A Concise History of Bulgaria

by R.J. Crampton

Book Overview

Bulgaria became a member of the European Union in 2007, yet its history is amongst the least well known in the rest of the continent. R. J. Crampton provides here a general introduction to this country at the cross-roads of Christendom and Islam. The text and illustrations trace the rich and dramatic story from pre-history, through the days when Bulgaria was the centre of a powerful medieval empire and the five centuries of Ottoman rule, to the cultural...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521616379
• ISBN13: 9780521616379
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An excellent introduction

This is a very thorough book covering the whole history of Bulgaria in one volume. I would have liked more information about the mediaeval period such as Tsar Samuel's empire.

Rich History of Bulgaria Covered Brilliantly

It is not easy to write a concise history of a nation that is over 1300 years old but this account takes that time frame and boils it into an easy to follow account of the Bulgarians. One of the most important, yet unheralded, countries in Europe is dealt with in a manner that would make the Bulgarians proud of its history. Although embroiled in wars, external occupations and internal strife for much of its history; a rich and diverse cultural heritage has remained intact throughout Bulgaria. This history of Bulgaria should be read by any student of European history as it tends to unlock the rich vault of Eastern European history and its influence throughout the world.

Excellent review of Bulgarian history

As other reviewers have already said - this book is surprisingly thorough. The author goes through the most important events in Bulgarian history and puts things very nicely in perspective, so that readers can get a good understanding of the driving forces behind these events.

Bulgaria - All You Need to Know

Bulgaria is a little-known but fascinating country that has labored for years in obscurity. It has always been behind some Curtain--the Iron Curtain for four decades, the Ottoman Curtain for five centuries, and Byzantium before that. Until now, there have been only a handful of scholarly books on the country, and these have been on narrow periods or topics. There hasn't been a book that would allow an educated reader to get a grasp of the country as a whole. Now there is. This book, by a noted Oxford scholar, is clear, concise, and yet reasonably short. Recommended.

Thorough and easy to read

This book presents the history of this country in a surprisingly thorough manner for a shorter history book. The struggles and strife of a people and a country are excellently portrayed with clarity and a hint at the emotions they must have felt. The struggle to protect the borders of the land from powerful enemies coming from all directions provides an interesting theme which kept me reading. I was also emotionally touched by the bravery of these people in defying Hitler and refusing to send Jews to their deaths during WWII.I was inspired to begin learning in more detail about periods and events in Bulgarian History.