Eastern Europe and communist rule /

Brown, a consultant at Rand and the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and the author of The New Eastern Europe (1966) and Bulgaria Under Communist Rule (CH, Jun '70), has produced a superb introduction to a complex region. His decades at Radio Free Europe in Munich gave him unparalled familiarity with all countries in Communist Europe. The volume's organization is clear and appropriate, and Brown's substantive, yet well-styled prose is appreciated. An introductory chapter portrays six stages of political development during 45 years of Communist rule in Eastern Europe and introduces principal issues and actors. Chapter 2 suggests the value of Eastern Europe to the USSR, the means and consequences of Soviet influence, and ongoing dilemmas of Moscow-East European relations. A review of Western policies toward Eastern Europe is offered in Chapter 3; Chapter 4 presents an economic overview. Brown covers succinctly the domestic socioeconomic and political developments of all countries of the region up to 1987 in the next eight chapters. The strength of this volume is the use of "signposts" by which to understand future events. A chronology of main events, biographical sketches, and a compendium of socioeconomic data add to the worth of this volume as a text and reference. More thorough and substantive than existing competitors such as Juan Volgyes's Politics in Eastern Europe (1988). A must for all libraries; should be around for many years. D. N. Nelson University of Kentucky