Second in the Kurt Wallander series.

Sweden, winter, 1991. Inspector Kurt Wallander and his team receive an anonymous tip-off. A few days later a life raft is washed up on a beach. In it are two men, dressed in expensive suits, shot dead. The dead men were criminals, victims of what seems to have been a gangland hit. But what appears to be an open-and-shut case soon takes on a far more sinister aspect. Wallander travels across the Baltic Sea, to Riga in Latvia, where he is plunged into a frozen, alien world of police surveillance, scarcely veiled threats, and lies. Doomed always to be one step behind the shadowy figures he pursues, only Wallander's obstinate desire to see that justice is done brings the truth to light.

The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander, #2)

This is the first English-language volume that brings the history of Latvia to the threshold of the twenty-first century. Until the re-establishment of Latvian independence in 1991, Soviet dominance served for nearly fifty years to hinder publication of any complete and objective historical record of the region. Plakans now places the evolution and formation of the Latvian nation in a balanced, historical framework that stretches from the early medieval period to the present.

The Latvians: A Short History

"Shows us, in disturbing but illuminating detail, how violence and cruelty register on the psyche. This beautifully written book makes us reckon anew with the deep costs of war."—Eva Hoffman.

A Woman in Amber: Healing the Trauma of War and Exile

This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to follow her calling as a doctor. But then the state steps in. 
She is deprived first of her professional future, then of her identity and finally of her relationship with her daughter. Banished to a village in the Latvian countryside, her sense of isolation increases. Will she and her daughter be able to return to Riga when political change begins to stir?

At first glance this novel depicts a troubled mother-daughter relationship set in the the Soviet-ruled Baltics between 1969 and 1989. Yet just beneath the surface lies something far more positive: the story of three generations of women, and the importance of a grandmother giving her granddaughter what her daughter is unable to provide – love, and the desire for life.

Soviet Milk

Sandra Kalniete was born in a Siberian village in 1952 to Latvian parents who had been banished by the Soviet regime. After Stalin's death, she and her family were allowed to return to Latvia in 1957. Kalniete went on to study art history, but has devoted her life more to politics and diplomacy than to art. She was an early fighter for Latvian independence in the 1980s and early 1990s, and served as Latvian Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva (1993-1997), to France (1997-2002), and to UNESCO (2000-2002). In 2002 she became Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 2004, she was appointed the first Latvian Commissioner of the European Union.

With Dance Shoes in Siberian Snows

Gertrude Schneider, a noted Holocaust scholar and survivor, tells the story of German Jews sent east for extermination in 1941-1943, who were instead given a reprieve in order to fill essential jobs in Riga--the capital of Latvia. Amid constant waves of arrivals and killings, these Jews transformed their part of the Riga Ghetto into a structured community. This is the story of the creation and ultimate destruction of that Ghetto community based on extensive research, personal recollections, interviews, and documents from Russian, German, Israeli, and American archives.



The strange paradox of normal behavior within abnormal context is exemplified by such events as concerts and mass burials, sports and tortures, as well as friendships and love affairs between SS officers and Jews. In addition to this charged surrealistic atmosphere, a unique feature of Professor Schneider's book is her examination of the psychology of the prisoners, including a belief of the Latvian Jews that their people had been killed to make room for German Jews, and a conviction of the German Jews that they were privileged and, therefore, exempt from extermination. This book is a must read for scholars, students, and the general public interested in the Holocaust and World War II in Eastern Europe.

Journey into Terror: Story of the Riga Ghetto: New and Expanded Edition

A gripping new translation of the first novel in the famous Inspector Maigret series. What he sought, and what he waited and watched out for, was the crack in the wall. In other words, the instant when the human being comes out from behind the opponent.

Who is Pietr the Latvian? Is he a gentleman thief? A Russian drinking absinthe in a grimy bar? A married Norwegian sea captain? A twisted corpse in a train bathroom? Or is he all of these men? Inspector Maigret, tracking a mysterious adversary and a trail of bodies, must bide his time before the answer can come into focus.

The new Penguin Simenon series features brilliant renderings by some of today's best translators from French to English. "Pietr the Latvian," and the ones which follow, introduce the intrepid Inspector to a brand new audience.

Pietr the Latvian (Maigret #1)

A Man from Latvia

When she was 19 months old, Helen Keller (1880–1968) suffered a severe illness that left her blind and deaf. Not long after, she also became mute. Her tenacious struggle to overcome these handicaps-with the help of her inspired teacher, Anne Sullivan-is one of the great stories of human courage and dedication. In this classic autobiography, first published in 1903, Miss Keller recounts the first 22 years of her life, including the magical moment at the water pump when, recognizing the connection between the word "water" and the cold liquid flowing over her hand, she realized that objects had names. Subsequent experiences were equally noteworthy: her joy at eventually learning to speak, her friendships with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edward Everett Hale and other notables, her education at Radcliffe (from which she graduated cum laude), and-underlying all-her extraordinary relationship with Miss Sullivan, who showed a remarkable genius for communicating with her eager and quick-to-learn pupil.

