Although some of the books listed here discuss the Belarusian people in many countries, a section of this Web site, Belarusians in the USA, provides information about books that specificially discuss the diaspora in the USA.
The 1863 Uprising in Byelorussia: "Peasants' Truth" and "Letters from Beneath the Gallows," Byelorussian Institute of Arts and Sciences, The Krecheuski Foundation, New York, 1980. Text and commentaries by Jan Zaprudnik and Thomas E. Bird. [71 pp.; 15 cm x 23 cm; 6" x 9"], Library of Congress Card Catalog No.: 80-65533; Call Number: PG2834.4.K95 1980
Includes a facsimile page of the original, plus text in
Belarusian (Cyrillic and Latsinka) and English.
"Kastus Kalinouski (1838-1864) has exerted a powerful influence on Byelorussian nationalism in the twentieth century. He has been claimed by both the niezalezhniki ("independists") and the Soviets as a progenitor of a free Byelorussia." [from the "Introduction," page 11]
"for I say to you from beneath the gallows, that only then will you live happily, when no Muscovite remains over you." [signed by "Your servant Jasko, yeoman from near Vilna," words of Kastus Kalinouski, March 22, 1864; page 68.]
Adkyl' Nash Rod, Uladzimir Arlov, Published by Batskaushchyna, Mensk, 1996, with the financial help of the Belarus Soros Foundation. In Belarusian (Cyrillic; kirylicaj), 108 pages, ISBN 985-6026-12-1. Copies Printed: 5,000.
A wonderfully produced and illustrated early history of Belarus (through the late 19th century), as told through short biographies of some of the leading figures. Intended as a textbook for school-age children, there are exercises at the end of each chapter.
Note: This book has been banned in Belarus in early 1997, and no further printing is permitted within Belarus. During the summer of 1997, copies were still available in a few bookstores in Mensk. In summer, 1998, only one bookstore appeared to still have copies (Knigatorovoye Predpriyatiye Podpisniye Izdaniya at Prospekt Skarina 14 in Mensk).
Also refer to Censorship and Journalism at this A Belarus Miscellany Web site for further information regarding the current state of censorship in Belarus.
Archives: Belarusian Democratic Republic, Shupa, Siarhiej (general editor). Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences, Inc. (bibliographic series no. 4); Belarusian Literary Association; Nasha Niva, 1998; printed in Lithuania. Minsk, New York, Prague, Vilnius. Volume 1 -- in two books: book 1, 1-850 (866 pages; some unnumbered); book 2, 851-1722 -- includes index; some illustrations, maps. ISBNs: book 1: 9986-9219-2-9; book 2: 9986-9219-3-7; Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-70449.
In Belarusian (Cyrillic), and the languages of the source documents.
Асветнікі Зямлі Беларускай: Энцыклапедычны даведнік; «Беларуская Энцыклапедыя», Мінск, 2001; (496 pages) -- some illustrations. ISBN: 985-11-0205-9.
In Belarusian (Cyrillic).
Мастацкі рэдактар В.У.Мінько
Тэхнічны рэдактар М.І.Грыневіч
Карэктары: Ж.С.Берасневіч, Л.А.Варабей, Т.П.Гілевіч,
С.М.Красная, В.А.Кульбіцкая, В.М.Чудакова Камп'ютэрная падрыхтоўка арыгінала-макета:
С.А.Макаёнак (заг. рэдакцыі), Р.У.Дзявочка, І.І.Драздова,Н.М.Зубкевіч,
Н.У.Мітраховіч, І.А.Навіцкая, Н.А. Стасевіч, С.А. Стралкоўская
Падпісана да друку з арыгінала-макета заказчыка 24.05.2001. Фармат Папера афсетная. Гарнітура Таймс. Друк афсетны. Ум. друк. арк. 40,3. Ум. фарб.-адб. 40,95. Ул.-выд. арк. 50,14. Тыраж 3000 экз. Заказ 1131
Падатковая льгота —Агульнадзяржаўны класіфікатар Рэспублікі Беларусь АКРБ
22.11.20.650.
Рэспубліканскае унітарнае прадпрыемства «Выдавешва «Беларуская Энцыклапедыя імя Петруся Броўкі» Дзяржаўнага камітэта Рэспублікі Беларусь па друку. Ліцэнзія ЛВ № 10 ад 10.11.2000. Рэспубліка Беларусь. 220072, Мінск, Акадэмічная, 15а.
