Historical Dictionary of Estonia
By (author) Toivo Miljan
Publication date:
21 May 2015Length of book:
646 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9780810872448
Estonia is a small European Union country (population 1.3 million but physically the size of Netherlands and Switzerland) at the historic interface of East and West, Europe and Russia, free from Soviet occupation only for twenty-five years. Estonia boasts many notable achievements in the past has one of the most advanced economies in the region. It has made impressive progress politically, having shed a half century of communist domination and shifted to democracy, making it a model for other transitional states. It is at the forefront of Internet services: its secure digital ID cards are used for all interactions with government agencies, for voting at elections, and among government agencies, as well as in private banking.
This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Estonia covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, glossary, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Estonia.
This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Estonia covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, glossary, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Estonia.
The second edition, updating the first after a decade, continues in the publisher's ‘Historical Dictionaries of Europe’ series. These ubiquitous dictionaries all follow the same arrangement, providing a few maps, a chronology, and an introductory essay followed by the dictionary section, political appendixes, a glossary, and a bibliography. As the editor points out, the revised dictionary section offers more ‘persons, places, and events’ than the 2004 edition. Miljan describes himself as a native of Estonia who returned to his home country, and his introduction brings events up to March 2015. The entries, necessarily brief, cover a galaxy of information. For example, one learns that Neeme Järvi (Detroit Symphony Orchestra emeritus music director) is Estonian and largely responsible for introducing the music world to the work of Estonian musicians. Entries shed light on Estonian exiles, WW II, the German occupation, displaced persons, Finno-Ugric peoples, and many historical topics pertaining to the USSR. . . .The bibliography…provides a convenient way to verify the spelling of names. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic audiences and general readers.