About the Book
Gale Stokes' The Walls Came Tumbling Down has been one of the standard interpretations of the East European revolutions of 1989 for many years. It offers a sweeping yet vivid narrative of the two decades of developments that led from the Prague Spring of 1968 to the collapse of communism in 1989. Highlights of that narrative include, among other things, discussions of Solidarity and civil society in Poland, Charter 77 and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and the bizarre regime of Romania's Nikolae Ceausescu and his violent downfall. In this second edition, now appropriately subtitled Collapse and Rebirth in Eastern Europe, Stokes not only has revised these portions of the book in the light of recent scholarship, but has added three new chapters covering the post-communist period, including analyses of the unification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union, narratives of the admission of many of the countries of the region to the European Union, and discussion of the unfortunate outcomes of the Wars of Yugoslav Succession in the Western Balkans.
About the Author :
Gale Stokes is past Dean of Humanities, Chair of the History Department, and a three-time winner of the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching at Rice University. He is the author of several books, including From Stalinism to Pluralism: A Documentary History of Eastern Europe Since 1945, Second Edition, (OUP, 1996) and Three Eras of Political Change in Eastern Europe (OUP, 1996).
Review :
"The indispensable text for my 'History of Communism' course. Lucid treatment of a terribly complicated series of events."--Hugh Phillips, Western Kentucky University
"[A] satisfying product that throws much interesting light on developments since 1968 and is sure to be useful as a classroom text."--American Historical Review
"...a sweeping, vivid narrative of the gradual collapse of Eastern European Communism, ...the first historical account of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe done by a professional historian. It offers deep understanding of the region in combination with great ability to present the facts....Not only is it perceptive and penetrating, but it is also stylishly written....For students, specialists and anyone else interested in communist studies and recent history, this work is ideal..."--Europe-Asia Studies
"...enormously useful, as well as readable...Stokes tells his story effectively."--Slavic Review
"A well researched, well reasoned, and well written account....[P]rovides a very good review of internal developments within the states of Eastern Europe as they moved toward what became the Revolution of 1989, and offers much that can inform the reader for the future."--Political Science Quarterly
"Has not only scientific significancxe but also reveals a sensitive understanding of the problems of these 'democratizing' regimes in East Central Europe."--Gabriella Konszki, SUNY at Albany
"Excellent! I adopted it for both graduate and undergraduate courses."--Andrew Janos, University of California, Berkeley
"I am using this text because of its comprehensiveness and depth of analysis. Also, it is well-written."--Jiri Nedela, Fairfield University
"A well organized, well written account of the remarkable events of 1989 and beyond. I will definitely adopt this text."--Laura Gellott, University of Wisconsin, Parkside
"Offers the reader a lucid, elegantly written, and insightful account of the turmoil that accompanied the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Eminently suited for college courses in modern Eastern European history."--Gabor Vermes, Rutgers University
"An admirably researched, highly readable account, ideally suited for upper-level undergraduate courses on Eastern Europe or comparative politics."--Anne Henderson, College of William and Mary
"Well written, carefully explained and not without dramatic tension, this volume is essential for an understanding of the revolutions of 1989 within the context of their antecedents, immediate prehistory, and consequences."--Peter Black, George Mason University
"Extremely well written and timely--well balanced and objective."--George Bournoutian, Iona College
"A much-needed resource, quite accessible for undergraduate readers."--Jena M. Gaines, Mt. Holyoke College
"An excellent book. It contains a great amount of important data which is skillfully knitted together within a framework of balance interpretation and analysis."--Dwight James Simpson, San Francisco State University
"Stokes has done what seemed impossible: delivered an intelligent, balanced and highly readable text for undergraduates on the recent history of Eastern Europe."--Philip Adler, East Carolina University
"A fine comprehensive work covering every aspect of this third East European Revolution of the 20th century. Its relative brevity makes it very usable for upper division 20th century European surveys. More, this book has the merit of giving some credit for this development to the man most responsible for it--President Ronald Reagan, whose SDI initiative proved to be the challenge the Soviets could not meet."--Eric D. Kohler, University of Wyoming
"A marvelous text."--Roger Reese, Texas A&M University
"A badly needed book by a leading American historian, this is the first to combine a dramatic blow-by-blow account of the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe, particularly their immediate causes and consequences, with a balanced, scholarly analysis of the separate but comparable holes that the various Communist regimes had been digging for themselves since 1968. Stokes uses recent interviews with East European insiders as well as a wide range of Western sources to weave his tale tightly together. Eminently readable for the general public and indispensable for students and specialists."--John R. Lampe, Director of East European Studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C., and Professor of History at the University of Maryland in College Park
"Gale Stokes has long been considered one of our most astute commentators on East and Central Europe, and this book only confirms that judgment. Not only is it perceptive and insightful, but it is also stylishly written."--Herman Schwartz, The American University
"Authoritative, cognent and compelling account of the upheavals in Eastern Europe. Blends meticulous research and narative drive, covering Communism's weary decline after 1968."--Kirkus Reviews
"Crisply written--An expert panoramic guide to a rapidly changing scene."--Publishers Weekly
"The book offers students a very useful overview of events in Eastern Europe pre and post 1989."--John Wilton, University of Plymouth
"A well-written and informative book, which students should find very useful."--A. Hyde-Price, University of South Hampton
"For the period 1968 to the present, this is an indispensable text."--K. Mudermott, Sheffield Hallam University
"Fine study...highly reccommended for college, university, and public libraries."--Social and Behavioral Sciences
"Engaging and insightful both in its review of the past and its predictions for the future of post-communist Eastern Europe. I was impressed by the creative organization of the book. Stokes is magnificent in presenting the complexity of regional developments and is careful to avoid generalizations across borders and parties."--Irina Gigova, College of Charleston
"The book strikes a very nice balance between interpretation and narration, never getting too bogged down in a detailed explanation of political developments nor getting lost in overly nuanced analysis."--Brian Porter-Szucs, The University of Michigan
"This is an excellent book and I have been assigning it for more than a decade. The writing is very good. It is clear, engaging, and at a level that my students can follow without difficulty."--T. Mills Kelly, George Mason University