Рэспубліканскае унітарнае прадпрыемства «Выдавецтва «Беларускі Дом друку». Рэспубліка Беларусь. 220013, Мінск, праспект Ф.Скарыны, 79..
Belarus, prepared by the Geography Department, Lerner Publications Company, Minneapolis, Minn., 1993. Series editors: Mary M. Rodgers, Tom Streissguth, Colleen Sexton.
"Our thanks to the following for their help in preparing and checking the text of this book: Dr. Craig ZumBrunnen, Department of Geography, University of Washington, and Father Anthony Ugolnik." (from copyright page)
Discusses the history, geography, ethnic mixture, politics, economy, and future of Belarus.
One book in the Then & Now series that covers the former Soviet Republics for juvenile readers.
Belarus (Cultures of the World), by Patricia Levy, Benchmark Books, 1998; ISBN: 0761408118, (library binding: approx. $40 US).
Possibly a book for juvenile readers. (This is a guess; I am not familiar with the book.)
Belarus: A New Country in Eastern Europe, by Uladzimir Novik; English translation by Ales Kudrautsau; Prepared at the initiative of the international association, Belfrance, Technalohija Publishers, Mensk, Belarus, 1994; 66 pages. Call Number: DK507.23 .N68 1994.
A good, brief, summary of Belarus (as of 1994) for those who don't have the time to read more extensive materials, or who simply want something for quick reading while making a brief visit to Belarus. Especially good for background information for possible involvement in business in Belarus.
Available in Mensk, Belarus, 1997, from Technalohija Publishers, and possibly from used book dealers in Mensk. Follow the previous link for other books about Belarus available from Technalohija Publishers.
Belarus and Moldova: Country Studies, Federal Research Division. Library of Congress. Edited by Helen Fedor. Research Completed May, 1995. Illustrations, maps, bibliography; 254 pages. First Edition, First Printing. 1995? 1996?
The part on Belarus written by Jan Zaprudnik and Helen Fedor.
The book can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Book's ID # 550-112
Belarus: At a Crossroads in History, by Jan Zaprudnik, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1993, ISBN 00-8133-1749-0 (pbk.); Westview Press is currently a division of Harper Collins (to order: 1-800-822-4090)
The most complete history of Belarus in English that I am aware
of (and that can be found in bookstores and public libraries). Includes a chronology of events from the 6th century through to spring, 1993. Some criticism is made of the book for its purported strong, pro-independent Belarus stance.
Note: In 1997, the situation was such that when the Belarusian-language version of this book was published in Belarus, not only was the Soviet-era and post-Soviet material heavily censored, but so was other historically accurate material that portrayed Russian imperialism in a less than favorable light (the burning of Belarusian cities, genocide, etc.). These materials were deleted against the wishes and without the permission of the organization that paid for its translation and printing--the Belarus Soros Foundation. That is the state in which the Belarusian language version of Mr. Zaprudnik's book can be found in bookstores in Belarus.
English-language version: Summer, 1998: Out of print
English-language version: Update: June 5, 1999: Paperback edition available (in 2-3 days) from www.barnesandnoble.com for $25 plus shipping
Belarus at the Crossroad, edited by Garnett, Sherman W., and Robert Legvold, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; February, 2000; ISBN 0870031724 (pbk.)
A very unfortunate choice of title, given Dr. Zaprudnik's earlier, 1993 book with a too similar title. (The title has me wondering how knowledgeable can these editors and authors be, since they must not be familiar with Dr. Zaprudnik's book, the best single-volume history of Belarus?)
The book is a collection of essays by political specialists from neighboring countries (only one ? is from Belarus), and these authors participated in an October, 1997, seminar in Mensk, Belarus. The essays are primarily about the period 1991-97.
From the book jacket: "Belarus, although frequently overlooked in the West, is a country critical to the development of the post-Soviet states and to Europe as a whole. Its location alone--bordering Russia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine--points to its importance as a major geopolitical player. On top of that, the ambitions of its president mean that Belarus will likely have a say in the future of Russia, Ukraine, and other neighboring states. To address what, to date, has been short-sighted and potentially dangerous neglect of Belarus, the editors of this book bring together essays by specialists from Belarus, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and the United States to focus on Belarus' place in the evolving European security environment. No other publication has taken such a diverse approach to this little understood country."
Belarus Secret: The Nazi Connection in America, by John Loftus; Nathan Miller (Editor.) Knopf Alfred A, publisher; January 1982; 196 pages; ISBN 0394522923 (Hardcover). (British edition: Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1983).
