What makes a great book? An interesting story, strong descriptions, or maybe a good structure? Author Abby Innes hits all these marks and more in Czechoslovakia: The Short Goodbye where she gives an in-depth explanation of the history of the short-lived nation of Czechoslovakia.

In this book, Abby Innes does an outstanding job of showcasing the entire history of this country from its formation to the “Velvet Divorce” that separated it into the two states we know today The Czech Republic and Slovakia. I believe that she’s written this book in such a way that no matter the reader's knowledge of the topic there's always something for them to learn.

This book quickly snuck onto the list of my favorite books because of its amazing structure. Innes has done a fantastic job constructing the order of the topics featured throughout the book in a somewhat linear way that will make it easy for the reader to understand despite their possible lack of knowledge of Czechoslovakia. She first covers simple topics such as Czech and Slovak citizens arguing over the country to the geopolitical instability of the time period. 

I believe Czechoslovakia: The Short Goodbye is one of the best history books I have ever read. Whether it's because of its great structure or description of events it had me hooked in an instant, if you enjoy history I recommend you pick up this book from your local library asap!