The Baltic States: Then and Now
From the Series The Former Soviet Union: Then and Now
The Soviet Union occupied the Baltic nations -- Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia -- for decades. This resulted in disasters such as catastrophic shortages of food; suppression of Baltic languages, religions, and customs; and the terrors of forced labor camps. With the Soviet Union's collapse, the Baltics gained independence and have since become vibrant members of the European community.
Interest Level | Grade 7 - Grade 12 |
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Reading Level | Grade 7 |
Copyright | 2015 |
Genre | Nonfiction |
Publisher | ReferencePoint Press |
Series | The Former Soviet Union: Then and Now |
Language | English |
Number of Pages | 80 |
ISBN | 9781601526441, 9781601526458, 9781601526441B |
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Title Format | Reinforced book, Hosted ebook, Print + Ebook |
Release Date | 2015-01-01 |
Author | Adam Woog |
Dewey | 947.908/4 |
Library Media Connection
This series reveals that the Soviet Union heavily influenced its former satellites economically, socially, and politically. It highlights the atrocities that continue to haunt the cultural fabric of its former satellites. Each title succinctly narrates the current state of affairs of a specific region in order to guide the reader into its history, and then briefly explains the people who occupied the region prior to Soviet domination. Each title contains five focus chapters: geography, economy, politics, social, and future challenges. The pages are sprinkled with colorful paintings, glossy photographs, and boxes that contain pertinent quotes and excerpts from primary sources. Teachers will appreciate the discussion of the actions of the Soviet Union that directly influence contemporary affairs.
Voya
A five-book series on the former Soviet Union, these brief but balanced volumes contain enough information for an introduction to the subject, though only enough to supplement in a survey course, or serve as enough information to whet the appetite of students who may want to delve further into the topics. Each volume is colorful and eye-catching, continuing the yellow and red color scheme of the covers, each of which includes a map of the area being discussed, and the first page of each chapter mirrors the cover colors. All are similarly organized with a timeline, introduction that briefly discusses recent events, and five chapters that cover history, politics, economics, daily life, and the future, followed by source notes, facts, sources for further research, and an index. Some contain picture credits and author information. Illustrations are predominately from primary sources, in both black-and-white and color, and special topics of interest are spotlighted in color blocks. The use of quotations—also in colored blocks—brings the human aspect into the narrative. Although costly considering the length, this series deserves a place in all secondary school collections
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up–As violence continues in Ukraine and tensions rise between the United States and Russia, these books are both timely (Ukraine includes the Russian annexation of Crimea) and informative. Each one opens with an introduction to its region, followed by chapters about its pre-Soviet, Soviet-controlled, and post-Soviet national, political, economic, and cultural history. Authors are unsparing in their descriptions of communist brutality, which resulted in millions of deaths, economic failure, and environmental degradation, and are also critical of the endemic corruption that has stifled post-Soviet economic growth. Books are illustrated with average-quality photos, and brief sidebars provide additional information about topics such as Chernobyl and the Iron Curtain. This well-written set reveals how communist domination caused almost incomprehensible suffering for millions of people and how Soviet misrule has diminished current and future prospects. Strong and timely additions.