Central and East European Politics: From Communism to Democracy
Wolchik and Curry have assembled an all-star cast of experts for an authoritative assessment of the progress the region has made toward liberal democracy and a market economy in the last two decades. The book's particular strength is to cast the process in terms of a return to Europe. It thus pays attention not only to crucial developments in domestic politics but also to the influence of important international actors such as NATO and the European Union. Another exceptionally useful feature is the inclusion of essays that address important issues cross-nationally, as well as in-depth studies of each country individually, making the book especially valuable to students and scholars interested in the politics of the region and those interested in the interaction between domestic issues and global political and economic forces. (Michael Bernhard)This collection of essays is a useful text and reference book. These essays are at their best in serving both area study and political sociology. (Andrew JanosSlavic Review)This is a comprehensive, straightforward, and lucid overview of the paths taken away from communism by Central and East European states. The authors—Europeans and Americans who range from senior scholars to the youngest generation of specialists—effectively address the domestic and international influences on the course of political development in the former communist states. The book is highly recommended to anyone who wants a clear picture of a complex and important region and its constituent parts. (Zvi Gitelman)