Books that cannot be accommodated in our book review section but that are worthy of special attention are listed here with their tables of contents.

Robinson, Neil, Contemporary Russian Politics: An Introduction. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018. xiv, 828 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Illustrations. $125.00, hard bound. Cambridge, Eng.: Polity Press, 2018. xiv, 290 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. Figures. Tables. Maps. $74.95, hard bound. $28.95, paper.

1. Change and Continuity in Russian Politics. 2. The Soviet system. 3. Perestroika and the Fall of the USSR.

4. Yeltsin and the Politics of Crisis. 5. Putinism, Reform and Retrenchment. 6. Presidency and Parliaments.

7. Russian Federalism. 8. Political Parties and Opposition. 9. Elections and Voters. 10. The New Russian Political Economy. 11. Russia and the World. 12. What Lind of Polity is Russia?

Todorova, Maria N., Scaling the Balkans: Essays in Eastern European Entanglements. Balkan Studies Library Vol. 24. Leiden: Brill, 2018. x, 673 pp. Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Plates. Photographs. Figures. Tables. Maps. $228.00, hard bound.

Introduction. Part I: Concepts. Section 1: Modernism, Backwardness and Legacy. 1. The Trap of Backwardness: Modernity, Temporality and the Study of Eastern European Nationalism. 2. Modernism.

3. Historical Legacies between Europe and the Near East. Section 2: Balkanism, Postcolonialism and Orientalism. 4. Balkan. 5. Balkanism and Postcolonialism or On the Beauty of the Airplane View. 6. The Balkans: from Discovery to Invention. 7. The Balkans: from Invention to Intervention. 8. Does Russian Orientalism Have a Russian Soul? A Contribution to the Debate between Nathaniel Knight and Adeeb Khalid. Section 3: Nationalism, Identity and Alterity. 9. Is There Weak Nationalism and Is It a Useful Category? 10.

Is “the Other” a Useful Cross-cultural Concept? Some Thoughts on Its Implementation to the Balkan Region.

11. Isn't Central Europe Dead? Comments on Iver Neumann's “Forgetting the Central Europe of the 1980s.”

12. What Is or Is There a Balkan Culture, and Do or Should the Balkans Have a Regional Identity? Part 2: Structures, Processes and Events. Section 1: Demography and Social Structure. 13. European Population History: the Balkans. 14. Situating the Family of Ottoman Bulgaria within the European Pattern.

15. On the Epistemological Value of Family Models: The Balkans within the European Pattern. 16. Historical Tradition and Transformation in Bulgaria: Women's Issues, Feminist Issues. Section 2: Nation- and Society-Building. 17. The Course and Discourses of Bulgarian Nationalism. 18. Language as a Cultural Unifier in a Multilingual Setting: the Bulgarian Case during the Nineteenth Century. 19. Identity (Trans)formation among Bulgarian Muslims. 20. Midhat Pasha and the Bulgarians. 21. Improbable Maverick or Typical Conformist? Seven Thoughts on the New Bulgaria. Section 3: Historiography and Memory. 22. East European Studies in the US: Thematic and Methodological Problems. 23. The Ottoman Menace in Post-Habsburg Historiography.

24. Conversion to Islam as a Trope in Bulgarian Historiography, Fiction and Film. 25. The Balkan Wars in Memory: the Carnegie Report and Trotsky's War Correspondence. Section 4: Socialism and Communism in Memory. 26. Shared or Contested Heritage? Commemorating Socialism and Communism in Europe. 27. 1917 in the Balkans: Divergent “Horizons of Expectation.” 28. Was there Civil Society and a Public Sphere under Socialism? The Debates around Vasil Levski's Alleged Reburial in Bulgaria. 29. Blowing Up the Past: the Mausoleum of Georgi Dimitrov as Lieu de Mémoire. 30. Remembering Communism: Similar Trajectories, Different Memories.

