What do you think?
Rate this book
A Concise History of Bulgaria
Richard Crampton presents a general introduction to Bulgaria at the cross-roads of Christendom and Islam. This concise history traces the country's growth from pre-history, through its days as the center of a powerful medieval empire and five centuries of Ottoman rule, to the political upheavals of the twentieth century which led to three wars. It highlights 1995 to 2004, a vital period during which Bulgaria endured financial meltdown, set itself seriously on the road to reform, elected its former King as prime minister, and finally secured membership in NATO and admission to the European Union. First Edition Hb (1997) 0-521-56183-3 First Edition Pb (1997) 0-521-56719-X
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
R.J. Crampton
8 books5 followersA specialist in the history of Bulgaria and the Balkans, Richard Crampton is a Fellow of St. Edmund College, Oxford, where he taught from 1967 until his retirement as professor of East European history in 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 28, 2026
This book was very good in some respects, but I found it irritating because the contents do not correspond to its title. R.J. Crampton was professor of East European history at Oxford University, and from the second Preface one can see how St Edmund’s Hall became somewhat of a magnet for Bulgarian students once the country shook off Communism. Maybe I am wrong in imagining that many conversations with these students centred around the complex and fast-moving political changes in their country of origin and that modern Bulgaria is what really interested Crampton.
The account is not a History of Bulgaria, although concise it is, with about 250 pages. But of these, only about 17% is devoted to the period prior to the 18thCentury. Granted, Bulgaria belonged to the Byzantine period for just over 150 years, and then to the Ottoman empire for 500 more years. One could then just read about the Byzantines and the Ottomans while Bulgaria was just a section of a much larger political unit. And even before that it had formed part of the Roman Empire for 500 years (remember Spartacus?)
But so little space is devoted to the fascinating Thracians, to the role this land played in the Macedonian empire under Philip II, to the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet, etc, that when the reader reaches the section ‘The Consolidation of the Bulgarian State’, which took place in the late 19thCentury, and is presented with an unmanageable symphony of names, politicians, dates, political parties, that take over around 80% of the book one feels that this is no longer a Concise History of Bulgaria but almost a discussion of Recent and Current Affairs of great interest to someone who is already very familiar with the history of this country – not my case, alas.
The account is not a History of Bulgaria, although concise it is, with about 250 pages. But of these, only about 17% is devoted to the period prior to the 18thCentury. Granted, Bulgaria belonged to the Byzantine period for just over 150 years, and then to the Ottoman empire for 500 more years. One could then just read about the Byzantines and the Ottomans while Bulgaria was just a section of a much larger political unit. And even before that it had formed part of the Roman Empire for 500 years (remember Spartacus?)
But so little space is devoted to the fascinating Thracians, to the role this land played in the Macedonian empire under Philip II, to the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet, etc, that when the reader reaches the section ‘The Consolidation of the Bulgarian State’, which took place in the late 19thCentury, and is presented with an unmanageable symphony of names, politicians, dates, political parties, that take over around 80% of the book one feels that this is no longer a Concise History of Bulgaria but almost a discussion of Recent and Current Affairs of great interest to someone who is already very familiar with the history of this country – not my case, alas.
February 15, 2021
I read this book because my son's girlfriend is from Bulgaria and I didn't know much about the country. I got it from her for Christmas. I learned some things like the Balkan Mountains are in Bulgaria, it is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and the capitol is Sofia. It has changed its borders many times and its history was a little hard to follow since I knew so little about it before I read it and because it always seemed to.be at the mercy of its neighbors like Turkey and Russia. I will probably have to read it again. I did learn that family is very important to Bulgarians and it is important to me too.
March 17, 2026
A 2 star review feels harsh. Especially when considering that the writing is good. And it is clearly thoroughly researched. In fact, as I write this, that’s probably enough to merit a 3 star.
However, what stops it being more? The book is very much a game of two halves. The first thousand year of history is very surface level and thoroughly lacking. The second half (especially post 1945) feels like a politics dissertation.
Maybe the latter is where the authors energy should be focused and rather than a concise history of Bulgaria it should be a modern political history of Bulgaria. More balance needed to hit the lofty heights of four stars.
However, what stops it being more? The book is very much a game of two halves. The first thousand year of history is very surface level and thoroughly lacking. The second half (especially post 1945) feels like a politics dissertation.
Maybe the latter is where the authors energy should be focused and rather than a concise history of Bulgaria it should be a modern political history of Bulgaria. More balance needed to hit the lofty heights of four stars.
