Irreconcilable Differences?

Reviews / Votes

Why did the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia occur and how did it take place without violence? With an approach that is at once imaginative, comprehensive, and effective, Kraus and Stanger juxtapose explanations advanced by several scholars with the insider views offered by leading political figures-both Czech and Slovak-who participated in the process. The resulting tour de force represents indispensable reading for all who are interested in the comparative study of nationalism and separatism. -- Walker Connor, Trinity College, Hartford Amidst an avalanche of books on the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, this is the first comprehensive study of the peaceful divorce of Czechoslovakia. It provides a rare combination of perspectives from both sides of the divide and puts them in a broader comparative framework. Neither a lament on how Czechoslovakia could have been 'saved' nor, making virtue out of necessity, the discovery of a 'model' for future candidates for 'separation with a human face' in Canada or Belgium, this work provides a clear, informed, and thoughtful assessment of the dissolution of a European state. -- Jacques Rupnik, Foundation Nationale des Sciences Politiques This book has the merit of being the most comprehensive discussion of Czechoslovakia's fate. Therefore this volume should be of interest to those who wish to move beyond the surface of the phenomenon. * Millennium * The contributors make the debates comprehensible and accessible. The editors' excellent introduction not only contextualizes the issues in the split, but also gives unity to the many chapters. The utility of this book naturally extends far beyond the study of former Czechoslovakia to the general and vexing phenomenon of nationalism and ethnic conflict resolution. * International Affairs * A richly textured contribution to our understanding of one of the milestones in Slovak-Czech relations and one of the hallmarks of the 1990s in east central Europe. Much of the analysis is of an extremely high quality, the contributors are among the top experts on the issue, and a diversity of viewpoints is presented. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Czech, Slovak, or Czechoslovak history, in eastern Europe's transition in the 1990s, and in the thorny problems of interethnic relations, of which those of the Czechs and Slovaks, on account of their peaceful divorce, are unique. * Slavic Review * Excellent. . . . A significant contribution to the literature on transition and on the disintegration of states in the contemporary world. -- Gordon Skilling, University of Toronto This is an excellent book. * Democratization *