Revolution and Change in Central and Eastern Europe: Political, Economic and Social Challenges

Citation

Gönye, T. (1998), "Revolution and Change in Central and Eastern Europe: Political, Economic and Social Challenges", European Business Review, Vol. 98 No. 4, pp. 245-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr.1998.98.4.245.1

Professor Minton Goldman has produced a fascinating and full history of the former East European countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Czech and Slovak Republics, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia with its aftermath.

At a time when changes have been so rapid that it has been difficult to keep abreast of developments, Goldman has succeeded in explaining the historical, economic and social background which has guided the accelerating changes of the recent past. Entries for each country include encyclopaedic statistical details under the headings of geography, people, government and the economy, together with a map, followed by clearly delineated sections on each salient feature of the country’s recent development. Even the devastating, difficult and confusing events surrounding the disintegration of Yugoslavia into chaos are presented in a clear, full, sensitive and highly commendable manner.

A full conclusion assesses the transformation from doctrinal autocracies to more free‐market economies with minimal social constraints to free speech and expression, together with a recommendation for additional alliances with Western nations to reduce the opportunistic resurgence of the old communist ways. As the Eastern European nations begin to forge alliances with Europe and to join the European Union, they might be pleasantly surprised by how familiar the secrecy, unaccountability and the potential for corruption perceived to be prevalent in the current EU bureaucracy are to the former members of the old “communist” systems.

This is an exceptional book, with a huge bibliography and similarly extensive index making it an eminent reference source for twentieth century European history and represents essential reading.