October 28, 2018
This is the sort of book I expect very people to read for fun, but is precisely the sort of book I read for fun. Although I am by no means an expert on the history of Bulgaria [1], its history is a subject of interest to me and it is a place I would like to travel eventually. There is a certain degree of poignancy in the situation of Bulgaria, from its prehistory with early cities that were destroyed leaving no written records of their inhabitants or how they lived or what they thought, to its position as a border region for the Greeks, Romans, Byzantine Empire, even up to Cold War politics, to its struggle to regain territory lost through previous wars and to get along with its neighbors. There is a great deal in Bulgarian history that is deeply intriguing and highly melancholy, and that sort of concern for a territory on the edge with a history it is bravely (if so far vainly) trying to overcome is precisely the sort of thing that would strike me of interest, and so even though this is an obscure work, it is definitely one I appreciated reading.
This particular volume is concise at around 250 pages or so, and is divided into nine chapters. After a list of illustrations, preface in which the author wishes he had more space to write, and a note on the book's transliteration, the book, aside from two appendices that show Bulgarian monarchs and prime ministers, respectively, and suggestions for further reading and an index, contains nine chapters. The author begins with a very brief survey of the Bulgarian lands from pre-history to the arrival of the Bulgarians (1), before spending twice as much space talking about medieval Bulgaria's history up to the Ottoman conquest (2). After that there is a discussion of Ottoman rule and its horrors and problems (3) before the national revival and liberation of Bulgaria in the late 19th century (4). After this there is a discussion of the consolidation of the Bulgarian state (5), the personal rule of King Ferdinand that concluded with a disastrous defeat in World War I (6), Bulgaria in the interwar period and during World War II where it also found itself on the losing side (7), before a history of Bulgaria under communist rule (8) and the post-Communist period up to the book's writing (9).
Bulgaria's history has a profoundly melancholy edge that is important to realize. During its entire history it has found itself looked down upon by its neighbors in Greece and Anatolia, frequently under some sort of foreign domination, and had its distinctive culture denied by others. It has sought to return to some sort of past glory only to find itself frequently politically divided and unable to bring its greater ethnic area under its rule. It has sought to be free of foreign domination only to find itself unable to provide for the well-being of its people and deeply divided internally between town and country, right and left, and more centralizing and regionally focused tendencies. Although this book certainly focuses a lot on matters of political (and to a lesser extent military) history, there is still a lot here to appreciate for those who want to know the struggles and difficulties and triumphs of the Bulgarian people through centuries of difficulty and frequent misadventures by their rulers, who appear far more ambitious than their nation's modest economic and demographic strength would apparently justify. If you want a short volume to read about the history of an obscure European nation, this book will definitely do the trick nicely.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
This particular volume is concise at around 250 pages or so, and is divided into nine chapters. After a list of illustrations, preface in which the author wishes he had more space to write, and a note on the book's transliteration, the book, aside from two appendices that show Bulgarian monarchs and prime ministers, respectively, and suggestions for further reading and an index, contains nine chapters. The author begins with a very brief survey of the Bulgarian lands from pre-history to the arrival of the Bulgarians (1), before spending twice as much space talking about medieval Bulgaria's history up to the Ottoman conquest (2). After that there is a discussion of Ottoman rule and its horrors and problems (3) before the national revival and liberation of Bulgaria in the late 19th century (4). After this there is a discussion of the consolidation of the Bulgarian state (5), the personal rule of King Ferdinand that concluded with a disastrous defeat in World War I (6), Bulgaria in the interwar period and during World War II where it also found itself on the losing side (7), before a history of Bulgaria under communist rule (8) and the post-Communist period up to the book's writing (9).
Bulgaria's history has a profoundly melancholy edge that is important to realize. During its entire history it has found itself looked down upon by its neighbors in Greece and Anatolia, frequently under some sort of foreign domination, and had its distinctive culture denied by others. It has sought to return to some sort of past glory only to find itself frequently politically divided and unable to bring its greater ethnic area under its rule. It has sought to be free of foreign domination only to find itself unable to provide for the well-being of its people and deeply divided internally between town and country, right and left, and more centralizing and regionally focused tendencies. Although this book certainly focuses a lot on matters of political (and to a lesser extent military) history, there is still a lot here to appreciate for those who want to know the struggles and difficulties and triumphs of the Bulgarian people through centuries of difficulty and frequent misadventures by their rulers, who appear far more ambitious than their nation's modest economic and demographic strength would apparently justify. If you want a short volume to read about the history of an obscure European nation, this book will definitely do the trick nicely.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
June 20, 2024
Crampton remains the standing English-language authority on Bulgaria. The book's tight format is its primary hazard. A compressed historical survey usually risks nothing, opting instead to repeat settled scholarship.
Crampton covers thousands of years. He charts medieval empires, five centuries of Ottoman rule, and the post-communist collapse. The accounting boundary requires this same empirical honesty across every era.
