New Nations Rising: The Fall of the Soviets and the Challenge of Independence

A fascinating account of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the development and victory of independence movements throughout the republics. Details the broader history of the Soviet Empire--from the brutal abuses of Stalin and Brezhnev to the politics of Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Includes firsthand interviews with those involved in reshaping Soviet politics.

This rewritten and updated version of 1990's The Hidden Nations sustains the authors' focus on the nationalities of the former Soviet Union. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Written as an update to The Hidden Nations ( LJ 10/15/90), New Nations Rising reflects the sweeping changes that both precipitated and now follow the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. Eight chapters cover the upsurge of nationalism in the Soviet Union, the fundamental economic inequalities across republics that fueled nationalist political aspirations, and regions that were critically important in the events that took place as the USSR fell asunder--Ukraine, the Baltic states, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Russia. The final chapter assesses the prospects for the newly independent states and notes the potential for conflict amid new national liberty. New Nations Rising is a fine primer for students seeking a comprehensive introduction to the Soviet nationalities issue and events leading to the demise of that country. However, it is not a particularly rigorous work and is less suitable for academic audiences.
- Joseph P. Parsons, Columbia Coll., Chicago
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.