What summer reading does the IDM team recommend?
Between work, headlines and everyday demands, reading often gets pushed aside. Summer is a chance to pause and sink into a book that stays with you.
Our team has put together a list of recommended titles, either by authors from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, or books that offer deeper insights into the region. The selections reflect not only personal interest but also the current geopolitical climate. Some may seem heavy for a holiday, but they are timely, thought-provoking, and worth the read.
The list includes a Romanian family saga shaped by 20th-century upheavals, testimonies from Ukrainian women during Russia’s invasion, Cold War espionage, and reflections on the Habsburg and Ottoman legacies. You will also find reportage on revolution in Iran and new political theory on the public sphere in the digital age. Whether fiction or nonfiction, these books speak to the challenges, and resilience of our region today.
Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary, 2025
Author: Victoria Amelina
Why should others read it this summer? Because it’s one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I’ve ever read. Sasha Dovzhyk gave it to me when I was in Lviv – she helped complete the manuscript after the author, Victoria Amelina, was fatally injured by a Russian missile while sitting in a pizzeria in Kramatorsk. At that point, Amelina had written about 60% of the book. Looking at Women Looking at War is a powerful collection of testimonies by Ukrainian women during Russia’s full-scale invasion. It offers intimate insights into survival, grief and quiet resistance. More than a literary achievement, it is a historical document. Reading it this summer is an act of empathy and awareness – a chance to engage with the human cost of war beyond the headlines. Amelina’s voice and the voices of the other women remind us that storytelling is resistance – and that memory is a responsibility.
Who would be particularly interested in it? This book is essential reading for anyone interested in human rights, Eastern Europe, or women’s voices in conflict. It offers valuable insights for scholars, journalists and activists alike. Readers of war literature or personal testimony will find it especially moving. By centering civilian and female perspectives, Looking at Women Looking at War challenges conventional war narratives and invites deeper understanding of Ukraine’s ongoing struggle.
Sebastian Schäffer, IDM Director
Zaira, 2008
Author: Catalin Dorian Florescu
Why should others read it this summer? Because Zaira is an adventurous, emotional and entertaining novel that spans decades and continents, blending personal fate with major historical upheavals. Born into a privileged landowning family in the interwar period in Romania, Zaira experiences the arrival of first the Germans and then the Communists, finally leading her to seek a new beginning in the US. The author depicts in Zaira a strong woman caught between courage and pride, between her memories and new reality.
Who would be particularly interested in it? Readers interested in Romanian / Central European history and identity will find Zaira especially compelling. It will also resonate with those who enjoy character-driven stories as well as reflections on memory and the question of belonging.
Sophia Beiter, Research Associate
A Spy Among Friends, 2015
Author: Ben Macintyre
Why should others read it this summer? Espionage isn’t just old hat – look at the contemporary Russian spy network uncovered in Europe earlier this year – but the old stories are sometimes the best. Carefully researched and skilfully retold by author Ben Macintyre, A Spy Among Friends is a true story from the Cold War that gives fascinating insights into the life of a top-ranking double-agent. Known to his colleagues as a loyal patriot, Kim Philby shared Britain’s secrets with the Russians and nearly got away with it. Why did no-one suspect him for such a long time – not even his closest friends? How was he finally exposed?
Once you’ve finished reading this one (which won’t take long), you can move on to The Spy and the Traitor – which is, if possible, even more exciting. Britain, too, had a high-level source in the Soviet Union. Espionage works both ways.
Who would be particularly interested in it? Fans of Ian Fleming and John le Carré. History buffs. Aspiring writers. Observers of humanity. Adrenaline junkies.
Rebecca Thorne, Research Associate
Ein neuer Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit und die deliberative Politik (A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and Deliberative Politics), 2023
Author: Jürgen Habermas
Why should others read it this summer? If you want to understand how democracy can adapt to the challenges of the modern digital age, Jürgen Habermas’ latest work is essential reading. Habermas’ original book The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere from 1962 analyzed how bourgeois public discourse emerged in early modern Europe and was later eroded by the rise of mass media and consumer culture. Now, six decades later, A New Structural Transformation responds to contemporary developments that further complicate the relationship between public discourse, political legitimacy, and democracy. In his latest book, Habermas revisits his influential theory of the public sphere (Öffentlichkeit), analyzing how social media, polarization, and global crises are reshaping public debate. He offers a powerful critique of the erosion of rational debate and proposes how deliberative democracy can be revived in an era of algorithm-driven communication and global crises.