A lesser historian would stumble into false equivalence during the Ottoman chapters, offering either a simple tale of total oppression or a sanitized colonial defense. Crampton avoids both. He logs the destruction of the domestic aristocracy alongside the complex cultural renaissance that survived under foreign rule.
His treatment of the national narrative during the Holocaust. Bulgaria rescued its domestic Jewish population with justified pride, but its occupation forces also shipped eleven thousand Macedonian and Thracian Jews to Treblinka. A standard national history commits the fallacy of omission by erasing the slaughter to save the myth. Crampton holds both realities in full view. He recognizes that erasing the dead from the balance sheet is a second act of violence.
Extends to his analysis of national defeat. Bulgaria lost three major wars in the twentieth century. Crampton maps these disasters through cold geopolitics and shifting borders. Yet he simultaneously enters the collective consciousness of the population to show how a gritty sense of pride kept a repeated loser from losing its identity. His clinical data never smothers.
Crampton covers thousands of years. He charts medieval empires, five centuries of Ottoman rule, and the post-communist collapse. The accounting boundary requires this same empirical honesty across every era.
A lesser historian would stumble into false equivalence during the Ottoman chapters, offering either a simple tale of total oppression or a sanitized colonial defense. Crampton avoids both. He logs the destruction of the domestic aristocracy alongside the complex cultural renaissance that survived under foreign rule.
His treatment of the national narrative during the Holocaust. Bulgaria rescued its domestic Jewish population with justified pride, but its occupation forces also shipped eleven thousand Macedonian and Thracian Jews to Treblinka. A standard national history commits the fallacy of omission by erasing the slaughter to save the myth. Crampton holds both realities in full view. He recognizes that erasing the dead from the balance sheet is a second act of violence.
Extends to his analysis of national defeat. Bulgaria lost three major wars in the twentieth century. Crampton maps these disasters through cold geopolitics and shifting borders. Yet he simultaneously enters the collective consciousness of the population to show how a gritty sense of pride kept a repeated loser from losing its identity. His clinical data never smothers.
March 30, 2025
I wish this book had been titled “A Concise Political History of Bulgaria. I was really hoping to read a book that would teach me about Bulgaria as a country - the arts and its culture, religious beliefs, education, architecture and city development. And give me a better understanding of life within the Ottoman Empire.
Instead, it is a book (save a random paragraph here and there) about the political structures of Bulgaria over the centuries. It’s leaders and wars and leaders and more leaders.
I believe it’s probably a good read for someone who is looking for a political timeline. But it does have a lot of typos and some misprints - so I’m not sure about the editorial process.
Instead, it is a book (save a random paragraph here and there) about the political structures of Bulgaria over the centuries. It’s leaders and wars and leaders and more leaders.
I believe it’s probably a good read for someone who is looking for a political timeline. But it does have a lot of typos and some misprints - so I’m not sure about the editorial process.
August 29, 2011
Read before/during trip to Bulgaria. Useful introduction to Bulgarian history, written in a transparent style. I kind of lost interest with all the political stuff -- X trying to get rid of Y, and parties A, B, C and their struggles -- but you did kind of have to know it to make sense of the history, I guess. Anyway, definitely helped give me an idea of what had been going on in the region, and it was a lot less dry than I thought it would be.
October 25, 2023
I don't know that any history of a sovereign nation can truly be "concise", but Crampton gives it a solid try. From the pre-medieval Bulgarian territory, right up to its early 21st century admission to the EU, this history tracks the country, its people, its frequent dependence on Russia, and eventual strides to proper independence and economic stability.
I read this for context on a Bulgarian poet that I'm studying, and it certainly feels like at the very least, that knowledge has been gained.
I read this for context on a Bulgarian poet that I'm studying, and it certainly feels like at the very least, that knowledge has been gained.
July 20, 2015
Don't really understand all the bad reviews for this one, but it is a very interesting read. Obviously something a bit too simplistic about events, but that why it's a 'concise history'. Anyway, what to catch up on your Bulgarian knowledge? This is a good start!
August 9, 2025
I am a scholar of East Central Europe, and Bulgaria falls just outside region. I read this to sharpen my knowledge of Bulgarian history as a relevant neighboring area. So I can't offer informed insights or criticisms, but I learned a lot. Crampton tends to keep to the political history with some social history, the discussion of culture is there but not so nearly present as in Keith Hitchen's contribution to this same series focused on Romania, which is sad since we hear about Bulgaria having a rich literary history dating from well before the modern era. Still, Crampton's book is definitely informative. I now finally understand the reasons why the Macedonia issue became so pressing in Bulgaria in the nineteenth century. The later narrative covers the interwar, the communist period, and post-communist era clearly and effectively.
