The Baltics are overwhelmingly rich in history, art and culture. Any preliminary reading, viewing or listening you can do will help you get the most from your trip. For more information on any of these books, visit your favorite bookstore or check out amazon.com; for video information, go to imdb.com. Rick Steves guidebooks are available at our Travel Center in Edmonds and also on our website's Travel Store.
Recommended Reading
Non-Fiction
- Estonia and the Estonians — Toivo U Raun
- The History of the Baltic States — Kevin O'Connor
- Lenin's Tomb — David Remnick
- Russia and the Russians: a History — Geoffrey Hosking
- A Short History of Finland — Fred Singleton
- A Concise History of Finland — David Kirby
Fiction
- Truth and Justice (Tode ja Oigus) — Anton Hansen Tammsaare
- Spring (Kevade) — Oskar Luts
- Trading Air, Czar's Madman, The Conspiracy and Other Stories — Jaan Kross
- The Kalevala — Elias Lönnrot
- The Seven Brothers — Aleksis Kivi
- Under the North Star, and Unknown Soldier — Väinö Linna
- The Brothers Karamazov — Fyodor Dostoevsky
- The Bronze Horseman — Alexander Pushkin
- The Master & Margarita — Mikhail Bulgakov
- Nevsky Prospekt — Nikolai Gogol
General Europe
- Europe 101 — Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw: History and art overview for the traveler; humorous and easy to read.
- Innocents Abroad — Mark Twain: Humorous classic recounts an American group's 1867 "Grand Tour" through Europe and the Holy Land.
- Civilisation — Kenneth Clark: BBC-TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else. BBC-TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else.
- Connections — James Burke: Fascinating book and TV series that links historical events and scientific discoveries across the centuries.
Rick Steves' Travel DVDs
For a fun, informative preview of your next tour destination, watch a DVD from our "Rick Steves' Europe" TV series! Our online Travel Store has 80 shows available on 12 DVDs (a generous four to eight shows per disc).
Films With an Accent
Finland: Drifting Clouds (1996); The Man Without a Past (2002)
Estonia: Spring (Kevade) (1969); Names in Marble (2002)
Russia: White Nights (1985); The Thief (1997); Russian Ark (2002)
Mood Music
Finland: Jean Sibelius; Ulla Pirttijarvi; Mattarahku Askai (new age/folk); Trio Toykeat (jazz); Suomi/Findland (classical composers)
Estonia: Arvo Pärt; Eduard Tubin; Kirile Loo; Untsakond (new age/folk), Hedvig Hanson (jazz); Violinist Camille (pop combined with classical); Jaaaar; Sabbatum (rock)
Russia: Pyotr Tchaikovsky; Dmitri Shostakovich; Igor Stravinsky; Viktor Tsoy and his band (classical); Icon; Leningrad (hard rock); Songs of Old Russia (folk); White Knights (soundtrack)
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