Birnbaum, Marianna D. and Sebők, Marcell, eds. Practices of Coexistence: Constructions of the Other in Early Modern Perceptions. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2017. xvi, 226 pp. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. $65.00, hard bound.

Marianna D. Birnbaum and Marcell Sebők, Introduction. Ágnes Drosztmér, The Good Fowler as a World Conqueror: Images of Suleyman the Magnificent in Early Modern Hungarian Literary Practice. Seda Erkoç, Repercussions of a Murder: The Death of Sehzade Mustafa on the Early Modern English Stage. Özden Merçan, Constructing a Self-Image in the Image of the Other: Pope Pius II's Letter to Sultan Mehmed II. Johanna Tóth, Topography of a Society: Muslims, Dwellers, and Customs of Algiers in Antonio de Sosa's Topographia, e Historia General de Argel. Lovro Kunčević, The Ragusan Image of Venice and the Venetian Image of Ragusa in the Early Modern Period. Teodora Artimon, All Moldavian Eyes on Ottomans: Perceptions and Representations at the End of the Fifteenth Century.

Radu, Sorin and Schmitt, Oliver Jens, eds. Politics and Peasants in Interwar Romania: Perceptions, Mentalities, Propaganda. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017. vii, 551 pp. Notes. Illustrations. Photographs. Figures. Tables. Maps. £70.99, hard bound.

Sorin Radu and Oliver Jens Schmitt, Introduction. Sorin Radu, “Peasant Democracy” or What It Was Like to Practice Politics in Countryside Romania between the Two World Wars. Stelu Șerban, Communal Political Cultures in Interwar Romania. Cornell Micu, Mayors and Local Elite in the Interwar Period: Case Study – The Bordei Verde Commune, Brăila County. Ovidiu Buruiană, The National Liberal Party and the Failure of Political Integration of the Rural World in the Interwar Romania. Daneil Brett, What was the National Peasant Party? Internal Division and Organizational Conflict, 1900–1947. Svetlana Suveica, The Bessarabians “between” the Russians and the Romanians: The Case of the Peasant Party Deputy Vladimir V. Țîganko (1917–1919). Valeria Soroştineanu, Orthodox Priests on the Necessity of Building a Political Culture in Interwar Transylvania. Florin-Răzvan Mihai, A Socio-Professional Analysis of the Candidates in General Elections (1926–1937): Case Study – Agriculturalist Candidates on the Lists of the Assembly of Deputies. Valer Moga, The Road of Transylvanian Romanian Farmers to Greater Romania's Political Arena. Vlad Popovici, The Reorganization of the Romanian National Party in Rural Areas of Lower Alba County prior to Parliamentary Elections in 1919. Gabriel Moisa, At the Edge of the Political World: Interwar Election Campaigns in Rural Bihor. Gábor Egry, Suspicious beyond Imagination: Constructs of Ethnicity and the Rural World in Interwar Transylvania. Szilárd Toth, The Cooperation between the Hungarian Party and the Hungarian Peasantry in Romania: Election Campaigns in Rural Areas and Hungarian Peasantry Involvement in the Interwar Elections. Vasile Ciobanu, Considerations on the German Peasants of Romania in the First Decade of the Interwar Period. Corneliu Pintilescu, The Nazification of the Rural Transylvanian Saxon Press: Case Study – “Landwirtschaftliche Blätter” (1935–1941). Ivan Duminica, Policy Options of the Bulgarians of Bessarabia during 1918–1940.

Junge, Mark, Viola, Lynn, and Rossman, Jeffrey, eds. Chekisty na skam΄e podsudimykh: Sbornik statei. Moscow: Probel-2000, 2017. 679 pp. Notes. Index. ₽857, hard bound.

