Learning about the history of Ukraine has truly inspired me, there are so many real lessons that I have taken away not only as an American but also as a Lithuanian as our histories are indelibly intertwined. I wanted to share a few perspectives about how the history of Ukraine as a country is not […]
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Reading “The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine” by Serhii Plokhy has had a profound impact on me. Never before did I understand the history of this region which is at the same time both volatile and beautiful; situated at the eastern gateway to Europe its ancient past harks back to the very first
“The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine” by Serhii Plokhy [Book Review] Read the full story →
Western Europe has some of the most iconic national flags, and therefore flag maps. Their representative countries are instantly recognizable as they have been some of the world’s most influential in terms of politics, economics, and sports. Western Europe has changed dramatically over time from its first occupation over 300,000 years ago to some of
Flag Maps of Western Europe: National Countries Collection Read the full story →
The composition of Northern Europe is interesting; let’s take a look at the flag maps of Northern Europe to help define which countries are a part of it and which are not. When we think of this region the obvious Scandinavian countries spring to mind, but what about others that are so-called Eastern European who
Flag Maps of Northern Europe: Nordic, Cross, Horizontal Read the full story →
What countries make up Southern Europe? Well, like all things geographical it’s not that simple. Geography merely relies on the cardinal points whereas history and linguistics are much more multifaceted and consider nuances such as regional politics and dialect variation. To me Southern Europe is very simple: it’s not Eastern or Western Europe but the
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The first in our series on FLAG MAPS is going to be Eastern Europe. Now, by definition there is no agreed upon official definition for “Eastern Europe” so we are going to be ultra-inclusive in this article and add bits of Northern Europe and a smattering Southern Europe and all of the Balkans. There are
Flag Maps of Eastern Europe: Official and Alternate Names Read the full story →
Michael North’s book “The Baltic: A History” is like trying to study a train through the window of another train flying in the opposite direction at 80 miles an hour. You can get the gist of the passing train’s composition, color, shape, and length but you would never recognize it sitting in a train yard
“The Baltic: A History” by Michael North [Book Review] Read the full story →
The Lithuanian Song Festival takes place every four years and is an event dedicated to the preservation of Lithuanian cultural (linguistic) heritage through the showcasing of its national song and dance traditions. It is simply spectacular! This year’s 2018 Song Festival commemorates the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanian Independence (centenary 1918-2018), or Atkurtai
2018 Lithuanian Song Festival (Dainų Šventė) Read the full story →
Over the years the #booknerd in me has scored! I’ve come across a few valuable multi-volume book sets that I bought for dirt cheap at book sales, garage sales, and even libraries. In addition to being an avid reader I also have been collecting books for over 30 years now and have on the order
5 Valuable Multi-Volume Book Sets I Bought Dirt Cheap Read the full story →
It’s high praises from me for Walter Stahr’s book “John Jay: Founding Father!” In this book we get to meet one of the most crucial, yet lesser known figures in early American history; in particular, a statesman, lawyer, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Governor of New York, and legal mind without whom there would not have
“John Jay: Founding Father” by Walter Stahr [Book Review] Read the full story →
Ask me why I flew 5,000 miles to get a library card? The Library of Virginia just added a whole slew of new online databases for patrons to research digitally via their website, the only catch: you MUST have a LIBRARY CARD to be able to access them! This was exciting news for me as
New Online Databases Added to the Library of Virginia Read the full story →
