The Latvians: A Short History (Studies of Nationalities)

by Andrejs Plakans

This is the first English-language volume that brings the history of Latvia to the threshold of the twenty-first century. Until the re-establishment of Latvian independence in 1991, Soviet dominance served for nearly fifty years to hinder publication of any complete and objective historical record of the region. Plakans now places the evolution and formation of the Latvian nation in a balanced, historical framework that stretches from the early medieval period to the present.

Genres: History, European History, Nonfiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1995

Reviews

[Chantal]

A concise history of Latvia. Not very detailed, but easy to read. Gives a clear view of the most important events.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursory, well-written overview of Latvian history. It was published in 1995, so doesn't include much on the restored Latvian state of today.

[Diane Kennicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick history of Latvia. As a first generation American, it gave me a quick glimpse into my heritage. Much of the history,as told to me by my grandparents, what they experienced during the period of Independence and the unfortunate events of WWII and Communism, was outlined toward the end of the book.

[Andrei · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pre-crusade history as well as the latest history coverage is very weak and selective.
The book supposed to be about Latvians, but it rather a history book about Latvia the way some Latvians would want to see it.