Who would be particularly interested in it? Scholars and students of political theory, philosophy, sociology and media studies will find it especially valuable, as Habermas revisits and expands his influential concept of the public sphere. It’s also essential for those who explore how digital communication, algorithmic media and political polarization are reshaping public discourse.
Kamila Bogdanova, Research Assistant
Habsburg Empire: A waltz through past and present in the heart of Europe, 2025
Author: Giovanni Vali (as editor)
Why should others read it this summer? In summer, we love to travel – so why not take a trip back in time? Giovanni Vali, an Italian journalist living in Zagreb, invites readers to explore countries that don’t exist anymore – but traces of which can be found if you look close enough. After his first edited book about the Republic of Venice, he just published a new one about the Habsburg Monarchy – from Prague to Dubrovnik, from Bregenz to Lviv, and of course from Vienna to Budapest. Together with experts on Habsburg history, he travels around the former Danube Empire and shows how you can still spot the imperial legacy in everything from food to architecture, and how people today think about their shared history and culture. In a time of narrow-minded nationalism, this book offers a refreshing look at mixed identities and cultural influences across borders in Central Europe.
Who would be particularly interested in it? If you don’t want to spend your summer only in one nation-state, this book is definitely for you. It’s a great mix of history book and travel guide: Giovanni Vali visits, together with other experts, today’s countries and cities, but doesn’t just stay on the surface of modern national identities. Instead, he uncovers the often hidden, shared traditions and traces left behind by the imperial past. Anyone planning to travel through the former Habsburg lands and curious to discover surprising similarities and still-living traditions will find this book the perfect companion, even for a real trip, like a summer vacation. The book is also available in Italian.
Péter Techet, Research Associate
The Last Muslim Conquest: The Ottoman Empire and Its Wars in Europe, 2021
Author: Gábor Ágoston
Why should others read it this summer? We are often used to thinking about the Danube Region’s history only as a product of the interaction between three empires: the Habsburg, the Prussian and the Russian monarchies. However, this leaves out one even more ancient state: the Ottoman empire. In Europe, we see it as the historical enemy of Christendom, the emblem of Oriental autocracy and intrigue. Instead, in this book, Gábor Ágoston shows us how the Ottomans were an integral part of Europe, and theirs was, in many ways, a European empire. In a comprehensive narrative spanning four centuries and culminating in the siege of Vienna in 1683, you will explore the pivotal role of Constantinople in shaping the history of Central and Eastern Europe, from Zagreb to Kyiv. Along the story, you will learn about many aspects of Ottoman society, from its diplomatic and political life to the management of war, law and religion.
Who would be particularly interested in it? If you want to travel back in time to Early Modern Europe and see it from a different perspective, this is the perfect book for you. I’ll admit, it isn’t a short lecture, but that is out of necessity, not sloppiness, as the book is packed with information and stories collected by one of the most brilliant historians of the Ottoman empire. Those of you from the Danube Region might find in this book the perfect corrective against popular stereotypes from past (and present) nationalist narratives, while if you come from outside the region, The Last Muslim Conquest will be a tour de force in a world you probably didn’t know enough about.
Francesco Danieli, Research Assistant
Szachinszach (English: “Shah of Shahs”; German: “Schah-in-schah. Eine Reportage über die Mechanismen der Macht, der Revolution und des Fundamentalismus”), 1982
Author: Ryszard Kapuściński
Why should others read it this summer? Reportage holds a special place in Polish literature, much like crime fiction does in Scandinavian countries, and Kapuściński’s internationally acclaimed work stands at the very top, blending journalism, literary elements and profound human insight. Although Shah of Shahs was written over four decades ago and portrays the developments surrounding the Iranian Revolution, which Kapuściński witnessed firsthand, the book remains strikingly relevant today and offers valuable context for understanding the modern world. It explores how and why one regime gave way to another, and how the period of political vacuum failed to bring meaningful change. Kapuściński also uncovers recurring patterns of political upheaval, showing how power is shaped by both personal psychology and broader systemic forces.
Who would be particularly interested in it? From the description, it’s easy to assume that Shah of Shahs would primarily attract readers interested in politics, revolutions, protests and history. However, Kapuściński’s poetic storytelling and very accessible writing style make the book engaging even for a general audience, which was also one of the key reasons behind his international success.
Malwina Talik, Research Associate
