4 comments about Lonely Planet Baltic States Phrasebook (Lonely Planet : Language Survival Kit).

1. This book made me plan my 2-weeks summer-vacation in Estonia.



2. Actually, I love all "Lonely Planet" phasebooks and travel guides. You can't go wrong with them. These are the road warriors in our collection. They are worn, used and helpful! I want to own stock in Lonely Planet!

   So you ask, "isn't there a later edition available?" Don't let that stop you. They are using a winning format and when it comes to speaking at least Lithuanian, little has changed (Lithuanian is a really, really, really old language!)

   The book is concise and compact (3.5 x 5 x 1/2). It easily fits in any pocket. That is a major selling point. It is the perfect size to take along.

   It has an abreviated pronunciation guide compared the single language versions and no dictionary. That comes form having to divide the space between three languages, so it can't go as in depth. Still,all the essentials are here. If you are planning a few days in each place, you'll be fine.

   By the way, when you go to the Baltics, look for a copy of the "In Your Pocket Series" available at the airport or in the major hotels. It will be a great help to you. You can also find it online through a simple web search.




3. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone spending more than a week in the Baltics! Last year, I spent a semester in Lithuania, and this book made the transition much easier! From going to the pharmacy to buy flu medication, to trying to find out where the outdoor market was, to telling a doctor that I had hurt my knee -- this book was constantly by my side and helped me be very independent while in a foriegn country. I was also able to learn a lot of phrases that I wouldn't have in my Lithuanian class. My only complaint is that sometimes the phonetic guide was a bit confusing, but this rarely interfered with my communication (if it does, you can just show the phrase to the person you are trying to speak with).



4. Lonely Planet's BALTIC PHRASEBOOK covers the languages of the so-called Baltic republics, Estonian, Latvia, and Lithuanian.
   
   In terms of phrases, all three chapters cover the same ground. General matters like asking directions and shopping are included, as are more specialised things like visiting the doctor. The menu decoders are very helpful. Oddly enough, when a phrase contains a different word-form depending on what gender is spoken of, the order is "feminine/masculine" instead of the "masculine/feminine" of most phrasebooks and dictionaries.
   
   In their coverage of grammar, however, each chapter differs. That on Lithuanian includes a discussion of noun morphology, although it only shows four out of the language's seven cases. This may enable the traveller with some prior experience with inflected languages, such as Latin or Russian, to construct sentences not found in the book. However, the chapter on Latvian doesn't give any information like that.
   
   The book contains some general tourist information and maps for the Baltic republics, which makes it larger than it might be and somewhat redundant, as many travellers will already have a specialized guidebook for the region.
   
   This phrasebook may not be an essential purchase for someone spending only a few days in the region. Most young people in these three countries speak admirable English, and older shopkeepers can be addressed in Russian without problems (the guidebook line that shopkeepers here take offense at being addressed in Russian seems to be a myth).

5 comments about War in the Woods.

1. Written by the current Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar, this book gives many first-hand accounts of the Forset Brothers doomed struggle against the occupying Soviet forces in Estonia after WW2.(The Forset Brothers were groups of armed resistance fighters based in the woods of Estonia).

   While some stories tell of heroic and unbelievable battles against the KGB, most are unfortunately tragic and sad stories of Soviets killing and raping innocent civilians. However these stories must be told to preserve Estonian history and to account for Stalins Holocost in the East.

   Necessary reading for anyone of Estonian descent.




2. This book gives only one side of the story. Another side of it that most of these rebels were former Nazi soldgiers or served in German police forces. As such they were actively involved in Holocaust (Estonian officials still deny Holocaust existence on the territory of Estonia). While fighting with Soviets, "Brothers" also killed innocent citizens just to inflict the horror on them. Not to mention that the author, prime minister, came to power on the wave of nationalism and ruined an Estonian economy. It was under his leadership that political parties were able to use slogan "Estonia for Estonians".
   The bottom line, this book as much politically twisted as books printed earlier by the Soviets about the guerrela movement.