ВСТУПЛЕНИЕ. Линн Виола. Таtег, perpetratoг, «исполнители», «палачи», «каратели». Марк Юнге. и источниковая база. Историография, методы. МОСКОВСКИЙ ЦЕНТР. Владимир Хаустов. Новый заговор в НКВД. КИЕВ. Линн Виола. Дело Уманского районного отдела УНКВД по Киевской области. ЖИТОМИР. Сергей Кокuн. Расплата. Сотрудники УНКВД по Житомирской области - исполнители Большого террора. ХАРЬКОВ. Вадим Золотарёв. Страниuы биографии «нарушителя соuиалистической законности». Давид Аронович Перцов. ОДЕССА. Андрей Савин, Алексей Тепляков. «Чистка чистильщиков» как инструмент дисциплинирования НКВД. Сотрудники УНКВД по Одесской области на скамье подсудимых, 1939–1943 гг. НИКОЛАЕВ. Марк Юнге. «Козлы отпущения» защищаются. Процессы над нарушителями «социалистической законности» в Николаевской области, 1939–1941 гг. ВИННИЦА И КАМЕНЕЦ-ПОДОЛЬСКИЙ. Валерий Васильев, Роман Подкур. Организаторы и исполнители Большого террора. Судьбы сотрудников Винницкого и Каменец-Подольского областных УНКВД. ВОРОШИЛОВГРАД. Ольга Довбня. Привлечение сотрудников УНКВД по Ворошиловградской области к уголовной ответственности за нарушение «социалистической законности». ДОРОЖНО-ТРАНСПОРТНЫЕ ОТДЕЛЫ НКВД. Джеффри Россман. Дело Георгия Кочергинскоrо. Роль ситуативных факторов мотивации «грубых нарушений социалистической законности». КИШИНЕВ. Игорь Кашу. «Чистка» сотрудников НКВД Молдавской АССР после Большого террора. Дело Ивана Тарасовича Широкого-Майского. ТБИЛИСИ. Tuмomu Блаувельт. «Какова была музыка, таков был и танец». Дело Серго Семеновича Давлианидзе.

Gel΄man, Vladimir, ed. Authoritarian Modernization in Russia: Ideas, Institutions, and Policies. Studies in Contemporary Russia. London: Routledge, 2018. x, 214 pp. Appendix. Bibliography. Index. Figures. Tables. $160.00, hard bound. $49.95, paper.

Vladimir Gel'man, Introduction: Why Not Authoritarian Modernization in Russia? Vladimir Gel'man, Dmitry Travin, Fathers versus Sons: Generation Changes and the Ideational Agenda of Reforms in Late Twentieth-Century Russia. Markku Kangaspuro, The Dilemma of Perception on Russian Strong State and Demand for Modernization. Jukka Pietiläinen, Framing Modernization in Russian Newspapers: Words, Not Deeds. Andrey Zaostrovtsev, Authoritarianism and Institutional Decay in Russia: Disruption of Property Rights and the Rule of Law. Jussi Lassila, Russian People's Front and Hybrid Governance Dilemma. Markku Lonkila, Social Network Sites and Political Governance in Russia. Anna Lowry, Russia's Post-Neoliberal Development Strategy and High-Technology Considerations. Andrey Starodubtsev, How does the Government Implement Unpopular Reforms? Evidence from Education Policy in Russia. Anna A. Dekalchuk, Choosing between Bureaucracy and the Reformers: The Russian Pension Reform of 2001 as a Compromise Squared. Ivan S. Grigoriev, Labour Reform in Putin's Russia: Could Modernization Be Democratic?

Harper, Jo, ed. Poland's Memory Wars: Essays on Illiberalism. Budapest: Central European University, 2018. x, 284 pp. Appendix. Notes. Chronology. Glossary. Index. Figures. Tables. $52.00, hard bound.

Jo Harper, Introduction: Illiberal, Aliberal, Anti-liberal? PART I: Essays on PiS. Jo Harper, Never Mind the Boleks! Andrzej Rychard, What's Finished, What's Beginning?

