Latvia Books

This book takes up were the first book on "Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights" left off, moving from Prussia to Latvia and Estonia and moving along the time line from 1185-1560.

The author covers the history of Latvia and Estonia (Livonia) in regards to the time leading up to the Teutonic Knights and their castle networks and then covers the Knights, their Crusades and control in that area. The conversion of the local people by the 'Brethern of the Sword' is examined and how they became absorbed by the Teutonic Knights. The history of these countries is well covered from the system of fortresses and how it helped them control the area to why the area was of interest to the Knights and the Church. The research is in depth, giving some very good accounts of the time.

Again, the illustrations stand out as enabling the reader to clearly visualize the castles, the maps give outstanding historical reference to the geography of the time and the pictures of the castles in the present day included by the author present a very well rounded view of the importance of these fortresses in the campaigns of the Teutonic Knights, and how they enabled these Knights to implement their control over the lives of the peoples of Livonia.

For those with interests in the Teutonic Knights, their means and methods of crusading and a good overall history of the Castles of this area, this is an excellent primer, easy to read, very detailed, well illustrated and a good reference tool. medievalcrusadesbabe

I was disappointed with the first volume so I delayed before reading the second. It was an error. This was a much more enjoyable to read and seems to have more content. Whereas I felt the Prussian volume skimped on all but the architecture and the organization because anything else was proper only to another series like the Campaigns, this volume tells you much more about the history, and the story of these castles is fascinating. You won't find much written about Baltic history and Turnbull is a great story teller. I only wish it was twice the length. Highly recommended.

This book is the follow-up to Turnbull's equally strong work on the Teutonic Knights and their castles in Prussia. The book nicely covers the history of the coming of Christianity to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and the resultant need of an armed force to protect the clergy. The cut away drawings of a Convent Castle, Riga Castle and a Gun Tower are excellent. My only gripe is that this book, easily, could have been incorporated into the first volume. It only has 60 pages of real informational content.

"Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights (2): The Stone Castles of Latvia and Estonia 1185-1560" by Stephen Trunbull is the companion volume to his work on the Teutonic castles in Prussia. Each volume deals neatly with its own geographic region and history, so it is not exactly a sequel, but this book definitely is recommended to those that are looking for more history on the Teutonic Order. The history of the Teutonic Knights in the Latvia/Estonia region was noticeably different from Prussia. The Teutonic Knights actually moved into and took over the castles established by another religious crusader order called the Swordbrothers.

I did not find this book to be as easy to read as some of Turnbull's other books, making it a slower read having to consult a dictionary more often. It may be a good starting point to learn about the castles of the Teutonic Knights in Latvia and Estonia, beside the fact of it being one of the few books available on the topic, but it may take a bit more dedication and effort than most introductory books. The color illustrations by Peter Dennis are exceptional and bring to life what these magnificent castles looked like in their prime. However, I do think it would have been helpful if more of the illustrations and floor plans of the castles were located on the same or opposite page so a side-by-side comparison may be done, preventing flipping though the whole book trying to make a match. Overall, "Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights (2)" will provide you with a nice overview of the history of the castles and people who made and fought in them, as well as let you have a good idea of what they looked like with the photos and illustrations.

In addition to providing a detailed account of the Holocaust in Riga, Latvia, this book is an excellent description of pre-WWII Jewish life and culture in Latvia. Due to the lack of survivors, there are relatively few accounts of the Holocaust in Latvia. The author is an engineer, and he understands the importance of detail. I found the description of his family life very interesting from a cultural standpoint. Overall, I think this an excellent account, especially interesting for someone who is interested in how the Holocaust affected people in different countries and the the kinds of people and cultures that disappeared.

This is a very wordy description of one Jewish family and its various branches. The first 80 pages could have been done in 30. After the first part it becomes an interesting description of one person's view of survival. Good book if you are studying the Holocaust.

Max Michelson's chronicle of his life in the ghetto in Riga, Latvia during the Nazi occupation is an incredible tale that can't be told by anybody else, because most people died. The story is told so simply that the miracle of his survival lives outside the pages in what we know of history and what we realize from the few statistics he gives. Everyone should read this book. It is the actual, human story that those of us who haven't faced death at the hands of an evil power have tried to create in our own heads to understand. Considering world events today the kind of education that Max Michelson provides is just the kind we need.

I missed my favorite TV show to read this book to it's completion. To those of us who have a vested interest in Latvia, the author gives us a rare glimpse into a native heart. Her account of her involvement with a religious group was especially fascinating as it speaks to all of us who have struggled with doubts about our faith. It is one of those books that make you want to meet the author to talk it all out.

