Goodbye, Eastern Europe

An Intimate History of a Divided Land

By: Jacob Mikanowski

Narrated by: Jacob Mikanowski

In light of Russia's aggressive 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Goodbye, Eastern Europe is a crucial, elucidative read, a sweeping epic chronicling a thousand years of strife, war, and bloodshed, from pre-Christianity to the fall of Communism—illuminating the remarkable cultural significance and richness of a place perpetually lost to the margins of history.

"Eastern Europe" has gone out of fashion since the fall of the Soviet Union. Ask someone today, and they might tell you that Estonia is in the Baltics or Scandinavia, that Slovakia is in Central Europe, and that Croatia is in the eastern Adriatic or the Balkans. In fact, Eastern Europe is a place that barely exists at all, except in cultural memory. Yet it remains a powerful marker of identity for many, with a fragmented and wide-ranging history defined by texts, myths, and memories of centuries of hardship and suffering.

Goodbye, Eastern Europe is a masterful narrative about a place that has survived being forgotten. Beginning with long-lost accounts of early pagan life, Mikanowski offers a kaleidoscopic tour of the various peoples who made Eastern Europe their home over the centuries, including the Roma, Jews, and Muslims; the great kingdoms of the medieval period; the rise and fall of the Ottoman, Habsburg, and Russian empires; the dawn of the modern era; the ravages of fascism and Communism; the birth of the modern nation-state and beyond.

A student of literature, history, and the ghosts of his own family’s past, Mikanowski paints a magisterial portrait of a place united by diversity and eclecticism, and of people with the shared story of being the dominated rather than the dominating. The result is a loving and ebullient celebration of the distinctive and vibrant cultures that stubbornly persisted at the margins of Western Europe and Russia, and a powerful corrective that re-centers not only our understanding of how the modern Western world took shape but also the ways in which Eastern Europe has evolved throughout history to become what it is today.

©2023 Jacob Mikanowski (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A Best Book of the Summer from Bloomberg

“[A] kaleidoscopic guide to Eastern Europe’s past. . . . As democracy retreats and a new war rages. . . . One must wonder if its future will resemble the vanished world that Jacob Mikanowski vividly brings to life.” —The Washington Times

“A major new work. . . . Mikanowski weaves a rich and amusing tapestry of historical anecdote and personal family history. . . . [and] aims to push back against simplistic, atavistic nationalisms which have defined the post-Communist era.” —Balkan Insight

“Goodbye, Eastern Europe traces the stories of the various peoples who have called the region home for the past thousand years, chronicling every period of war and peace, myth and truth, and glory and defeat. . . . Captivating.” —Princeton Alumni Weekly

Wonderfully Read

Great book worth your time for learning about a usually neglected area. Read well by the author.

Perhaps overly ambitious attempt to cover so much

I also preordered. The period and the scope of countries perhaps was too ambitious. There is so much detail that the broader picture gets a bit lost. I have no problem in a personal story. I think it’s the details that get overwhelming. I have great interest in the subject matter.
I think it would be better to get a professional reader. The lilt of the voice is somewhat irritating.

Narration distraction

The author should not have narrated his book. His delivery was so choppy it was hard to follow. So I feel I missed a lot of the story because the narration was so chopy.

The incredible history and complexity that makes up Eastern Europe

A personal history of the complexity that make up the many nations of Eastern Europe.

Incredibly detailed, insightful, personal, yet also very macro

Goodbye, Eastern Europe has been a joy! The author poured their soul into this. The depths of their research and insights into the cultural and religious diversity of Eastern Europe is astounding. This is a lovely novel that keeps a nice pace and feels brought to life, despite the detailed historical background the author illustrates. It’s personal, yet looks from a bird’s eye view. I would recommend this 10x over to anyone who wants a refreshing historical text from a non-Orthodox perspective.

Enthralling

Excellent narrative weaving of multiple complex histories. A great introduction to the region. Highly recommend.

Get a professional narrator

The author has great writing skills but poor elocution. Consequently, it was difficult to get interested in this book despite my curiosity in learning about the region. Also, there are too many anecdotes and not enough context to put things in perspective. I did stick it out till the end but it wasn't enjoyable.

Fantastic insights

A wonderfully historical reading about the lands and peoples of Eastern Europe.

I will listen again, likely with a physical copy to annotate as I go.

As a side note, I thought the narration was spot on. Actually slowed it from my normal 1.75x to 1.5 so I could focus more closely to the telling and specific details. No clue why people are rating the narration poorly. I found it to be perfectly, enjoyably serviceable.

Worthwhile if taken for what it is

Like some other reviewers, I eagerly anticipated this release. There just aren't enough books on Central/Eastern Europe available in (English language) audio. And like other reviewers, I was initially disappointed. I even stopped a few hours in and moved on to another book. But at least in my case, I think I just wasn't in the right head space. When I returned to it a few weeks later, I finished and enjoyed it. It's definitely not a "history" of a divided land, but it does contain many good "stories from" a divided land. Also like some others have said, the narration was a stumbling block. The author has a very "This American Life" podcast-style earnest voice, which works in shorter doses but might be improved by professional narration in longform. Still, even there, I came to appreciate the passion for the subject matter and what sounded to my ear like accurate pronunciation of names and places (though I'm no expert). Audible too often loses the latter with a voice actor. I definitely recommend if you're interested in the subject matter and enter knowing it's more intimate historical vignettes than history.

More His Journey Not Ours

Seems author was guided by his personal interests and family roots so the content is heavily detailed in some instances while overlooked in others. The result is a mishmash and confused portrait of Eastern Europe.