3. I found this to an interesting book. Most books covering this period gloss over the Baltic States and their history. The book covers a short history of the Estonians centuries of struggle for independence then leads into it's main focus, of the Estonian's struggle for survival and hope for western intervention after the Russians returned following a brief Nazi occupation. During the first occupation brought about by the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact many Estonians including the President and his cabinet were deported and later died in gulags if they weren't murdered outright. In fall of 1944, the Russians returned and recommenced their Russification policy, mass deportations and executions ensued while Russians were sent to fill in the lands where Estonians had been deported from. This spurred the guerilla movement. Many who went to hide in the woods were just waiting for the west to intervene as everyone thought that the Americans and British would not allow the Communists to stay in formerly independent territories. Unfortunately, the Russian occupation lasted until 1991. The book describes how collectivization was instituted to eliminate the small family farms which supported the guerillas and everything in Estonia was turned into an economic support system for Moscow.
   A great read, well worth the money!!!



4. This book hit home with my Dad who lived through these times. He is currently reading it. Some areas are a little difficult to read because of the translation.



5. I visited Estonia at the end of the 1990s and learned a little of its history while there. I had been unaware that many of the Baltic people resisted their communist overlords for years after 1945 in the forlorn hope the the 'defenders of liberty and justice' in the west would come to their rescue. One of the last Estonian resistance fighters died in the forest resisting the KGB in 1977. When people in the west criticise the Baltic men who fought for the Germans against the Soviets they forget why they fought. In 1940, Stalin's armies rolled across the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and were assisted at every turn by local communists, overwhelmingly Baltic jews. These countries had been peaceful, contented societies since they gained their independence in 1918, but now they entered a period of unrelenting terror. Tens of thousands of the leadership class were murdered in classic communist style, while hundreds of thousands were exiled to Siberia. It is hardly surprising that the people enthusiastically welcomed their German liberators in 1941 or that thousands of young Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians volunteered to fight against the Soviet system which had caused so much suffering to their lands. Unfortunately, they were on the losing side and they were reoccupied by the same terror system again in 1945. However, unlike in 1940, this time the Baltic people knew what to expect and prepared for long term resistance. The environment of that part of eastern europe is conducive to guerrilla warfare and Laar's book, which is a good translation, describes the progress of the Estonian arm of the resistance. They were known as the 'forest brothers' and were successful for many years, primarily because of widespread support from the civilian population. Many of these men were skilled at survival in the outdoors and there are many interesting descriptions of methods used to disguise their habitats in the forest. In addition, he describes the type of environment that the Estonians had to live under. The continuous unease which people experience under a communist system and the boredom and constant shortages of consumer goods. The book adds another piece to our knowledge of the history of the struggle against communism.

No comments about Colloquial Estonian.

2 comments about The Conspiracy & Other Stories.

1. Kross is a well-known writer in Europe, and has been mentioned as a potential Nobel Prize winner at times. In these six stories he turns his attention to the plight of his native Estonia, during and after World War II. Throughout its history Estonia existed as a small principality passed back and forth between German and Russian hands, and the second World War proved to be an exaggerated microcosm of this fragile situation as the Germans conquered it in 1941, only to have it retaken by Soviet forces in 1944. Estonia's young men were conscripted into armies on both sides, and in one horrible instance, were forced to fight one another at the Battle of Velikiye Luki. The six stories here illustrate the complexities of trying to navigate and simply survive in such extreme times. Told with dark humor and pathos, they are gripping and tragic tales. The protagonist of each is Peeter Mirk, who ages from a young legal student to middle-aged intellectual over the course of the stories (which proceed chronologically from 1939 to the late 1950s). Mirk is a thinly veiled version of the author, with the same background and same experiences as Kross, who studied law, was imprisoned by the Germans for a time, spied on the Germans, and was then imprisoned for eight years by the Soviets in 1946.
   