David Ost, Authoritarian Drive in Poland. Brian Porter-Szűcs, The Triumph of National Communism. Artur Lipiński and Agnieszka Stępińska, Polish Right-wing Populism. Nicholas Richardson, Crisis, What Crisis? Jan Muś, Foreign Relations in the Age of Kaczyński. PART II: PiS's Politics of History. Joanna Średnicka, The New Romantics.

Jan Darasz, The History Men. Ewa Stańczyk, Poland's Culture of Commemoration.

Dariusz Czaja, Poland's Theater of Death. PART III: PiS's Politics of Normality. Urszula Chowaniec, The Quest for the “Normal” Family. Tomasz Basiuk, Straight Talking.

Remi Adekoya, An Identity Reset. Jo Harper, Conclusion. PART IV: Interviews.

Jan Gross, History As We May Wish It To Be. Neal Ascherson, 966 and All That.

Mikolaj Kunicki, The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same. Mateusz Kijowski, History Repeats Itself. Pawel Ukielski, Understand the War, Understand Poland.

Neal Pease, Defenders of the Faith.

Morina, Christina and Thijs, Krijn, eds. Probing the Limits of Categorization: The Bystander in Holocaust History. War and Genocide Series. Berghahn Books: New York, 2019. viii, 364 pp. Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. Figures. $130.00, hard bound.

Christina Morina and Krijn Thijs, Introduction: Probing the Limits of Categorization. PART I: APPROACHES. Mary Fulbrook, Bystanders: Catchall Concept, Alluring Alibi or Crucial Clue?

René Schlott, Raul Hilberg and His “Discovery” of the Bystander. Roma Sendyka,

Bystanders as Visual Subjects: Onlookers, Spectators, Observers, and Gawkers in Occupied Poland. Timothy Williams, “I Am Not, What I Am.”: A Typological Approach to Individual (In)Action in the Holocaust. Froukje Demant, The Many Shades of Bystanding: On Social Dilemmas and Passive Participation. Remco Ensel and Evelien Gans, The Dutch Bystander as Non-Jew and Implicated Subject. SECTION II: HISTORY. Christoph Kreutzmüller, Photographing Bystanders. Christina Morina, The Imperative to Act: Jews, Neighbors, and the Dynamics of Persecution in Nazi Germany, 1933–1945. Adam Knowles, Martin Heidegger's Nazi Conscience.

Jan Grabowski, Natura Abhorret Vacuum: Polish “Bystanders” and the Implementation of the “Final Solution.” Bart van der Boom, Defiant Danes and Indifferent Dutch?: Popular Convictions and Deportation Rates in the Netherlands and Denmark, 1940–1945. Jacques Semelin, The Notion of Social Reactivity: The French Case, 1942–1944. SECTION III: MEMORY. Krijn Thijs, Ordinary, Ignorant and Noninvolved?: The Figure of the Bystander in Dutch Research and Controversy. Wulf Kansteiner, Hidden in Plain View: Remembering and Forgetting the Bystanders of the Holocaust on (West) German Television. Susanne C. Knittel, Stand by Your Man: (Self-)Representations of SS Wives after 1945. Susan Bachrach, “Bystanders” in Exhibitions at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Norbert Frei, Epilogue I: A Brief Plea for the Historicization of the Bystander. Ido de Haan, Epilogue II: Saving the Bystander.

Diment, Galya, Kimber, Gerri, and Martin, Todd, eds., Katherine Mansfield and Russia. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017. xii, 226 pp. Notes. Index. Illustrations. Photographs. £75.00, hard bound.

