Estonia and the Estonians provides the first compendious survey in any language of Estonian history, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century. Estonia''s strategic geopolitical location-a crossroads where the major powers of northeastern Europe have struggled for influence-and the small number of ethnic Estonians are crucial factors that have shaped the history of the area and its inhabitants.

The book emphasizes the period since the mid-nineteenth century, when a national movement calling for Estonian cultural and political autonomy began to emerge. During the two world wars, Estonia gained and lost political self-determination. Yet a modern Estonian culture was firmly established, and a strong sense of national identity survived the Soviet era.