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The Baltic: A New History of the Region and…
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The Baltic: A New History of the Region and its People (original 2005; edition 2006)

by Alan Palmer

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1294210,347 (3.36)None
A saga spanning a thousand years, central to the story of Europe We pass through the legendary castles of Elsinore and Halsingborg to enter the Baltic world. From early Viking days and then under the Byzantine empire, the Baltic was always much more than Europe's backwater, and in medieval times the area was an important trading ground. Each individual country developed separately, but then in the late 17th and early 18th centuries came the sole attempt to create a unified Baltic Empire based in Sweden. However, with the rise of Russian influence, this came apart and Russia expanded her empire in the region, annexing Finland, to be followed by the Prussianising of the Polish provinces. Great national sentiment grew in all Baltic states, and a high cultural level was achieved - both musically and in literature.… (more)
Member:will5352
Title:The Baltic: A New History of the Region and its People
Authors:Alan Palmer
Info:The Overlook Press (2006), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 448 pages
Collections:Read but unowned
Rating:****
Tags:European History, Baltic History

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The Baltic by Alan Palmer (2005)

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A very readable and well-researched book about a region seldom covered in detail in English language histories. I have been studying European History for 50 years and nonetheless learned a great deal from Mr. Palmer. My only concern is the rather cursory treatment of the period after 1945. ( )
  Illiniguy71 | Feb 28, 2015 |
A comprehensive if traditional approach to the history of the Baltic region. The author pulls together the history of the region but tends to take a 'dates, battles and kings' view. There is the odd flash of authorial character but mostly the text flows on easily from one great event to the next whilst circulating the shores of the almost inland sea. A useful and informative read that served me well on a holiday cruise visiting many of the cities that played a prominent part in the book. ( )
  Steve38 | Aug 20, 2012 |
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it has just the right amount of detail for the scope of the content. I had no idea that Christendom had mounted a 'northern crusade' and really enjoyed learning about the history of the Hanseatic League and the Scandinavian Kingdoms. Russia, Finland and the Baltic republics are also (obviously) covered, as is the history of Prussia and Poland - each set in the context of the others.

The focus is primarily on the political / dynastic and military history, although good, if brief coverage is also given to the geography of the region and discussion of economic history and trade is given ample attention. Perhaps the content is a bit lacking in linguistic and cultural history, although the description of the role played by musical tradition in keeping suppressed national consciousness alive was interesting to learn about.

I have read a few other books about the WW2 and post-war history of eastern Europe, which meant that I wasn't quite as glued to the later chapters as I might otherwise have been, but this material is also covered very well.

This is the second history of a sea that I've read - 'The Black Sea: a History' by Charles King being the other - and I highly recommend each. The concept works really well. ( )
  cwhouston | Nov 21, 2010 |
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A saga spanning a thousand years, central to the story of Europe We pass through the legendary castles of Elsinore and Halsingborg to enter the Baltic world. From early Viking days and then under the Byzantine empire, the Baltic was always much more than Europe's backwater, and in medieval times the area was an important trading ground. Each individual country developed separately, but then in the late 17th and early 18th centuries came the sole attempt to create a unified Baltic Empire based in Sweden. However, with the rise of Russian influence, this came apart and Russia expanded her empire in the region, annexing Finland, to be followed by the Prussianising of the Polish provinces. Great national sentiment grew in all Baltic states, and a high cultural level was achieved - both musically and in literature.

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