Romania

📖 The Scoop

Romania shot to international prominence in 1989 as people throughout the world watched the bloody overthrow of the Ceausescu regime on live television. Since then the humanitarian tragedy of Romania's orphanages and hospitals has been an all too constant reminder of the sufferings of the past. However, Romania is far more than the sum of these stereotypical images; despite the fact that national unification was only achieved this century, the Romanians are an ancient people with a strong sense of national identity and a rich and varied culture. The long years of Communism brought about many changes including massive industrialization which transformed not only the physical landscape but society itself. Democratic pluralism has now been restored to a country which faces great problems but also exciting opportunities as it begins the long process of economic reform and the strengthening of its ties with Western Europe. This update of the original 1985 volume fully reflects the considerable amount of new literature that has emerged on Romania since 1989.

Genre: History / Europe / Eastern (fancy, right?)