title: Central and East European Politics: From Communism to Democracy
author: Sharon L. Wolchik
description: Wolchik and Curry have assembled an all-star cast of experts for an authoritative assessment of the progress the region has made toward liberal democracy and a market economy in the last two decades. The book's particular strength is to cast the process in terms of a return to Europe. It thus pays attention not only to crucial developments in domestic politics but also to the influence of important international actors such as NATO and the European Union. Another exceptionally useful feature is the inclusion of essays that address important issues cross-nationally, as well as in-depth studies of each country individually, making the book especially valuable to students and scholars interested in the politics of the region and those interested in the interaction between domestic issues and global political and economic forces. (Michael Bernhard)<br /><br />This collection of essays is a useful text and reference book. These essays are at their best in serving both area study and political sociology. (Andrew Janos <i>Slavic Review</i>)<br /><br />This is a comprehensive, straightforward, and lucid overview of the paths taken away from communism by Central and East European states. The authorsEuropeans and Americans who range from senior scholars to the youngest generation of specialistseffectively address the domestic and international influences on the course of political development in the former communist states. The book is highly recommended to anyone who wants a clear picture of a complex and important region and its constituent parts. (Zvi Gitelman)
zlib_text: #  **European Socialist Regimes’ Fateful Engagement with the West**
  
  This edited volume analyses European socialist countries’ strategy of
  engagement with the West and the European Economic Community in the “long
  1970s”.
  
  The book focuses on a time when the socialist regimes of Central and Eastern
  Europe banked their hopes for prosperity and stability on enhanced relations
  with the West. Crossing the traditional differences among diverse fields of
  historiography, it assesses the complex influence of European and global
  processes of transformation on the socialist elites’ reading of the
  international political and economic environment and their consequent
  decision-making. The volume also explores the debate in each country among and
  within the elites involved in policymaking as they elaborated this strategic
  view and coped with shortcomings and unexpected turns. A comparative analysis
  of national cases shows a shared logic and common patterns, together with
  national variations and a plu