The Czech Republic is, in relative terms, the second most attractive tourist destination in Europe. In 1996, 110 million visitors were expected to either drive, fly, or take a train across the border to visit the Republic; over half of these were expected to visit Prague. Over 20 million of these visitors were from English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. The recent popularity of the Czech Republic gives little indication of its troubled past. After seven centuires of independent existence, the Czech state became a province of the Hapsburg Empire for 300 years. Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918, and occupied by the Nazis between 1939 and 1945. The country was further occupied by the Soviets between 1968 and 1989. The "Historical Dictionary of the Czech State" gives the interested researcher a well-rounded overview of this Central European region. It includes a chronology, notes on spelling, acronymns and abbreviations, as well as two detailed maps. A necessary acquisition for libraries supporting European studies....