   The first two stories ("The Wound" and "Lead Piping") outline attempts at the start of the war, when Estonia was occupied by the Soviets, to escape Germany and Finland. It was a time when a population of often very mixed lineage was forced to pick a side, and many with German backgrounds took up Hitler's invitation to emigrate, while many others sought freedom in Finland and further abroad. In both stories, Peeter encounters former classmates whom he tries to assist in getting abroad, only to see their efforts ending badly. The third story ("The Stahl Grammar") also starts with the tale of an ill-fated escape (this time Peeter's), but is more concerned with the status of imprisonment. The psychological games that are played by the German captors, and the mind's inability to stand of firm footing. The fourth and title story ("The Conspiracy") takes place entirely within a prison, this time under Soviet watch. Here, Kross describes all twenty or so cell mates and the "crimes" that got them here--a biting indictment of the Soviet era and the ideological correctness required at all times. As in the other stories, the smallest decisions or thoughtless acts end up having staggering repercussions in such times. "The Ashtray" continues the prison motif, here on a train to the gulag and a camp en route. The randomness and fickleness of fate places Peeter in the one place he might actually survive his sentence. Finally, "The Day His Eyes Are Opened" rounds things off rather weakly with an eavesdropped conversation in a train. An old woman's faith and resilience are on display as she goes to meet her husband, who is emerging from the gulag after ten years. It's presumably meant as a self-rebuke by the author, who managed to make it through those years relatively unscathed, but feels rather clumsy and forced when placed next to the ironic elegance of the other five stories.
   
   The prose is rather more formal and removed than many readers will be used to, and yet it's highly readable and very well translated, with explanatory notes when needed, and a fine introduction. Kross has better-known works in translation, such as The Czar's Madman, but this is an excellent introduction to Estonia's foremost modern writer as well as a nation that has seen much suffering.



2. I agree with everything A. Ross has said in his very thorough and astute review here, but I do disagree quite vehemently about the quality of the translation offered. While this may have been an accurate word-for-word translation of Kross's text, the prose is at times quite unreadable, almost embarrasingly so, undermining Kross's exceptional and important work. I only hope that readers will bear with this and read this collection because it is worthy of anyone's read, perhaps especially now, given our current climate. Again, this is a comment solely on the text's translation. It is not intended in any way to take away from A. Ross's excellent review. Please read it!

2 comments about The Great Bear: A Thematic Anthology of Oral Poetry in the Finno-Ugrian Languages.

1. There are 450 poems, songs, charms, prayers, and laments in "The Great Bear," organized in thematic sections such as "The Cosmos," "Hunting," and "Healing." All of the entries are presented in both the original language and English, with a scholarly introduction to each thematic section. This collection from the Oxford University Press represents the oral tradition of fifteen peoples scattered across Northern Europe from Scandinavia, deep into Russia and beyond the Urals, and of the Hungarians in Central Europe.

   There are extensive footnotes that illuminate the tradition and meaning of the entries, some of which are fragments of larger, lost works. It is interesting to read a poem such as "To the Coffin-Makers," and then turn to the commentary that explains Karelian burial traditions:

   "...The need to use timber from trees in which birds had not rested or sung (cf. II. 9-10) reflects a belief in soul-birds. It was essential to avoid upsetting the deceased---should he or she return in the form of a bird---by felling trees in which the soul might one day wish to rest."

   One of the more recondite marriage traditions among the Finnish, Karelian, and Estonian peoples involved teasing the prospective bride and bride-groom: "The theme of seeking the best bride and finding the worst is a central feature....of the bride-teasing poems [that] were customarily sung by the groom's relatives at his home." Here are a few lines from "Teasing the Bride:"

   "Listen, precious brother's son/ if you could but have taken an apple from higher boughs/ from the top of other trees!/...Attendants, you maid's brothers:/ take this away when you go/ the one you brought when you came!/ Don't take her along the road--/ take her over the big swamp!/ If you take her by the road/ even horses will stampede/ horseflies will take to their heels..."

