Jaak Treiman, the honorary consul of Estonia in Los Angeles, reviews the recently published book, “The Story of BATUN”, that was presented at the AABS Conference at Stanford University in the beginning of June. Not enough attention is paid to the Baltic independence movement that took place outside of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The movement […]
“A bus ticket from Tallinn to Tartu costs twenty Estonian kroons” is how Tõnu Õnnepalu’s hefty tome Radio begins, and it is indeed hefty. As opening sentences go, it’s devoid of much beyond the literal meaning but it sets the scene for much of the following 600 odd pages. The narrator, an openly gay Estonian
Book review: “Radio” by Tõnu Õnnepalu Read More »
The time is “present day”. Russia’s president is a former KGB officer who uses phrases like “The fall of the Soviet Union was one of the greatest tragedies of the last century”. The modern reincarnation of the KGB – the FSB – is all-powerful in Russia. Businesses are “nationalised” – which is “new-speak” for stealing
Book review: When Russia invaded Estonia – and Jack Ryan saved it Read More »
The year is 1944. During the last half-decade, Estonia has been ravaged by the Soviets and the Nazis in almost equal measure. 10,000 people have been deported to a likely death in Siberia by the Soviets and another 10,000 have been killed in Nazi concentration camps. Now the Nazis are fleeing and the Soviets are
Book review: Caught between Scylla and Charybdis – “Forest Brothers” by Geraint Roberts Read More »