On one level, this book tells the story of a young woman coming of age in any culture. There are delightful descriptions of the ups and downs, the fantasies and cynicism, the longings and the resignation - one can see this young woman in every culture.

On another level, however, this book is the story of a very personal triumph. Ms. Melnika describes in vivid detail the difficult reality of those living in Latvia during the past two decades. From the scarcity of goods and services, to the mind-controlling religious cults, to the hedonism that supposedly represents the freedoms of the West, the author encountered them all and portrays her experiences with an honesty of which only the young are capable.

Tale of the White Crow is a journal. Some readers may object to the broken English translation, but I found it strangely appropriate.

I have only two small criticisms: the journal simply ends - I very much wanted to know what became of the author. Also, there are several photos in the book but no descriptions of what they are of. I would like to have seen photos of the people referred to in the book.

Latvia, My favorite country. This book explains the customs and culture better than any travel guide or text book. On one level it exposes how different life in latvia is compared to the USA, and yet on another level it reveals that young girls growing up in Latvia face the exact same social and emotional problems as girls in the USA (and, I suspect, everywhere else). I bought this book for my daughter and found that I enjoyed it just as much as she did as we read it together.

The photos capture the essence of the city so well, we enjoyed seeing places we had visited.

A great book and I look forward to other books by this author.



James Hatsis

James1@OconeeAirService.com

The beginning of the book was interesting but it went downhill from there. The story of the why the Latvians had emmigrated and their determined efforts to keep their culture alive kept me reading. The attitude of Latvians who remained in Latvia toward those who had emmigrated was unexpected.

The love affair of the obnoxious Clara went on ad infinitum and then suddenly they married and went to Paris for their honeymoon. It felt as if the author didn't know how to tie everything up in an interesting way; she just quit.

A page turner! I feel I know each of the characters in some form or other, especially Ziedonis. Typos (e.g.- red and black current bushes) could use some work in the next edition.
I'll def read more from this author.

I can't stand it. I am upset. Here I feel like I lived in these characters shoes during the most important events in their lives and now I have to actually wait for a sequel to find out what happens to conservative Andrejs, to colourful Klara, to crazy Ziedonis....ah, I trust there will be a sequel, Sandra??!! Sandra, don't do this to me. Please...would a tantrum help!?
Great story. As a Latvian-American-Canadian ,it was easy to identify with the first generation life-style of the struggling and Latvian...trying to come to terms with living "here" but belonging emotionally to "there" and trying to make sense of it all. A fantastic read. Thank you, Sandra. I am waiting...

I consider this book a modern masterpiece on a subject still controversial and shameful to Latvians. His record of this black time in Latvia's history is packed full of very specific details including dates, names, and places.

This is a hard book to read for those people who believe that all Latvians were innocent victims of the USSR's
aggressions. While that is true for most Latvians, including my relatives, it is not true of all Latvians. Press exposes the role of the Riga police in rounding up Jews and the fact that everyone knew that their Jewish neighbors were dying in work camps. He also gives abundant evidence that the Aizsargi were not all noble
patriots fighting for Latvia; in fact, it seems that there were a good number of murderous thugs among them.

This was not an easy book for me to read. I read it while in Riga for the first time - it was very hard to admit
that such horrible things happened in a place that had had a magical aura for me for so many years. I think
Latvians, like Germans, must continue to reconcile themselves to seek the truth about our roots, no matter
what that means. Fortunately, we have an excellent guide in Dr Press.

The author wants the book to be a memorial to all Jews that died on Latvian soil. In the "Preface to the English Edition," the author claims that Latvians, on the whole, are totally anti-Semitic. However, the origins of such beliefs cannot be determined. The author believes this to be true of the Latvians, during pre-WWII Latvia and the new Latvia of the 1990's. I wonder if things are so black and white.

This book is a combination of history and a memoir. There are footnotes and a bibliography. However, if a reader is looking for an objective, historical view of this topic, it is not found here. The author recounts his personal experiences during WWII. It is remarkable how he and other Jews survived.

The author does point out that after WWII, some people who were in a Nazi concentration camps found themselves in Soviet concentration camps.

I was not sure what to expect from this book. I had not read any Latvian Jewish histories or memoirs. I found this book thoroughly interested and informative. The discussion about Jewish life in Kurzeme (Courland/Kurland) was enjoyable. I learned a part of history that was not covered in my Latvian Saturday classes.

I would recommend this book to any Latvian and descendants of former Latvian Jews. For my emigre Latvian colleagues, you will learn something by reading this book.

