This chronologically organized survey of Vienna from its origins to the present does not presuppose any advance knowledge of Central European history. Accenting the cultural, political, and social influences, the authors cover all of the major periods of development: the Roman settlements, the medieval residence of the Babenbergers and the early Habsburgs; the Turkish sieges; the Reformation and Counter Reformation; the culture of the Baroque court; reforms of the Enlightenment; the lifestyle of Viennese Biedermeier; political and cultural transformations in the age of Emperor Francis Joseph; interwar Vienna; the Nazi occupation; post-World War II four-power occupation; and the development of the city from 1955 till today. In all cases the authors show how past historical events and developments still influence the city today. Special attention is given to the development of traditions and attitudes which are peculiar to Vienna and the Viennese.

The historian Lonnie Johnson provides in compact form a comprehensive overview of Austria's rich past and present. Each chapter and subchapter approaches Austria's diverse, thousand-year-old heritage from a different perspective to illuminate its essential features. In detailing Austria's turbulent history from 1918 to the present, controversial issues are presented objectively and without oversimplification. Overall the book conveys a differentiated picture of the country and its people which gives readers a feeling for the continuity and change of the Austrian idea.

This historical survey of Central Europe covers a region that encompasses contemporary Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends contains a new epilogue-updated to cover events since 1995-and several redesigned or updated maps. Each chapter is thematically organized around issues or events that are important in helping students develop an understanding of the region's internal dynamics. Johnson illuminates the competing religious, cultural, economic, national, and ideological interests that have driven the history of Central Europe. Thorough, objective, and focused, Johnson's work stands out as both a useful core text covering an area of growing interest and a brilliant account of a region that is only just beginning to receive the attention it deserves.