Review by Choice Review
This inexpensive guide to the history, geography, and politics of the newly-independent states of the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic republics) strikes a good balance between background information and reporting of current events. Though similar in scope to Europa's 1992 Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CH, Nov'92) and Europa World Yearbook (34th ed., 1993), it offers new and subtle insights into the regions and ethnic groups that once constituted the Russian/Soviet empire. Narrative profiles, seasoned with quotations from recent periodicals, convey the uniqueness of such little-known places as Siberia, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Each chapter ends with an excellent bibliography of suggested readings; the book itself ends with a fine glossary and index. Less effective are the rudimentary outline maps, statistical summaries, and lists of educational institutions. Illustrations would have greatly enhanced the Bataldens' gracefully written text. All libraries. J. M. Alexander; Northwestern University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This historical-political-social handbook offers a state-of-the-state picture of each of 11 republics (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) that emerged from the Soviet Union plus a profile of the Russian Federation. It omits the Baltic republics (Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia) because these states had "secured their full independence in August 1991, four months before the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union." Each country-specific chapter has a statistical profile, a history and description of the country, and a survey of contemporary issues. The statistical profile includes demographic data; populations of major urban centers; educational attainment; socioeconomic indicators such as infant mortality and life expectancy; temperature averages; and per capita GNP. Subdivisions within the "History and Description" narrative cover topography, ethnic background, history, experience under Soviet domination, and other topics as appropriate to each nation's experience. Topics covered in the "Contemporary Issues" section differ from nation to nation, although all address the various degrees of challenge each faces to develop a stable political system in the vacuum created by the collapse of the Soviet Union. A map of each country identifies key physical features such as rivers and mountain ranges and pinpoints key cities. The clear narratives analyze current issues in prose intelligible to readers from the upper levels of high school. A helpful glossary clarifies the meanings of terms significant to understanding the conditions of these countries. A very thorough index covers topics, place-names, institutional names, and personal names. All of these countries are also covered in the 1993 Europa World Year Book (Europa). However, country profiles in the two books differ in their emphases. Narratives in Europa focus on political issues while their counterparts in Newly Independent States emphasize social issues. For example, although Europa notes ecological damage in Belarus, the divisive language issue in Moldova, the ethnic tensions in Kyrgyzstan, and the destruction of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, it does not develop these issues as fully as does Newly Independent States. Newly Independent States will enrich public and academic library reference collections. (Reviewed Feb. 15, 1992)
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The Bataldens have produced a very timely and useful reference work that should find a wide audience as headline-grabbing events unfold in Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and the other former Soviet republics. Chapters are arranged by the name of the former republic, beginning with the Russian Federation and ending with the Transcaucasian state of Uzbekistan. Each country receives a geographic description, historical background, and analysis of links to the Soviet Union. The crucial role of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities throughout the former Soviet empire get comparatively strong treatment. Of great value is the space devoted to environmental considerations such as the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and the systematic draining of the Aral Sea on the Uzbekistan border. Current events, taken mostly from the pages of the New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Report , get ample attention here; transitional personalities, ethnic/religious conflicts, and the challenges facing global political leaders are all covered. While the historical and some of the more recent information may be found in such titles as Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States ( LJ 8/92), this single volume brings together a significant amount of narrative and statistical information to recommend purchase of this book. A very good choice for high school, public, and undergraduate libraries.-- Stephen W. Green, Auraria Lib., Denver (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 UpWith the exclusion of the Baltic states, which were never formally recognized by the United States as part of the USSR, this resource covers the states that emerged after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The book is organized into four regionally focused sections, each with a general commentary, map, and substantial bibliography. Individual chapters present statistical profiles, detailed maps, an essay on each state's history and culture and another analyzing key issues facing that country. The latter essays are especially useful because they provide a framework that should facilitate understanding of news about the region. The Russian Federation has two sets of essays: one on European Russia; the other on Siberia and the Russian Far East. The black-and-white line maps and statistical profiles more than compensate for a lack of photographs. In this revision of the 1993 edition, highlighted headings and some re-editing make an already well-written text even easier to use, and the bibliographies have been updated and expanded (though less so for the Central Asian states). The only Internet source cited is the CIA World Factbook, which is a pity because there are so many good ones now available. Still, this title is worthwhile for its updated statistics, bibliography, and the significantly rewritten and expanded essays on current issues.Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