   The oral tradition of our ancestors was often somber. It often attempted to explain our symbiosis with the natural and spiritual world. However, it could also be joyous. It could make people laugh.

   I think we've neglected the humorous, celebratory side of song-making and poetry in our modern world. "The Great Bear" reminds us that poems and songs were meant to reflect all facets of our humanity, not just grief, longing, and pain.




2. There are 450 poems, songs, charms, prayers, and laments in "The Great Bear," organized in thematic sections such as "The Cosmos," "Hunting," and "Healing." All of the entries are presented in both the original language and English, with a scholarly introduction to each thematic section. This collection from the Oxford University Press represents the oral tradition of fifteen peoples scattered across Northern Europe from Scandinavia, deep into Russia and beyond the Urals, and of the Hungarians in Central Europe.
   
   There are extensive footnotes that illuminate the tradition and meaning of the entries, some of which are fragments of larger, lost works. It is interesting to read a poem such as "To the Coffin-Makers," and then turn to the commentary that explains Karelian burial traditions:
   
   "...The need to use timber from trees in which birds had not rested or sung (cf. II. 9-10) reflects a belief in soul-birds. It was essential to avoid upsetting the deceased---should he or she return in the form of a bird---by felling trees in which the soul might one day wish to rest."
   
   One of the more recondite marriage traditions among the Finnish, Karelian, and Estonian peoples involved teasing the prospective bride and bride-groom: "The theme of seeking the best bride and finding the worst is a central feature....of the bride-teasing poems [that] were customarily sung by the groom's relatives at his home." Here are a few lines from "Teasing the Bride:"
   
   "Listen, precious brother's son/ if you could but have taken an apple from higher boughs/ from the top of other trees!/...Attendants, you maid's brothers:/ take this away when you go/ the one you brought when you came!/ Don't take her along the road--/ take her over the big swamp!/ If you take her by the road/ even horses will stampede/ horseflies will take to their heels..."
   
   The oral tradition of our ancestors was often somber. It often attempted to explain our symbiosis with the natural and spiritual world. However, it could also be joyous. It could make people laugh.
   
   I think we've neglected the humorous, celebratory side of song-making and poetry in our modern world. "The Great Bear" reminds us that poems and songs were meant to reflect all facets of our humanity, not just grief, longing, and pain.

No comments about Teach Yourself Estonian (Teach Yourself Complete Courses).

1 comments about Estonian to English Dictionary (English and Estonian Edition).

1. This two-volume dictionary is a bit out-of-date, but nonetheless remains the best reference work of its kind. It is indispensable for students of Estonian.

4 comments about Eastern European 12 Language Phrasebook (Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian and Ukrainian)(Phrasebooks S.).

1. This guidebook is a handy, compact reference for simple survival and simple courtesy-based conversation. It is suited for the traveler who intends to visit the countries that feature these 12 languages, but not for the student who is trying to learn one particular language. Alternatively, the book will serve well the student of a language who needs a quick reference for simple phrases, should he stumble.
   
   The book features simple greetings and situational phrases, such as at the airport or the restaurant, along with a brief history of each language. It also has a section devoted to telling time, which I found lacking, since it did not cover all the times of the day (just the times within 9 o'clock, and how to say "noon," "afternoon," and "evening," for example). One of the book's strengths is its phonetic pronunciations for each translated phrase. Although I found some pronunciations were incorrect (in the Lithuanian section), it will help you in a bind.



2. Well-organized list of phrases in twelve languages. It would be ideal for a trip through several different countries in eastern and central Europe, but if you were going to spend any serious time in a single country, you would want more. It has the drawbacks common to all phrasebooks -- the phrases may not be the ones you actually need. Because this one is so compact, there is no room for glossaries or any advice on customs or grammar.
   
   Still, it has a lot of phrases in a compact, easy-to-use package.
   
