Estonia Books

After a trip to the encylopedia for a quick refresher on CzarsAlexanderI and Nicholas I, a look at the atlas to realize that Estonia is very close to St. Petersburg and a dictionary search for "Livonia," The Czar's Madman became a fascinating novel of post-Napoleonic Russia. Clearly Timotheus ("Timo") von Bock, an Estonian aristocrat, has been effected by the French philosophes and the Age of Reason. His ideas are "mad" by Russian uppercrust standards.

The narrator of the book is Timo's brother-in-law, Jakob, whose journal writing over 32 years gives the reader a glimpse of many richly detailed and vivid characters and locations. This literary devise lends an air of unfolding mystery. While writing about life going on around him, Jakob emerges as a character, with all his human flaws, that we care about.

Kudos to the author and the translator.

The first review printed here (From Kirkus Reviews , 01/01/94) is a review of "Professor marten's Departure" also by Jaan Kross, not "The Czar's Madman"!

The Czar's Madman is a fascinating historical mystery and also a masterpiece of modern fiction. It's like Estonia's War and Peace, except that it is much funnier, and much more frightening. I urge everyone to have a go at reading it. Kross really is someone to get to know

This book, based on an actual journal, tells the story of a Baltic baron (Timo von Bock)in the 1800's set in Livonia (now Estonia).

Timo, who doesn't beleive in the class structure of the time, and falls in love with and marries a poor Estonian girl (unheard of for a baron to do). But it is his mysterious letter to the Czar that lands him 9 years in jail and costs him all his teeth. He is only released after he is deemed a "Madman" and is allowed to return to his home, but remains under "house arrest".

The journal is written by the brother of Timos wife who lived with them at the time, and the book is the journal re-written and made into a more fictional story by the author Jaan Kross. The story is tragic and sad, but well written and even tho there is no real climax to the story, the day-to-day life of these interesting people keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next.

It's also an interesting fact (altho not mentioned in the story, only in the authors notes) that Timo was actually the great-grandson of Peter the Great!

I absolutely LOVE this book. It is by far my favorite of any knitting books I own. What I specifically love are the instructions in the techniques of braids, nupps, textured and colored cast-ons and wicks (decreasing) to create Estonian inspired projects. I also love the history and the charts. Nancy Bush is an inspiration and this book is a treasure!

Mittens, socks and pretty patterns. This is a very compelling knitting book that has a lot of cultural information about the Estonian people--a nation related to the Finns in the Baltic region.

The patterns include how to do "vits" or decorative braid, a feature also found on Latvian knitting. My favorite pattern, however, were a pair of ELEGANT gloves in off white cabled pattern. If you like folk knitting, you should not miss this book. It's one of my favorites by Nancy Bush and one I pull off the shelf just to read and enjoy.

Nancy Bush has done it again. She makes you feel like you are a part of the knitter's families in Estonia. Her illustrations and technique explanations are flawless and the patterns are unique and very easy to follow.

Nancy has done it again. Her book is a delight and a great "portable project" book. The illustrations, instructions, and patterns are very easy to follow and techniques are unique.

moving, poetic story which helped me better understand my own mother's story. 2 stories in one - life of an estonian family dealing with the war and it's aftereffects...AND family dynamics down through the generations, showing how life creates understanding through experience...

moving, poetic story which helped me better understand my own mother's story. 2 stories in one - life of an estonian family dealing with the war and it's aftereffects...AND family dynamics down through the generations, showing how life creates understanding through experience...

"The Baltic Nations and Europe: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuanai in the Twentieth Century" have to be very exotic book, because there is some new Baltic Nation mentioned - "LITHUANAI". What it is?

This book will help you to better understand Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which have remarkably different personalities, although often collectively referred to as the Baltics. The countries are treated separately, as they deserve to be, illustrating their individual ambitions, which are often at odds to each other.

I was very impressed with Thomas Lane's scholarly but easily accessible account of Lithuania. In it he gives one of the most balanced appraisals of the country which I've read, taking it up to 1997 with the election of Valdas Adamkus. He charts Lithuania from its post WWI independence to its post Soviet independence, noting its tremendous resiliency in the face of two totalitarian regimes -- the Soviet Union and Germany. The country had a difficult time carving out its niche in the 1920's, battling Poland as well in staking out its independence, only to lose Vilnius to Poland's overextending claims. Lane gives special attention to this inter-war period, as it served as the inspiration for Lithuania's post-Soviet independence in 1991.

He recounts Lithuania's uneasy relationship with Germany and its role in the Holocaust, but is very careful in assessing blame. Lithuania quite literally found itself between a rock and a hard place, falling victim to the Soviet Union in the end. Lane provides a detailed study of the Soviet era and the impact it had on Lithuania's agrarian economy. Through this period, Lithuania still managed to retain its identity despite the prevailing Soviet influence.

Lane covers the key events of the 80's which led to independence, and the difficulties Lithuania faced in the 90's as it tried to distance itself from Moscow. He provides an excellent appraisal of the various political parties and the affect the rural vote still has on the outcome of the elections. Although Lithuania was still struggling to form a market economy by the time Lane concludes his account in the late 90's, the country has since enjoyed an economic boom, with the highest growth rate in Eastern Europe.

There is also a fine appraisal of Lithuania's current foreign policy and its ability to form key European alliances in the 90's, which it had been unable to do in the 20's. It no longer has a heavy reliance on Russia, having become an integral part of the European economy.

Stoker's work on inter-war Baltic Navies, and their relationship with the great powers is not only a first in English, but also very good. He provides a great deal of information on Polish, Latvian, Estonian, Finnish, efforts to produce naval power, at least capable of fending off the Soviets in the 1920s-30s. This book also covers the machinations of British and French arms dealers, who often pushed substandard, shoddy, or just plain peculiar weapons into the Baltic market. Based on research in many countries, this would be an excellent addition on the shelf of a naval, diplomatic, military, or Baltic historian.

This book presents a very current, accurate and insightful overview of Estonian culture. Each topic is presented clearly and concisely but in appropriate depth: land and people, values and attitudes, festivals and celebrations, making friends, daily life, time out, traveling, business briefing, communicating. The book is an excellent companion to travel guides like the Lonely Planet or Bradt series (which I also recommend). It is a must-read for anyone with more than a passing interest in this small but fascinating nation, and will be of great benefit to travelers and businesspeople planning to spend any appreciable time (read: more than a day or two) in Estonia.

This books helps to find real historical unknown facts from the past viking age and European history, which is still under question mark. If possibble, please send me the names of the other publishers from the world, who have published this book or some other Edgar Valter Saks books.

Enn Kaljo "Kuldaeg" publishers Estonia

Absolutely the best guide to the Tallinn night life. Must be a totally indispensible help to anyone organising a stag do! There's definitely some decadent stuff here!

Finally a book that looks at all the theories, conspiracies and absolute ridiculous stories that surround the sinking of the luxury roro ferry Estonia in the Baltic in September 1994. The official report blames the loss of a visor...however this has been often debunked in various reports. Was the ship carrying a deadly cargo?, did it collide with a submarine? Why did the Swedish government want to cover the wreck in concrete? and refuse to recover more than 750 victims (whose remains are still in the wreck to this day) when it lies in only 60 metres of water....Drew Wilson presents a balanced thoroughly researched account of the tragedy. The Estonia catastrophe really needs to be investigated again to give the families of the 852 victims peace.
Highly Recommended