the region Applebaum describes and how much I learned through this book: that Germans had lived in parts of the region for over 700 years; that Poland and Lithuania had once comprised a great commonwealth--itself lasting more than two centuries; and how Ukraine and Russia each share and fight over a national origin story。 Indeed， the outstanding feature of the book is the ways in which people of different ethnicities， yet overlapping cultures， struggle to define themselves nationally。 Is Vilnius a Lithuanian or Polish city？ Is this beloved historical figure your great national poet or ours？ Where precisely are the physical， cultural and spiritual borders between Russia and Ukraine located？ And what exactly is a Belarusian？Although the book was written nearly thirty years ago （my copy includes an updated intro from 2015）， it provides valuable historical context and background to the current conflicts taking place in the area today。 。。。more
Jarda Kubalik
，
The region changes quickly but at the same time it remains the same。 I was trotting those parts in 1999 and 2000 and it was a big eye-opener for us from Czechia， which is already kind of Eastern Europe but that was different， very different。
Alex
，
originally published as a travel diary ， 21 years later this book reads more like snapshot of a region caught in time 。 as my first introduction to eastern european history ， i was pleasantly surprised with how applebaum eloquently described the complexities of the history of this region seemingly always torn between great powers 。 her description of the burgeoning nationalist movements in each of these newly independent post-soviet states makes me wonder about the continuity and longevity of th originally published as a travel diary ， 21 years later this book reads more like snapshot of a region caught in time 。 as my first introduction to eastern european history ， i was pleasantly surprised with how applebaum eloquently described the complexities of the history of this region seemingly always torn between great powers 。 her description of the burgeoning nationalist movements in each of these newly independent post-soviet states makes me wonder about the continuity and longevity of the nation-state 。 is this the only way to construct society ？ makes you think 。 anyways ， v good book 。 highly recommend for anyone wanting an introduction to post-soviet poltics or an small introduction to polish/lithuanian/belrussian/ukrainian history 。 。。。more
Lada Moskalets
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Перша книжка Енн Еплбом з далекого 1991 року - читаєш і наче в машині часу опиняєшся。 Журналістка починає свою подорож з Калінінграду і через Литву， Білорусь， Україну їде до Одеси。 Це подорож по руїнах Радянського Союзі під якими ще глибші руїни попередніх цивілізацій， але люди вперто вірять， що цього разу зроблять усе як слід。 Що приємно тішить， то це те， що авторка не веде глибоких розмов з Мислителями， Політиками， Діячами і Корифеями。 Таких там один-два， а решта це дивні персонажі， такі ж нез Перша книжка Енн Еплбом з далекого 1991 року - читаєш і наче в машині часу опиняєшся。 Журналістка починає свою подорож з Калінінграду і через Литву， Білорусь， Україну їде до Одеси。 Це подорож по руїнах Радянського Союзі під якими ще глибші руїни попередніх цивілізацій， але люди вперто вірять， що цього разу зроблять усе як слід。 Що приємно тішить， то це те， що авторка не веде глибоких розмов з Мислителями， Політиками， Діячами і Корифеями。 Таких там один-два， а решта це дивні персонажі， такі ж незрозумілі як і епоха。 Остання німкеня колишнього Кенігсберга， що називає себе литовкою。 Напівбожевільний литовець， що молитвами рятує борців з режимом。 Католики у Білорусі， які відновили сільський костел。 Литовський католицький ксьондз， що колекціонує у своїй хаті хрести。 Вірменський мафіозі зі Львова і махінації з Гранд Готелем。 Двоє угорських аферистів-авантюристів， з якими Енн， а в цих краях Аня чи Аннушка Епблом їде Закарпаттям。 Журналістка їх слухає і переповідає діалоги - без оцінки і майже без власної рефлексії。 Поляків， які скаржаться на відсутність польських шкіл у Вільнюсів， литовців， які скаржаться на колоніальні прагнення поляків。 Росіян з парому Одеса-Стамбул， що вірять у свою цивілізаційну місію。 Євреїв， які не знають， що таке юдаїзм。 Молдаван， які не знають， що таке Румунія， але вірять у її вищість。 Трохи втомлюють історичні впровадження до кожного розділу， бо ж цікаві не вони， а розмови і враження від бідних квартир， сірих злиденних готелів， ресторанів з червоною ікрою， нелегальних обмінників。 За тридцять років стільки всього помінялося， що репортажі самі по собі стають історичним документом。 。。。more
Sam Bayer
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When I was growing up my Dad use to tell me that he was born in Sarnow， Poland but that that was now part of Ukraine。 He also understood Polish and could speak Russian。 I think he learned Russian from the 6 years he spent in Siberia from the ages of 6-11 from 1939-1945。Those were just words that I heard him say。 They really didn't have meaning to me when I was growing up。Anne Applebaum's trip from the Baltic Sea to the Black sea in 1991 right after the breakup of the Soviet Union sheds an awful When I was growing up my Dad use to tell me that he was born in Sarnow， Poland but that that was now part of Ukraine。 He also understood Polish and could speak Russian。 I think he learned Russian from the 6 years he spent in Siberia from the ages of 6-11 from 1939-1945。Those were just words that I heard him say。 They really didn't have meaning to me when I was growing up。Anne Applebaum's trip from the Baltic Sea to the Black sea in 1991 right after the breakup of the Soviet Union sheds an awful lot of light on the subject for me。Throw in the fact that I've been running a Belrusian company for the past 4 years and this book becomes a real eye opener for me。I would love to have it updated to reflect what's been going on in the region for the last 30 years。 。。。more
E。K。
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Extraordinary book about a never to be repeated journey through Eastern Europe as the Soviet Union was disintegrating。 Brilliant writer and a courageous woman。
Max Berendsen
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Even though Anne Applebaum warns the reader in the introduction that the book has become significantly outdated ever since its first publication in the early 1990's， I have found Between East and West a great manual on how ethnicity and shifting borders continue to play a major role in European geopolitcs to this day。Applebaum conducts a trip from the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad on the shores of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea at Odessa in the newly independent state of Ukraine。 On her way the Even though Anne Applebaum warns the reader in the introduction that the book has become significantly outdated ever since its first publication in the early 1990's， I have found Between East and West a great manual on how ethnicity and shifting borders continue to play a major role in European geopolitcs to this day。Applebaum conducts a trip from the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad on the shores of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea at Odessa in the newly independent state of Ukraine。 On her way there passing through the the newly independent states of Lithuania and Belarus as well。The book is full of fascinating interviews with people of a wide variety of backgrounds and their respective visions on their past and their future。 Some of theseare guaranteed to make you laugh， while others will confront you with the grim legacy of a region stained with blood。 。。。more
Jack
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My favorite genre of nonfiction books these days are ones that are mostly reportage with some history mixed in and this is an almost perfect example of the form。 There’s nothing really witty or clever to say here because this is just a great， engaging book for anyone with a passing interest in European history。
Andrea
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Dayna
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I loved this and now am dying to find a book that would be an updated version of this same journey， which was made in the early 1990s。 A lot of my ancestors came from this area so it was fascinating to read what a stew of ethnicities and countries it is。 So many constantly moving borders and such multilingualism。 I heard my great-grandmother spoke many languages， and， after reading this， it makes sense。 She was no fancy lady， no scholar。 It just came with the territory。
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entre este y oeste un viaje por las fronteras de europa anne applebaum entre este y oeste un viaje por las fronteras de europa