   I bought this for a short trip to Romania, where I socialized largely with Hungarian speakers. Didn't need it urgently, and so rarely tested it "under fire" -- doctor, train connections, etc. But it helped me learn a few basic phrases in two different languages at the same time, which allowed me to at least seem polite. (Of course, I kept using Romanian phrases among Hungarians and vice-versa, which defeated the purpose a little, but that's not the book's fault!)



3. This is a quick way to make your needs know as you travel through a number of countries which speak other languages especially Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and 9 others. The basic transliteration used in the book is the same throughout the book. Familiarity of the basic outline of the 350 phrases should be done, some of which are compounded therefore you have to count the words to point to the correct one. I don't know if an audio transcript has ever been done of the book-it would be useful!The book is pocket size and fits into the back pocket of my jeans. You may want to use a removeable tab to the language in demand for easier use



4. Item as described. I haven't used it yet, but will take it on a trip to Central Europe in a couple of weeks. I'm sure it will be helpful.

5 comments about Estonian-English/English-Estonian: Dictionary & Phasebook (Hippocrene Dictionary & Phrasebooks) (Multilingual Edition).

1. I am sure this dictionary is fine, but I have not received it yet- a month after ordering it! In the meantime I have been on holiday to Estonia and have been back a week as well!
   Come on Amazon we expect better service than this from you.



2. This book is excellent for those who need an Estonian-English dictionary.
   
   By the way, review the BOOK, not Amazon's service.



3. This version of the dictionary is easy to use. It also incorporates common phrases which are very helpful.



4. The Hippocrene dictionary was the first Estonian-English/English-Estonian dictionary that I bought. I was continually frustrated by the absence I words which I wanted to check, in both Estonian and English. The TEA pocket dictionary, published by TEA Kirjastus in Tallinn is much more reliable. Now that I have a copy, I can't even remember where I have abandoned the Hippocrene dictionary.
   
   The TEA dictionary is not available yet through Amazon. You'll find it only if you go to TEA's Estonian website and register as a user.
   
   OK, Amazon, stock the TEA publications! They are very good!



5. Great dictionary - it's been of great help as I make my way in Tallinn. Although many speak English, I think it rude to not speak a little of the native language and found this dictionary very helpful. I recommend it!

4 comments about Teach Yourself Estonian Complete Course (Book + 2CDs) (TY: Complete Courses).

1. I just got the book and CDs yesterday and I think they are valuable tools for learning Estonian.The other widely-available Estonian Language Course in English has not recieved very good reviews.One criticism was that the CD dialogues used speakers who clearly were not native Estonian speakers.I would like to hear feedback from any native Estonian speakers as to whether the "Teach Yourself Estonian" CDs use native speakers or not.



2. Excellent book. Very well organized and learning with it is very interesting and pleasurable.
   I certainly recommend it!



3. PROS
   - Uses native speakers in the recordings
   - LOTS of exercises for a book of its type which are linked to the answer key at the back of the book. Exercises include asking for translations between English and Estonian, true-false listening comprehension questions and "fill-in-the-blank" sets.
   - Useful appendices on cases and Estonian-English/English-Estonian glossaries which include core case endings for each noun or adjective and hints of the conjugation pattern for each verb in the glossaries.
   - Some comments on Estonian culture that break the monotony of notes on linguistic matters.
   - The course's approach is best suited for tourists or people wanting practical or "relatable" situations as dialogues cover greetings, shopping, asking for directions, renting a car or talking about hobbies
   