I include this book here because (1) it often comes up as a result of searches for the term "Belarus" on the Internet, and (2) it needs to be discussed since it is such a sensationalistic and sloppy piece of work. I certainly encourage you to make your own evaluation of it however. (It can often be found in public as well as university libraries.)
Note: This book review is somewhat long for a Web page: about 22 KBs, and is in Unicode (UTF-8) font encoding because of the multiple alphabets used in the article.
Belarus: A Denationalized Nation, by David R. Marples, Harwood Academic, New York, 1999; pp. 139 (w/index & map); ISBN: 9057-02-3423; Call Number: DK507.54 .M314x 1999.
A summary & review of this book on the Belarusians in Britain Web site. (Scroll down on the opening page. If it is no longer there; contact me and I will add a copy to this Web site. (There is a link to order the book here as well.)
Belarus: From Soviet Rule to Nuclear Catastrophe, by David R. Marples, St. Martin's Press, New York, and Macmillan, UK, 1996; pp. 179 (w/index & map); Call Number: DK507.73 .M37 1996.
List price (1996) for this book is $39.95 (US). Contact your local bookseller or St Martin's Press, USA: For individual orders: 1.800.288.2131 (for booksellers: 1.800.221.7945)
Belorussia: The Making Of A Nation, a case
study, Nicholas P. Vakar; in the series, Russian Research Center studies, number 21; Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1956; 297 pages. Call Number: DK507 V3 [Also: 947.6
V22B].
Still considered one of the best sources on the history of Belarus in English. This book is very hard to find, other than in some libraries or personal collections.
"This is not a comparative study. My modest aim has
been to collect, to describe, and to evaluate the available data
which others might use for a more general work. The notes, even if somewhat disporportionate in size, intend to offer only documentation of specific points mentioned in the text." Preface, page vii.
Bibliographic references in this text are, for the sake of economy, limited here to the names and numbers used in the following work, A Bibliographical Guide to Belorussia. (next entry in this Web page).
Supplies the details to what is limited to names and numbers
used for the bibliographic references in Belorussia: The
Making Of A Nation, a case study, Nicholas P. Vakar (above).
Belorussia: Under Soviet Rule, 1917-1957, Ivan S. Lubachko; University Press of Kentucky; Lexington, Kentucky; 1972; 229 pages. maps. 24 cm; Bibliography: p. [193]-209; Call Number: "DK507.8 .L8" and "947.6 LUBACHKO".
From the dust jacket: "Few European nations are so little known to the world at large as Belorussia."
Byelorussia: Historical Outline, Ivan Kasiak. "Historical materials collected, reviewed and prepared for publication by Ivan Kasiak. Translated from the Byelorussian language by Clarence Augustus Manning, Prof. Emeritus of Columbia University in New York City." Byelorussian Central Council. London, UK. Welshpool Printing Company; Welshpool, England; 1989; 346 pages.
From the cover: "The author of this book, Ivan Kasiak, studied three years of arts in the University of Vilnya, one year of political sciences in the Higher School for Political Sciences in Vilnya, in addition to six years of architecture at the Polytechnical Institute in Lvov, graduating as a building engineer in 1941. During the Second World War he worked a time as the governor (Namesnik) of Byelorussian Central Council in the District of Hlybokaye and was elected vice president of the Second All-Byelorussian Congress in Mensk in 1944. Over the last three years he has been working as President of the Byelorussian Congress Committee of America."
Byelorussia's Independence Day, March 25, 1918: Documents, facts, proclamations, statements, and comments, Byelorussian-American Association, Brooklyn, New York, 1958. 77 pages, illus. Call Number: 947.6 B991b
Byelorussian Statehood: Reader and Bibliography, edited by Vitaut Kipel and Zora Kipel, Byelorussian Institute of Arts and Sciences, New York, 1988, Library of Congress Catalog Card No.
88-70081. Call Number: DK507.73 B94 1988
"The aim of this volume is to bring to the attention of English-speaking readers and students of Byelorussia selected materials concerning the development of Byelorussian political views, an historical overview of the origin of Byelorussian statehood, facts surrounding the establishment of the modern independent Byelorussian state and analyses of the events following the proclamation of the Byelorussian Democratic Republic." (p.1)
This book is especially interesting for its detailed chronology
of the events of 1914-1921.
Contemporary Belarus: Between Democracy and Dictatorship , by Elena Korosteleva, Rosalind Marsh, and Colin Lawson. 256 pages; RoutledgeCurzon; ISBN: 0700716130; 1st edition (December 2002), (hardcover; approx. $90 US).
