Since the end of the Cold War there has been an increased interest in the Baltics. The Baltic States brings together three titles, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to provide a comprehensive and analytical guide integrating history, political science, economic development and contemporary events into one account. Since gaining their independence, each country has developed at its own pace with its own agenda and facing its own obstacles. The authors examine the tensions accompanying a post-communist return to Europe after the long years of separation and how each country has responded to the demands of becoming a modern European state. Estonia was the first of the former Soviet republics to enter membership negotiations with the European Union in 1988 and is a potential candidate for the next round of EU expansion in 2004. Lithuania and Latvia have also expressed their desire for future membership of NATO and the EU.

Part 1: Estonia 1. 'One Day There Will Be an Estonian State.' 2. The Long Second World War: Estonia under Occupation 1940-1991 3. Old Wine in New Bottles: The Politics of Independence 4. 'The Little Country that Could.': Estonia's Economic Return to Europe 5. 'The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.': Foreign Policy Between East and West Part 2: Latvia 6. A Historical Introduction to Modern Latvia 7. Latvia's Politics, 1987-1991: The Thorny Road Towards Independence 8. Latvia's Democracy Examined: 1991-1999 9. Latvia's Economy since 1991 10. The Foreign Policy of Latvia 11. Conclusions Part 3: Lithuania, Revival and Repression 1914-1985 12. Independent Lithuania between Wars 13. Sovietization 1940-1985 Part 4: Lithuania, Independence and the Politics of Transition 1985 - 1999 14. The Achievement of Independence 1985-1991 15. Government and Politics in Independent Lithuania 16. The Lithuanian Economy after Independence 17. Lithuania's Foreign and National Security Policy