History of Slovakia: The Struggle for Survival

A fair and, for its size, quite comprehensive account of the last two thousand years in the land in the heart of Europe. The extensive spread of the early Slavic, their relations with their neighbors and the glory and memory of Greater Moravia outlines a history too long unknown except by certain scholars in the West. For later periods, from Hungary to Habsburg domination, there is set the roll of religion, language and literature for the Slovak people. Brief but detailed biographies of the modern social and government players brings an understanding of events we may have overlooked in our worldview of more recent events. Strongly recommended for both public and scholarly libraries.

Just reading it now and am up to the 1700s It is a slower read but not the fault in any way with the author. History book of this type that deal with old history that include unfamiliar names, places things that have changed from usually our more limited knowledge ( actually the reason topurchase the book in the first place ) take more time to absorb . Anyone interested in European history in general and/or Slovak history in particular should consider this book This is specially appealing is that Slovakia in general has not been included in standard histories of Europe even if that role is somewhat small as compared to say the Great Powers after Napoleon

I read this book to prepare to visit my paternal ancestral villages in NE Slovakia. Like most Americans, I knew next to nothing about the Slovak history. This meticulously researched book solved that impressively. The Slovak people have struggles for about 1,000 years for "independence", achieving it only twice, most recently only late in the 20th century. Mr. Kirschbaum's writing brings clarity to a very convoluted series of struggles by various Slovak leaders to secure the Slovak destiny that they aspired to. He is particularly effective detailing the sad WWII history of collaboration with the Nazi's of Berlin. If you are interested in Slovak history, this is the book to read.

I liked learning about the culture!

It was good to learn about the struggle of the Slovaks to form a nationalistic feeling so that they could work toward becoming a separate nation. The Magyars, who were not native Slovakians, were a "pushy" people. They became the "Hungarians," and continued to be pushy, controlling most local governments in Slovakia. Now I know a bit about my husband's 1/2 Slovakian heritage. We may go to visit the Eastern area, where there are many of the charming, historical wooden churches of the Byzantine Catholic faith.

This book has been valuable at filling in the history of my ethnic heritage. It is written more from an academic perspective than as storytelling drama and in that sense it is a bit dry. But stick with it, you are not going to get the broad sweep of Slovak history any other way at this time. There is a unique personal awareness that surfaces as one knows more about the world of one's ancestors.

I am learning a lot of the history of Slovaks before immigration to the USA as my ancestors did in the late 1800's. This book is very academic but offers a lot of good information if you are up for the read.

This is a scholarly book written by someone who obviously knows the subject. It has not met my expectations, however. Certain regions and facts are not covered at all, i.e. the town of Bardejov ( Bartfeld in German.) It played a significant prat in cultural history of the region and the omission of it I found very disappointing. Too much about recent past and not enough about the ancient history of the region.

Situated in the heart of Europe on political fault lines running north to South and East to West, Slovakia's history has been typified by invasion, occupation, ideological struggles and a burning desire for self determination. Since independence in 1993, it has enjoyed rapid economic growth and political crises, yet has emerged to join the EU and NATO, and will shortly embrace the Euro as its currency. Thanks to the era of budget airlines it is attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and has a fascinating indigenous culture. Consequently, a well researched and scholarly account of its complex history should be a cause for rejoicing and on some levels it is: Kirschbaum clearly knows his country and offers a sound account of the Slovak people from earliest times including many of its more notable personalities and national events. One can imagine referring back to the book to check dates or to refresh one's memory about the complex and sometimes bitter debates which have surrounded the direction of the Slovaks. Nonetheless it is difficult to wax lyrical about this volume principally because its whole argument is seen through the prism of nationhood. Clearly the desire for an independent state has been central to the aspirations of the Slovak people for centuries, but so have their economic prosperity, culture, and daily life. Kirschbaum has very little to say about the lives of ordinary Slovaks over the centuries, about the lot of women or the character of the diverse regions. This focus becomes a liability as massive events like World War I or the 1968 uprising are given no more than cursory attention, as they are not central to the independence agenda. The worst chapter of the book is Kirschbaum's vacillating account of the Slovak state `under the German sphere of influence' during World War II where the issues of collaboration and the country's role in the `final solution' are acknowledged, but not explored with anything like the necessary depth and analytical rigour.Yet ultimately I want to be positive about this book: Slovakia is a country well worth learning more about-buy this book use it as a starting point for an exploration of a fascinating land, but don't take this volume as the last word: better works will come in future years.

Good book and one of the few in the English language speaking about Slovakia, but this isn't the book for a tourist wants to visit since it goes into an extensive amount of detail. If you're someone interested in the history of this part of the world, a reasonable knowledge of Hungarian history would be recommended before purchasing this book. But overall the book was quite worth it to understand the history of the Slovak People.

La storia della Slovacchia scritta "dall'interno", ossia da chi ne conosce a fondo le linee guida, i temi e gli sviluppi. La lotta per la sopravvivenza di un popolo assediato da tutti i lati; la difesa della propria identità e cultura, l'affermazione di sé stessi nel consesso europeo, il risveglio dal torpore del socialismo reale, la voglia di libertà che ne consegue, la Slovacchia di oggi. Bellissima lettura.

For everyone who is looking for factual and narrative history of Slovak nation during the most difficult periods of the way to regain independence.

A very good read and easy to understand.