The book is not yet available. Info from the publisher on the Amazon.com Web site: "This book provides a thorough overview of current developments in Belarus. It looks at historical, political, economic and social changes, and at international relations, especially relations with Russian and the European Union." Info about the authors:
"Elena Korosteleva, Rosalind Marsh, and Colin Lawson teach at the University of Bath."
The EU and Belarus, by Ann Lewis (Editor). 244 pages; Kogan Page Ltd; ISBN: 1903403022; (October 15, 2002), (paperback; approx. $30 US).
The book is not yet available. Info from the publisher on the Amazon.com Web site: "Belarus is perhaps the least changed of all the former Soviet states, with its authoritarian regime, non-liberalized economy and close links with Russia. Yet following enlargement it will be an immediate neighbor of the EU and a major crossing-point between east and west, whether for people, drugs or energy supplies.
This book looks at Belarus’s checkered history since independence, its internal development and international relations, and considers prospects for change both before and after enlargement, and how the EU might best respond. Contributors include a wide range of academics and officials, professionals and practitioners, from Belarus, EU countries and beyond.
Contents:
Introduction; History; Part 1: Internal progress and prospects: Constitution, state and government; Current politics; 2001 election; Public opinion; Human rights and the rule of law; Media; Social affairs. Part 2: Economic progress and prospects: Economic development; Economic reform; The Belarus economic model. Part 3: International relations: Foreign and security policy; Defense policy and cooperation; International relations; Russia – political; Russia – economic; Poland/Ukraine/Lithuania; Council of Europe/OSCE. Part 4: EU/Belarus: Progress and prospects – an academic view; an MEP’s view; a Belarusian view; Democracy-building; Justice and home affairs; Trade and investment; TACIS and other assistance; Aid project: case study; Part 5: Conclusions "
"Ann Lewis CMG is former East European expert at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is Governor of English College, Prague. She is the editor of The EU and Ukraine (2002) also distributed by LPC."
Fragments from the History of Byelorussia, to 1700: Material for historical research and study on the subject, Ostrowski, Roslaw. Byelorussian Central Council, 1961. 102 pages, illus., Call Number: 947.6 Os7f
Historical Dictionary of Belarus, (European Historical Dictionaries, No. 28); Jan (Ia) Zaprudnik / Hardcover / Published 1998; 300 pages; Call Number: DK507.37 .Z37 1998. Published by Scarecrow Press, Landham, Md.; Publication date: May, 1998; ISBN: 0-8108-3449-9; approximate list price (1998): $55 (US). Available from the publisher: 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706, USA, Tel. (800) 462-6420, and from 4 Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone; Kent CT20 2DN, England.
Note: There is a surprising range and amount of detailed information in this book. Although a much briefer book than one might expect from its title and book catalog description, don't let this conciseness fool you, this is an essential resource about Belarus for those who speak English. (Of course, adding the word "Concise" to the book's title would have been more accurate.) Even if it is not an exhaustive discussion of the history of Belarus, it is very interesting and detailed.
The Journal of Byelorussian Studies, Journal of Belarusian Studies, 1965-1988, 19 volumes, published by the Anglo-Belarusian Society, Great Britain. Articles on Belarusian literature, linguistics, history, and art. Each volume of the Journal also included book reviews, a chronicle of current events, and a comprehensive bibliography for the preceding year.
Highly recommended and a truly wonderful resource for anyone interested in Belarusian culture, and especially so if limited to the English language. Sample contents pages and selected articles are available on the Web site, noted in the following.
Although not a book, the complete set of Journals is available in many libraries (including several in Mensk, Belarus). They are also available for purchase from the publisher: The Anglo-Belarusian Society, Great Britain.
Dual-language, Belarusian and English, although the poetry, drawings, and picture captions are only in Belarusian.
Available in Mensk, Belarus, 1997, from Technalohija Publishers, and possibly from used book dealers in Mensk. Follow the previous link for other books about Belarus available from Technalohija Publishers.
(Much of the content of this book is also available on the Web: Kurapaty at a site in Germany.)
Background and follow-up articles about the atrocities at Kurapaty, and the current regime ruling Belarus' actions regarding these facts of history. . . .
Nationalities Papers, Volume 27, Number 4; December, 1999. Association for the Study of Nationalities (USSR and East Europe); Editor-in-Chief: Dr Nancy M. Wingfield; 28 cm. Quarterly; Charleston, Ill. ISSN Print 0090-5992. Call Number: DR 24 N37.
Not a book but a journal, but this issue focuses on Belarusian Studies.
Out of the Fire, Adamovich, Ales', and Yanka Bryl and Vladimir Kolesnik; Progress Publishers, Moscow (English translation, Progress Publishers, 1980). Call Number: D 802 S 752 B 941513
A collection of twenty-six, first-person narratives discussing the Nazi brutality and destruction of Belarusian villages during World War II (from the overtly blatant Soviet propaganda point of view. The book does not mention the extensive Soviet crimes of equal--or worse-horror.).
Purism and Language: A Study of Modern Ukrainian and Belorussian Nationalism (1840-1967), Paul N. Wexler; in the series, Language Science Monographs, Research Center for the Language Sciences, Indiana University Publishers, Bloomington, 1974); 446 pages. ISBN 87750-175-0.
Material related to Belarus begins with Chapter 9, page 206 (through Chapter 13, page 307). Chapter 14, "Summary and Conclusions," the bibliography, word list, and index are extensive and shared by both the Ukrainian and Belarusian material.
Available in many university libraries.
Revolution from Abroad: The Soviet Conquest of Poland's Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia, Gross, Jan Tomasz; Princeton University Press, 1988. 334 pages, includes index; footnoted; some illustrations, maps. ISBN 0-691-09433-0; Call Number: DK 4415 G76 1988; also Call Number: 943.8053 GROSS
Sons and Stepsons of Belarus, edited by Symon V. Barys, Sarheu V. Tarasau, Henadz A. Laneuski, and others; Polymya Publishers, Mensk, 1996. 416 pages; some illustrations. ISBN 985-07-0026-2; Print run: 4200 copies.
In Belarusian (Cyrillic, narkomovka): Syni i Pasynki Belarusi
Includes a wide-range (historically) of famous Belarusians, including: Usyalau Charadzeu (prince of Polacak), Vitaut the Great, Ilya Kapievich, Thaddeus Kosciusko (Kosciuszko) , Adam Mickiewicz, Kastus Kalinouski, Valery Urubleuski, Anton Stankevich, Vaclau Lastouski, Ihnat Dvarchanin, Simon Rak-Mixkhauloski, Stanislau Bulak-Balakhovich, Kastus Yesavitau, Makar Krautzou, Frantzishak Alyakhnovich, and Barys Kit.
From the Frank Cass catalog: "A study of the Red Army's Belorussian operation in the summer of 1944, unprecedented in terms of its scale, scope and strategic consequences. The Soviet Stavka had planned a campaign consisting of a series of massive operations spanning the entire Soviet-German front. Four powerful fronts (army groups) operated under close Stavka (high command) control. Over 1.8 million troops acomplished a feat unique in the history of the Red Army: the defeat and dismemberment of an entire German army group. This book is a translation of the Soviet General Staff Study No 18, a work originally classified as 'secret' and intended to educate Soviet commanders and staff officers. The operation is presented from the Soviet perspective, in the words of the individuals who planned and orchestrated the plans. A map supplement, including terrain maps, is provided to illustrate the flow of the operation in greater detail."
Ten Centuries of Belarusian History, (Дзесяць Вякоў Беларускай Гісторыі) by Belarusian historians Vladimir Orlov and Gennady Saganovich. In Cyrillic Belarusian (У. Арлоў, Г. Сагановіч -- 2000)
Originally, this book was refused publication by the Belarusian state printing houses, but it was eventually published in 1997 in a series of articles by the newspaper, Свабода, and later in book form in 2000.
As of spring, 2002, the book could be found in some book stores in Miensk. Please contact me if you have further information--especially if you know of additional sources from where to obtain copies.
Zhivopisnaya Rossiya: Litovskoye i Belorusskoye Polesye; by Semenova, P. P.; re-published by Belaruskaya Entziklapadiya Publishers, Mensk, 1994; originally published in 1882 in St. Petersburg and Moscow by Izdanik Knigoprodavtza-Tipografa M. O. Vol'fa. 498 pp.; ISBN: 5-85700-165-X.
In the Russian of the late nineteenth century as this is a facsimile reproduction. (Which also means the text and illustrations are not as "crisp" as they could be.)
Title in English: Picturesque Russia: Lithuanian and Belarusian Marshy Woodlands. [Note: The word for "marshy woodlands," polesye, is also a proper noun for a region straddling southern Belarus and northern Ukraine.]
This is an important and interesting resource about the history of Belarus, for those who are interested.