Lithuania: Past, Culture, Present

by Saulius Žukas (Editor), Jonas Steponaitis (English Language Editor), Vida Urbonavičius (Translator)

This book is not a systematic history of Lithuania; it offers reflections on the nation's past and present at the end of this millennium, at the end of the century, and on the occasion of the recent commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Lithuanian independence. In organizing the written material and laying out the illustrations, one repeatedly feels the drama of our modern history - so many accounts of uprisings, defeats, deportations, and emigrations, and such dynamic advancements during whatever more peaceful moments there have been.

What has history taught Lithuanians? Always the same stubbornnness and always the same amazing talent for adapting to existing, even if not very favorable, conditions. Stubbornness and adaptability negate one another and create knots which are difficult to untie in the biographies of personalities and in political careers. But perhaps that is a nation’s so-called historical experience - the knowledge of when to stop and when to boldly step forward.

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999