The History of Eastern Europe for Beginners

Writers & Readers Documentary Comic Book

by Paul Beck, Edward Mast, Perry Tapper (Illustrator)

Here is an illustrated, fast-moving guided tour through several thousand years of Eastern European history. Most people can't keep up with the dizzying speed of events in the former Yugoslavia, the former Czechoslovakia, and the former Soviet Union.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

Reviews

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the dopey cover fool you. This is an excellent primer on Eastern Europe. I read it with the kid so he'd have a bit of a handle on this part of the world for high school and learned a ton. This is a pretty cool series; they have comic books on all sorts of stuff and people including Chomsky, MacLuhan, and....Lacan? The mind boggles...

[Suzanne Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just a brilliant, humorous introduction to the complexities of Eastern Europe. Loved it.

[Dana Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little dated, but still a good history of the region up to the late 90s.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was informative and fun. Learned a lot and liked the humor.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The History of Eastern Europe for Beginners by Paul Beck, Edward Mast, and Perry Tapper is a hilarious book for its type. It is a history book that seems like a graphic novel but presents many astonishing and true facts. Although it is silly on the outside, the reader is able to maintain attention to details with the craziest ways at looking at the last few years and more. The book takes you through the history of Eastern Europe, beginning with an “Expert” trying to bring you to the beginning. The character answers the question of where to begin. There are multiple cartoon characters that take you through different times, including the rise of Communism, the effects of World War II, and the fall of Communism. Certain characters are sillier than others and make the reader lose track of the fact that they are still learning “boring” history.

I would give this book a five out of five stars because of the authors’ ability to get to the point. They carry the reader through some relatively heavy stuff to understand and make it easy so that the reader fully understands it. A pair of characters at the end of the book (and the reader) are asked a question, which makes them rethink what they have learned during the book and consider different possibilities. This leaves you with something to think about while doing homework or another lame activity.

[Elitza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny! I'd recommend it for good laughs.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

An oldie but a goodie.