   CONS
   - Questionable presentation of the imperative ("command" form - e.g. "Go to the store!" "Buy that loaf of bread!"). Because of consonant gradation (it's a type of sound change that involves consonants), constructing the imperative in Estonian is not as straightforward as in English. The authors show how to construct the imperative for informal situations involving one person at an early stage of the course. They then revisit the imperative in the final chapter of the book because constructing the other forms of the imperative depends on understanding consonant gradation which is a relatively difficult topic for a beginner. What's more is that the book never clearly explains how to construct imperative forms such as "let's go!" or "let them come to the party!". I had to consult a different book to figure out the full use of the imperative.
   - It doesn't explain how to use the pluperfect tense even though it does mention the tense's existence when first discussing the past tenses of Estonian. The course only goes into detail for two of them - imperfect and past perfect.
   - There's no mention of the oblique mood (i.e. how to conjugate verbs which are used to describe actions that were not observed by the speaker/writer. In other words, these conjugations are used for reported actions). However it's probable that the authors omitted mentioning it as its use is not expected in beginners.
   - There's very little discussion about Estonian sound length. The length of Estonian syllables can be short, long or "overly-long". However the course leaves the impression that syllables are either short or long. Not understanding how Estonian uses "overly-long" syllables may cause problems with understanding how to use different case forms which are distinguished by syllable length alone (it's usually genitive versus "short" illative).
   
   For example, 'linna' in print can mean either "of [the] town" (i.e. genitive case) or "into [a/the] town" (i.e. "short" illative - "normal" illative would be 'linnasse' but this "normal" form is used less frequently than the shorter form 'linna') Estonians however distinguish between 'linna' (genitive) and 'linna' ("short" illative) with syllable length. The first 'linna' meaning "of [a/the] town" is pronounced with the double "n" pronounced double (in other words it's long) as you would expect per the spelling. However, the second 'linna' meaning "into [a/the] town" is pronounced as if the double "n" were printed as triple "n" - in other words it's an "overly-long" syllable. Unfortunately Estonian spelling does not usually reflect the difference between long and "overly-long" syllables unless you deal with special dictionaries or certain textbooks for foreigners.
   
   When compared to its main competitor "Colloquial Estonian", "Teach Yourself Estonian" is a quantum leap ahead of the former. "Colloquial Estonian"'s shoddiness (see Amazon reviews of that course) is very apparent when compared to "Teach Yourself Estonian". I find that the main feature that sets "Teach Yourself Estonian" apart from other language courses in the "Colloquial..." or Teach Yourself..." series is the high quantity of exercises that allow you to practice or apply what you've learned. While Estonian grammar seems daunting to the target user (i.e. someone who's fluent in English), having the chance to do a lot of practice with the book's assigned exercises goes a long way with helping the user gain confidence via retention of the material and begin to approach Estonian study with a more positive attitude. Skimping on exercises doesn't do any favours for the prospective learner of Estonian.
   
   If you use this course, I strongly recommend that you also get at least one good English-Estonian/Estonian-English dictionary. The only ones worth getting are those published by TEA (FYI: TEA is a publishing house in Estonia that specializes in language courses and dictionaries) or edited by Johannes Silvet. If you can afford them, get both the English-Estonian dictionary and the Estonian-English dictionary that Silvet edited (each dictionary has about 1000 pages). Don't waste your time or money on Hippocrene's Estonian dictionaries that are edited by Ksana Kyiv and Oleg Benyuch. Those Hippocrene dictionaries are terrible and even the glossaries at the end of "Teach Yourself Estonian" are better than the junk that's published by Hippocrene. If you have a hard time understanding the grammar notes in "Teach Yourself Estonian" then get "Estonian Textbook: Grammar - Exercises - Conversation" by Juhan Tuldava. Tuldava covers the same grammatical topics as those in "Teach Yourself Estonian" but also deals with more advanced Estonian grammar and may provide a helpful second opinion that could help you understand Estonian grammar better.
   
   In conclusion, if this course had handled the cons in a better way, I would have then given 5/5 stars to the course. As it is I give 4.5/5 stars (Amazon won't let me give half stars so according to Amazon "Teach Yourself Estonian" still gets 5/5 stars from me).
   
   Have fun with this course!



4. I bought this book and some other materials based on a review here that seemed insightful. I can honestly say out of all the course material I've researched this is the best for learning Estonian language.
   
   FYI Estonian language learning is almost non-existent outside select universities.