Reviews

"Professor Lukes' book is one of the most important and interesting studies of the events which led to W.W. II. His study of the Czechoslovak crisis of 1938 is bolstered by the hither-to secret documents released recently by Moscow and Prague. It throws an intriguing light on the Soviet Union's role in the crisis as well as a number of other important questions that could not be resolved by historians until now."--Adam B. Ulam, Gurney Professor of History and
Political Science, Harvard University
"Mr. Lukes's treatise about the unfortunate country caught in the tongs handled by the two bloodiest dictators of Europe, brings to the story the fresh approach of an author unburdened with political affiliations or sympathies which often limit researchers of older generations."--Josef Skvorecyy', University of Toronto (emeritus)
"This important study, based on hitherto inaccessible archival materials, seeks to reappraise Czechoslovak diplomacy in the late 1930s particularly toward the Soviet Union and Germany. It also offers a revisionist interpretation of soviet policies. In a fascinating presentation of crucial international events the author demolishes old clichés and exposes biased accounts; the book is not only a valuable contribution to history but is written in a way
which retains the undivided attention of the reader."--Piotr S. Wandycz, Yale University
"This by far the best treatment of the topic and it is also one of the best monographs dealing with the diplomacy of any one of the small European states that were in the thirties sandwiched between Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Third Reich....[G]roundbreaking and exemplary."--Dr. Antonin Klimek, Military Historical Institute and Charles University, Prague
"A marvellous piece of work. Mercifully free of jargon and systems-speak, the book explores the foreign policy of the First Czechoslovak Republic from its creation in 1918 to its demise in 1938. The narrative focuses on the role of Foreign Minister Benes, but the book is really about the ways in which Czechoslovakia tried to survive in a terrible neighborhood, one that included not only the tyrants Hitler and Stalin, but avaricious smaller neighbors, like
Poland and Hungary....The
"Professor Lukes' book is one of the most important and interesting studies of the events which led to W.W. II. His study of the Czechoslovak crisis of 1938 is bolstered by the hither-to secret documents released recently by Moscow and Prague. It throws an intriguing light on the Soviet Union's role in the crisis as well as a number of other important questions that could not be resolved by historians until now."--Adam B. Ulam, Gurney Professor of History and
Political Science, Harvard University
"Mr. Lukes's treatise about the unfortunate country caught in the tongs handled by the two bloodiest dictators of Europe, brings to the story the fresh approach of an author unburdened with political affiliations or sympathies which often limit researchers of older generations."--Josef Skvorecyy', University of Toronto (emeritus)
"This important study, based on hitherto inaccessible archival materials, seeks to reappraise Czechoslovak diplomacy in the late 1930s particularly toward the Soviet Union and Germany. It also offers a revisionist interpretation of soviet policies. In a fascinating presentation of crucial international events the author demolishes old clichés and exposes biased accounts; the book is not only a valuable contribution to history but is written in a way
which retains the undivided attention of the reader."--Piotr S. Wandycz, Yale University
"This by far the best treatment of the topic and it is also one of the best monographs dealing with the diplomacy of any one of the small European states that were in the thirties sandwiched between Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Third Reich....[G]roundbreaking and exemplary."--Dr. Antonin Klimek, Military Historical Institute and Charles University, Prague
"A marvellous piece of work. Mercifully free of jargon and systems-speak, the book explores the foreign policy of the First Czechoslovak Republic from its creation in 1918 to its demise in 1938. The narrative focuses on the role of Foreign Minister Benes, but the book is really about the ways in which Czechoslovakia tried to survive in a terrible neighborhood, one that included not only the tyrants Hitler and Stalin, but avaricious smaller neighbors, like
Poland and Hungary....The
story is a tragic tale and a reasonably well-known one, but Igor brings to it the talents of a diplomatic historian, a fine writer, and an archival researcher. He uncovers new parts of the story (like Benes's role in the Tukhachevsky affair). He delicately balances the intersection of Czech domestic affairs and foreign policy. He brings to life the connections between Benes's philosophy and diplomatic efforts as does no other work. The book uses completely
fresh sources from Prague and abroad and accurately reflects the 'state of the art' in what is available and what is not in the newly accessible archives of Russia and Eastern Europe."--Norman M. Naimark,
Robert & Florence McDonnell Professor in East European Studies, Stanford University
"An extremely well written study. In spite of its weighty and important scholarly approach and apparatus, it reads like a novel of suspense. I was unable to put it down. For anyone who wants to make sense of the history that led to the Second World War, and who wants to understand its tragic consequences today, this book is a must."--Thomas G. Winner, Brown University
"With this excellent study he emerges as one of the new stars among diplomatic historians of Central Europe."--Stephen Borsody, Emeritus Professor of European History, Chatham College
"...[An] important new work...thoughtful, well-documented, and well-argued book."--The Annals (American Academy of political and social science)
"...This is a valuable addition to literature of the interwar period."--HISTORY
"...an intensely detailed and minutely researched work concerning Czechoslovak-Soviet relations between the two world wars...Luke's book is another example of how scholarship has flourished since the fall of communism."--Slavic Review