September 9, 2024
Авторът е направил амбициозен опит да представи цялата българска история в няколко стотин страници. Една изключително непосилна задача за когото и да и историк, особено за Западните, които имам известни проблеми с разбирането на Балканската история. Четивото е повърхностно в много отношения, но въпреки това може да обрисува една обща картина на основните събития в страната.
Книгата на Р. К. е полезна дотолкова, че да предостави базови знания, които за човек, който тепърва започва да се интересува от история може да бъде доста полезна. Отделно, събитията са представени през призмата на западен мислител и е интересно да проследим каква е представата им за нас.
Определено обаче, труда не заслужава 4 звезди, но не заслужава и 3, обективната оценка според мен е 3,5.
Книгата на Р. К. е полезна дотолкова, че да предостави базови знания, които за човек, който тепърва започва да се интересува от история може да бъде доста полезна. Отделно, събитията са представени през призмата на западен мислител и е интересно да проследим каква е представата им за нас.
Определено обаче, труда не заслужава 4 звезди, но не заслужава и 3, обективната оценка според мен е 3,5.
May 23, 2018
I really wonderful attempt to sum up Bulgarian history in 243 pages which for the most part succeeds in it's attempt.
It is well written and easy to follow, but it is recommended to have Wikipedia on hand to fill in the blanks where necessary. The core work stretches from early human occupation right through to the past decade.
The book also features lots of photos and pictures to add context to the text.
Not the most comprehensive history in the world, but highly recommended for those wanting simple history of a fascinating country.
It is well written and easy to follow, but it is recommended to have Wikipedia on hand to fill in the blanks where necessary. The core work stretches from early human occupation right through to the past decade.
The book also features lots of photos and pictures to add context to the text.
Not the most comprehensive history in the world, but highly recommended for those wanting simple history of a fascinating country.
December 17, 2020
As promised in the title, it is a concise overview of Bulgaria's history. There is much detail left out, of course, but it does provide an outline on which the deeper story can be added through further reading. One negative is, that this history is of its general, political advance through the centuries with very little description of the changes to the character of the peoples, both Bulgarians and others, who have performed these acts of history.
April 22, 2019
Agree with other reviewers. Lots of information packed in here. I wish I could remember it all, but with so many names and such a complex history, it was hard just to remember from one page to the next. What I do retain, however, is quite valuable, and overall, the history seems to explain why Bulgarians are the way they are, in general. But isn't that true of all nations?
May 12, 2026
Well written, but wrong title. The author does state in the preface that the book focuses on modern Bulgarian history, but I think this is an understatement - well over half the book is basically post-1900s Bulgarian politics, which I found very dry. I was hoping for a lot more of the Thracians, Ottomans etc. Very informative, but not my thing
August 6, 2018
Really nice read.
February 28, 2021
Good book
June 11, 2022
Very well written overview, with a particular emphasis on the modern era (since Bulgarian revival) in the mid 1800s.
May 4, 2023
Maybe it's a bit too short in the pre-indipendence history and too long in the various government squabbles. Also the style is a bit too synthetic in my opinion. Still a good reading.
May 28, 2026
An informative overview of Bulgarian history with a focus on modern history
Read
November 7, 2026This has been very helpful reading in research for book #3 of my OSU Rising series. Boyan and Olive returning to their mother's homeland.
April 13, 2012
The version I read was updated about 6 or 7 years ago.
A decent if dry political history of Bulgaria for the general reader. I would have liked more on social or cultural topics but alas that wasn't the author's mission here.
Recommended but it's not exactly a riveting read. Just the facts in a straightforward and coherent narrative.
A decent if dry political history of Bulgaria for the general reader. I would have liked more on social or cultural topics but alas that wasn't the author's mission here.
Recommended but it's not exactly a riveting read. Just the facts in a straightforward and coherent narrative.
May 12, 2026
As I was travelling to Bulgaria and I wanted to leearn more about the country's history, I found this book to be really great. The author finds a balance between not being too detailed but also not giving a superficial account of Bulgaria's history. With this book you can learn about the long history of the country without feeling overwhelmed, and the information is easy to digest.
January 11, 2010
Drudging at certain points, but quite informative. This book accomplishes exactly what it's meant to accomplish: Provide a concise history of the country.
June 7, 2010
Dry but full of delicious, delicious facts.
March 30, 2017
Admirably clear, and — indeed — concise. The original edition (which is what I read first) was written in 1997 and is inevitably dated. Happily, I was able to access a digital version the second edition through my alma mater, and was thus able to continue the story through such important events as the Kostov and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha government (the latter of which must be one of the more improbable political events of the Post-Communist era, seeing the former Tsar Simeon II return as a democratic politician, governing through liberal coalition with a party representing the Turkish minority), and the entry into Nato and the EU.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews