The Hidden Europe

Francis Tapon yearned for a European adventure, but Western Europe seemed too tame and passé. So he traveled for 3 years visiting every Eastern European country—all 25 of them.The Hidden Europe cleverly mixes insightful facts with hilarious personal anecdotes. It's profound, yet light. Francis Tapon is a sharp observer who helps you distinguish a Latvian from a Lithuanian, while not confusing Slovenia with Slovakia.You'll also learn: - Why Baltic people are human squirrels.- When and why Poland disappeared from Europe.- Why Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia broke up.- Why Hungarians are really Martians.- How Slovenians learn languages so quickly.- Why the Balkans is so screwed up.- Why there's much more to Romania than Dracula.- Which Moldovan tradition saves marriages.- What the future holds for Belarus, Ukraine, Russia.- Why communism was a dream . . . and a nightmare.You'll understand a side of Europe that is still mysterious and misunderstood even 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Francis Tapon is an ideal guide in a book that will become a classic travel narrative.