Galya Diment, Introduction. Part I: Criticism. David Rampton, “Je ne parle pas français”: Reading Mansfield's Underground Man. Galya Diment, Post Diagnosis: Bashkirtseff, Chekhov, and Gorky through Mansfield's Prism of Tuberculosis. Gerri Kimber, “A child of the sun”: Katherine Mansfield, Orientalism and Gurdjieff. Claire Davison, Near Misses: From Gerhardi to Mansfield (and back), via Anton Chekhov. Ira Nadel, Mansfield, Movement and The Ballets Russes. Frances Reading, At Home Among the Russians: The Short Stories of Olive Garnett and Katherine Mansfield. Pierce Butler, “The Only Truth I Really Care About”. Katherine Mansfield at the Gurdjieff Institute: A Biographical Reflection. Part II: Creative Writing. Short Story. Owen Marshall: “The English Visitor.” Poetry. Fleur Adcock: “Tinakori Road.” Jessica Whyte: “Remedy.” Creative Nonfiction. Roger Lipsey: “Chez Monsieur Gurdjieff.”

Part III: Critical Miscellany. Giles Whiteley, The Tree of Knowledge: New Insights on Mansfield, Oscar Wilde and “A Woman.” Giles Whiteley, A Note on Some Unidentified Sources in Mansfield's Reading from 1907. Gerri Kimber, Addicted to Mansfield: A Glimpse at the Ruth Elvish Mantz Collection in Texas. Part IV: Review Essay. Rishona Zimring, Katherine Mansfield in a Global Context.

Lodder, Christina, ed. Celebrating Suprematism: New Approaches to the Art of Kazimir Malevich. Leiden: Brill, 2018. xxii, 308 pp. Notes. Index. Illustrations. Plates. Photographs. $147.00, hard bound.

Irina Vakar, New Information Concerning the Black Square. Charlotte Douglas,

Defining Suprematism: The Year of Discovery. Linda Dalrymple Henderson, Malevich, the Fourth Dimension, and the Ether of Space One Hundred Years Later. Alexander Bouras, The Path of Empirical Criticism in Russia or “The Milky Way of Inventors.” Maria Kokkori, Alexander Bouras, and Irina Karasik, Kazimir Malevich, UNOVIS, and the Poetics of Materiality.

Alexander Lisov, Branches of UNOVIS in Smolensk and Orenburg. Samuel Johnson,

Suprematism and/or Supremacy of Architecture. Regina Khidekel΄, Lazar΄ Khidekel΄ and Suprematism as an Embodiment of the Infinite.  Tat΄i︠ana Gori︠a︡cheva, “In our time, when it became We…”: a previously unknown essay by Kazimir Malevich. Yulia Karpova, “A Thing of Quality Defies Being Produced in Quantity”: Suprematist Porcelain and its Afterlife in Leningrad Design.

Julia Tulovsky, Suprematist Textiles. Éva Forgács, Suprematism : A Shortcut into the Future: The Reception of Malevich by Polish and Hungarian Artists during the Inter-war Period. Christina Lodder, Conflicting Approaches to Creativity? Suprematism and Constructivism.

Salem, A., Hazeldine, Gary, Morgan, David, eds. Higher Education in Post-Communist States: Comparative and Sociological Perspective. Stuttgart: ibidem-Verlag, 2018. 261 pp. Figures. Tables. $40.00, paper.

A. Salem, Gary Hazeldine, and David Morgan, The Ends of Higher Education. Olga Suprun, Financing Higher Education: Policy Transformations in Lithuania. Zoltán Ginelli, Attila Melegh, Sabina Csánova, Emese Baranyi, and Rudolf Piroch, Local Global: Global Society and Higher Education in Hungary. Piers von Berg, The Role of Civic Education at University: Lessons from Azerbaijan. Andreas Umland, Teaching Social Science at Post-Soviet Universities: Challenges for Visiting Lecturers in the Former USSR. Marine Vekua, The Development of Journalism Higher Education in Georgia: From Soviet to European. Joseph Backhouse-Barber, Dedifferentiation and Ecological Dominance: The Case of Russian Higher Education. Robert Ferguson, Pedagogies, Technologies and Social Formations. Tom Driver, Marketisation as Social Control: Critical Reflections on Post-Soviet Higher Education.