Free to Hate: The Rise of the Right in Post-Communist Eastern Europe [Paperback]

Paul Hockenos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0415910587 | ISBN-13: 978-0415910583 | Edition: Rep Sub

Combining first-hand reporting, original documentation, and political analysis, Free to Hate is the first major work in English to investigate the rise of the ultra-nationalist and radical right-wing movements that have been sweeping Central and Eastern Europe since 1989. In this powerful volume, Paul Hockenos provides an account of the emergence and contemporary relevance of far right movements in countries including Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Poland. In addition, he discusses neo-Nazi youth subculture, anti-Semitism, racism, minority issues, and the revision of history in the post-communist states.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe was followed by a resurgence of nationalism that easily swelled into violence. Hockenos, Eastern European correspondent for In These Times , here conducts us on a sobering tour of a region newly "free to hate." Proceeding country by country, he offers a closely reasoned account not only of events but of the possible cause of right-wing ethnic hatreds. Fair-minded enough to present different theories, he finally concludes that the young thugs who perpetuate this violence--with the passive support of a surprisingly large percentage of their elders--are not alienated misfits but the legacy of "the authoritarian, petty bourgeois mindset that the state had nurtured." Hockenos does not rely solely on a journalist's knack for anecdote to convey his ideas; his text fairly bristles with facts and figures evidently gleaned from careful research and may therefore be a bit daunting to the average reader. Still, anyone interested in the fate of Eastern Europe will want to read this book.
- Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Paul Hockenos, the Central and European correspondent for In These Times, has written a pioneering and readable account of the rise of the extreme right in contemporary Eastern Europe.
–Washington Post Book World

Hockenos provides the best English-language account of how a neofascist underground developed in the self-avowed antifascist state.
–The Progressive

...Free to Hate is a detailed and well-reported survey of the emerging far right in Eastern Europe, a region where rabid demagogues have thrived since 1989. Hockenos has done a fine job of unravelling the right's many strains, connecting the different movements to their historical, religious or cultural antecedents....
–Toronto Globe and Mail

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Rep Sub edition (September 10, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415910587
• ISBN-13: 978-0415910583
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,347,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars nice fat one, November 22, 2001

By 

Barbara (slovenija) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free to Hate: The Rise of the Right in Post-Communist Eastern Europe (Hardcover)

like a year ago i start reading it and i didn't like it very much (actually i closed it after 3 pages).Now im doing a research on skinheads & i kind of have to read it...
and now that i really started reading it i like it!you really get to know the big picture and it is very nicely puted-even for me although i hate politics and stuff like that

so, if u are into things like that i recomand it-interesting stuff if u've got nothing else to do;)

4.0 out of 5 stars it stole my cheese, April 20, 2001

By 

rat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Free to Hate: The Rise of the Right in Post-Communist Eastern Europe (Paperback)

If you haven't read this book, you should. Being more of a politically dumb ignoramus, it helps to trace back what you've been missing about early 90's eastern europe...how close we are to breaking down the world now, by racial separation, bigotry and pure fascism. This is a fascinating book. Read it. Bonus: punx vs skins, all interested parties must take a look.