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The Handbook of the Former Soviet Union is the first place to look for the answers to questions about the history of the Soviet Union and the future of Russia and the newly independent states. This easy-to-use, cross-referenced volume includes a wide range of completely up-to-date information. Book jacket.

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• Preface(p. 9)
• Chapter 1 The Eurasian Colossus(p. 11)
• The Physical Setting: The Eurasian Plain
• The Origins of the Russian Eurasian State
• The Russian Empire
• The Soviet Era
• Gorbachev, Reform, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union
• Chapter 2 The Russian Federation(p. 27)
• Political and Economic Problems
• Environmental and Health Problems
• Yeltsin Versus the Congress of People's Deputies, 1992-1993
• From Election to Election
• Russia and the World
• Russia Faces the Future
• Chapter 3 Ukraine(p. 47)
• The Geography and People
• Ukraine's Troubled History
• Ukraine Under Soviet Rule
• The Gorbachev Era
• Independent Ukraine
• Chapter 4 Belarus and Moldova(p. 64)
• Belarus
• Independent Belarus
• Moldova
• Independent Moldova
• Chapter 5 The Baltic states(p. 77)
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Chapter 6 The Transcaucasus(p. 95)
• Georgia
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Chapter 7 Central Asia(p. 109)
• Kazakhstan
• Uzbekistan
• Turkmenistan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan
• Maps and Flags of the Former Soviet Union(p. 135)
• Eurasia and Historical Russia
• The Former Soviet Union
• Fifteen Independent States
• Flags of the Fifteen Independent States
• Chronology of the Post-Soviet States(p. 145)
• Encyclopedia(p. 151)
• Source Notes(p. 241)
• Historical Section
• Encyclopedia Section
• Index(p. 245)

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School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up‘In the first half of this fine resource, the countries that made up the former Soviet Union are examined from historical and geographical perspectives before offering analysis of their first years of independence and the most serious economic, political, and cultural issues that they currently face. An impressive amount of material is covered cogently and well. Moreover, Kort manages to convey much of the emotions provoked by the changes and the challenges of the `90s. A 10-page section of maps and flags of the post-Soviet states is useful, as is a 6-page chronology of events from 1985-1997. The other substantial section is an encyclopedia with entries on places, terms, and important individuals in the new nations' political and cultural spheres. Here, too, the author has a knack for introducing interesting information that may easily draw students into reading additional entries. Maps and full-color and black-and-white photos appear throughout. Stephen K. and Sandra L. Batalden's The Newly Independent States of Eurasia (Oryx, 1997) has charts of statistics and more detailed coverage of recent events, but Kort's Handbook is more engaging reading for a pre-college audience. This clearly written, user-friendly, and informative resource should be a welcome addition to most libraries.‘Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 7^-12. Kort has written an excellent resource that provides information about the former Soviet Union as well as the current independent states. He begins with a brief history of the region and a description of the circumstances that led to the 15 separate states that presently exist. Following chapters look at each state separately, placing it within the context of the whole area and pointing out its special historical and cultural features. One section is devoted to maps (historic, climatic, etc.) and flags of the post-Soviet states; another is a time line tracking important events from 1985 to 1997. The last section is a quick-reference encyclopedia of significant people, places, issues, and events. This easy-to-use volume, with full-color illustrations and maps, makes sense out of the cultural diversity and the political struggles in a fascinating region of the world. Sources are appended. --Helen Rosenberg