The Story of My Life

A substantial chapter of World War II is resurrected in this sometimes tragic tale of one family's flight from their Latvian homeland and subsequent uncertainty as displaced persons.

On the day Dagnija Neimane's parents married in 1940, the Soviet Russians killed the Latvian border guards, leading to the first Soviet occupation of their country. The following months culminated in the Year of Horror, with mass arrests, executions, and deportations of fifteen thousand Latvians to Siberia. Though Nazi Germany drove off the invaders and in turn occupied Latvia, in 1944 the Soviets gained the upper hand once more. Some Latvians joined the German forces to fight the Soviets, others who could, formulated plans for escape, wondering if there was hope left for their country.

"Flight from Latvia" is a true narrative of an extended family's exile and journey through refugee camps to find a safe home once more. The narrator, only a youngster at the time, derives details from family stories and periodicals to relay this significant chapter of her family's history.

Children, parents, even elderly grandparents flee together as a family-though conditions for food and health are abysmal.

Now, having come this far, who would be selected for emigration?

Flight from Latvia: A Six-Year Chronicle

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . . 

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath, #2)

Vadim's having a tough time adjusting to capitalism. The grey, slushy Latvia he knows has not been the same since Euro-bypass surgery revived its economy. Everywhere he looks, designer-clad clones are hanging out in chic bars and driving expensive cars. His only escape is into the virtual world of the super-sophisticated computer game 'Headcrusher' where he can blast people away to his heart's content. Until, that is, he takes a blunt implement to his boss's real head and embarks on a killing spree that leads him to the limits of reality...

Fast, furious and wicked fun, this is Russia's "Fight Club" and "American Psycho" rolled into one. Its high-octane combination of spoof and satire, humour and violence make it the most exciting novel to come out of the ex-USSR in a very long time.

Headcrusher

25 years ago, the people of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania united under broad democratic movements to demand from the Soviet Union the freedom which was taken from them in 1940. One can only admire the courage of these people who, armed only with songs and an urge for justice, challenged the Soviet giant. The world was shaken by this peaceful singing revolution, because it threatened the finely-adjusted bipolar balance of world order. Back then, hardly anyone believed that the Baltic States would even have a chance for greater autonomy in the Soviet Union, let alone their regaining independence.

The success of the Baltic nation's independence movements shook the Soviet Union at its foundation, and in 1991 lead to its collapse. The world as we had known it since the end of the Second World War had irreversibly changed forever. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, for those nations of Eastern Europe and the Baltics, who had been held captive behind the Iron Curtain, World War Two had finally come to an end.

To understand why, it is important to read Sandra Kalniete's book; it tells the story of strategy and tactics, of the difficult choices and compromises which at every step of the way can threatened the ultimate goal in such mass movements. The success story of the people's movements of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia can be used as an example for the many millions of people around the world who still yearn for freedom.

Since writing the book in 2000, Kalniete has gone on to become Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations, France and UNESCO, her country’s foreign minister, Latvia’s first representative to the European Commission, and, in 2009, a member of the European Parliament. She is the author of several other books.

Song To Kill A Giant

The Baltic region is frequently neglected in broader histories of Europe and its international significance can be obscured by separate treatments of the various Baltic states. With this wide-ranging survey, Andrejs Plakans presents the first integrated history of three Baltic peoples - Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians - and draws out the common threads to show how it has been shaped by their location in a strategically desirable corner of Europe. Subordinated in turn by Baltic German landholders, the Polish nobility and gentry, and then by Russian and Soviet administrators, the three nations have nevertheless kept a their distinctive identities - significantly retaining three separate languages in an ethnically diverse region. The book traces the countries' evolution from their ninth-century tribal beginnings to their present status as three thriving and separate nation states, focusing particularly on the region's complex twentieth-century history, which culminated in the eventual re-establishment of national sovereignty after 1991.

A Concise History of the Baltic States

What do we know about Latvia and the Latvians? A Baltic (not Balkan) nation that emerged from fifty years under the Soviet Union - interrupted by a brief but brutal Nazi-German occupation and a devastating war - now a member of the European Union and NATO. Yes, but what else? Relentless accusations keep appearing, especially in Russian media, often repeated in the West: "Latvian soldiers single-handedly saved Lenin's revolution in 1917", "Latvians killed Tsar Nikolai II and the Royal family", "Latvia was a thoroughly anti-Semitic country and Latvians started killing Jews even before the Germans arrived in 1941", "Nazi revival is rampant in today's Latvia", "The Russian minority is persecuted in Latvia. . ." True, false or in-between? The Finnish journalist and author Jukka Rislakki examines charges like these and provides an outline of Latvia's recent history while attempting to separate documented historical fact from misinformation and deliberate disinformation. His analysis helps to explain why the Baltic States (population 7 million) consistently top the enemy lists in public opinion polls of Russia (143 million). His knowledge of the Baltic languages allows him to make use of local sources and up-to-date historical research. He is a former Baltic States correspondent for Finland's largest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and the author of several books on Finnish and Latvian history. As a neutral, experienced and often critical observer, Rislakki is uniquely qualified for the task of separating truth from fiction.

