“Compact, inclusive, and accessible, this book is an enjoyable and thorough account of the Eastern European past. In contrast with historical narratives that insist on gravely recounting the past as a succession of sorrows, where audiences are bid to suffer alongside the victims of history, Tomek Jankowski’s Eastern Europe gives a refreshing view of the region’s history using a more fully human embrace of the comedic, serving to personalize this past.” — Nate Weston, Seattle Central Community College