I thought this book was very informative i really enjoyed all it had to stay about Latvia. It really makes you feel as if oyu know the country better I recommnd this book to anyone who is taking a trip to Latvia or one of the Baltic states the book is even good for just review! This book is a definte if you are lookign for information and description on latvia.

The person who wrote the previous review obviously did not know what he/she was talking about. OK, the map mostly has a greenish background, but the major roads are in red, mionor roads in yellow, other roads are in white. Rail lines and waterways are shown, and major sights are printed in red. Place names are printed in the native languages as far as I can tell, which makes sense and is helpful (the highway signs, after all, are in the native language, not English). Borders and border crossings also are clearly shown. I just completed a trip to Latvia and Lithuania, and this map met my needs. If you plan to spend a lot of time driving in the countryside, however, another map with finer scale (this one is 1:700,000) for the particular area you plan to visit would be helpful to take along as well.

This map is ugly and useless! It is totally green. There is no way to distinguish one country from the next, as everything is green! The lines are all green and the land is colored green, so country borders and terrain are indistinguishable. You can't tell where Latvia ends and Lithuania begins, even if you look up close! The map is printed in an unusual foreign language, too. It's not in French, German, Spanish, or English. I'm not sure what language labels everything. Maybe it's Lithuanian. This map does show major roads in red, but who cares about that?!?

Author Siri Lise Doub has thrown together her book "Taste of Latvia." First of all the book was not proofrd nor edited. It shows the appearance of being thrown to gether. The Latvian words are printed correctly in others they are not. The carelesness shows that the author plucked recipes like she did with "dainas". I would be reluctant to test her recipes. If Ms Doub is an editor, she should have done a better job than this.

I would not give even one star for this book.

This in-depth focus on traditional Latvian dishes provides over a hundred easily-followed recipes from pirogi and potato pancakes to Courland Sour Porridge, all adapted for the American kitchen. Black and white photos and cultural insights pepper the book but it's these rarely-found dishes, including one for a traditional caraway-rye bread made with apple cider, which are treasures.

OK so its got a few spelling mistakes, but at least some one has bothered to collect and publish these old time family favourites.

"Caraway Cutlets"?, I think she meant "Kotlettes" (meatballs).
Its the sort of recipe book that will happy sit on the cookbook shelf near the stove, as a reference to remind you of how grandma used to cook. I've always wondered how to make "Galerts", and there four different recipes for "piragi" dough.

A bit US-centric for my taste, but thats easily overcome.
A few photos of the prepared meal would be nice, you would normally expect it in this price range.

There are a good range of recipes including a whole chapter on potatoes, meat fish, breads, soups and porridges.

Not sure how many of my Kiwi mates would buy it, but hey, thats their loss.

Love the historical stuff interspersed with "dainas" (Latvian Folk Songs) and Latvian symbols.

Presentation is frankly unimaginative, but I can live with that.
I enjoyed this little cookbook, and look forward to the day it's updated with more recipes and colour photos.

This cookbook is really bad. As a Latvian cook, I can tell the author does not know real Latvian cooking. The best Latvian cookbook with authentic Latvian food is the one by Latvian women from Ontario Canada. The book is called Latvian Cooking. It has had 9 printings, so you know it is good. The Taste of Latvia cookbook has very weird recipes in it for Latvian food. Also it has editorial errors. For example, the recipe for Klingeris starts with " cups very warm milk". It does not specify how many cups. The recipe for Alexander cake is to make it in three layers. I have never made or seen one with 3 layers, not even in Latvia. It is always made with 2 layers. Also, the book is missing basic Latvian foods, like braised sauerkraut. Braised sauerkraut is a Latvian staple and no book on Latvian cooking is complete without it. I won't even go into her errors on Latvian history. The author would have been better off writing a cookbook from her own heritage. Latvian is definetly not her heritage.

This book is filled with an array of recipes from yesterday and today, a newer Latvia. The pictures give you a taste of how creative and in love with the arts Latvians are. The folk songs are beautiful. As well as the symbols, and stories of yesterdays past. It is a great introduction into a mysterious culture that is very much alive, as well as unknown.

While there can be no question as to the veracity of my cousin Boris' account of his Holocaust expereince, I found it curious that he makes no mention of my father, Julius Dalkoff. Boris' wife, Tamara, has gone on at great length as to how Julius helped bring them to the states after the liberation. Jacob is mentioned--even his wife Ethel. But not Julius.

No, the Holocaust should never be forgotten. One would like to believe though, that those who helped should not be forgotten either.--Seymour Dalkoff