The Case for Latvia: Disinformation Campaigns Against a Small Nation: Fourteen Hard Questions and Straight Answers about a Baltic Country

Part history, part autobiography, WALKING SINCE DAYBREAK tells the tragic story of the Baltic nations before, during, and after World War II. Personal stories of the survival or destruction of Modris Eksteins's family members lend an intimate dimension to this vast narrative of those millions who have surged back and forth across the lowlands bordering the Baltic Sea. The immense cataclysm of World War II devastated the Baltic republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, sending many of their inhabitants to the ends of the earth. WALKING SINCE DAYBREAK belongs in the great tradition of books that redefine our understanding of history, like J. R. Huizinga's THE WANING OF THE MIDDLE AGES and Jacob Burckhardt's THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY. Eksteins's two-pronged narrative is a haunting portrait of national loss and the struggle of a displaced family caught in the maw of history.

Walking Since Daybreak: A Story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the Heart of Our Century

World attention has focused on the newly independent Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, as they struggle to become politically and economically viable. In this timely book, Anatol Lieven presents an intimate and engaging portrait of the history and culture of the Baltic states from their ancient origins to their contemporary status. He explores the culture and personality of the Baltic peoples, their religious and racial differences, their relations with Russia and with the West, and their prospects for the future. 

Lieven begins by describing the ancient Baltic peoples, their conquest by the Christians, the evolution of the Lithuanian empire and their union with Poland, and the experience of the Baltic provinces under the Russian Empire. He then looks at the countries' first struggle for independence in 1918, the failure of democracy and the establishment of authoritarian regimes, and the Soviet annexation of the Baltic in 1940. Lieven discusses the class structure of the Baltics and the ethnic tensions that have existed between the Germans, Jews, Poles, and Russians who live there. Drawing on a wide range of sources including interviews, newspaper accounts, and his own observations, he describes and analyzes the rise of national movements in each of the three countries after Glastnost. He concludes by discussing the new constitutions and the elections of 1992, the current forces of order, the demolition of the Soviet economies, and the possibilities for democracy and Europeanization or for ethnic conflict and nationalist dictatorship.

The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence

A comprehensive guide to one of Europe's most fascinating regions. There are definitive accounts of the up-and-coming city-break destinations of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius as well as full coverage of the countries' unspoilt lakes, forests and national parks. For every city, town and village there are insider's reviews of accommodation, restaurants and nightlife and for outdoor enthusiasts there is practical advice on the best places for hiking, canoeing and birdwatching. Included are over 50 maps and 24 pages of colour photographs.

The Rough Guide to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

Insight Guides Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

During its post-Soviet reconstruction Latvia has become a role model in macroeconomic stabilization and democratization. Latvia in Transition provides the material necessary to understand present-day Latvia. The author examines the main events, processes and problems of this country during the period of transition from a dependent and Moscow-dominated Soviet Republic to an independent and also interdependent state. The book presents the most relevant and essential aspects of Latvia's history, politics, economics and society.

Latvia

The Dogs of Riga (Kurt Wallander, #2)

Henning Mankell

The Latvians: A Short History

Andrejs Plakans

A Woman in Amber: Healing the Trauma of War and Exile

Agate Nesaule

Soviet Milk

Nora Ikstena

With Dance Shoes in Siberian Snows

Sandra Kalniete

Journey into Terror: Story of the Riga Ghetto: New and Expanded Edition

Gertrude Schneider

Pietr the Latvian (Maigret #1)

Georges Simenon

A Man from Latvia

Andrejs Eglitis

The Story of My Life

Helen Keller

Flight from Latvia: A Six-Year Chronicle

Dagnija Neimane

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath, #2)

Anne Greenwood Brown

Headcrusher

Alexander Garros

Song To Kill A Giant

Sandra Kalniete

A Concise History of the Baltic States

Andrejs Plakans

The Case for Latvia: Disinformation Campaigns Against a Small Nation: Fourteen Hard Questions and Straight Answers about a Baltic Country

Jukka Rislakki

Walking Since Daybreak: A Story of Eastern Europe, World War II, and the Heart of Our Century

Modris Eksteins

The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence

Anatol Lieven

Pietr the Latvian (Maigret #1)

Georges Simenon

The Rough Guide to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

Jonathan Bousfield

Insight Guides Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Insight Guides

Latvia in Transition

Juris Dreifelds