A comprehensive survey of Estonian history, placing recent events into historical perspective. The author analyzes the country's post-communist transition, its strategic geopolitical location, and the role of ethnic Estonians in shaping the history of the area.

Toivo U. Raun was born in Tartu, Estonia, and educated in the United States, receiving his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He is currently a professor of Central Eurasian studies and adjunct professor of history at Indiana University, Bloomington, and past president of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies.