The Golden Age Shtetl

One of those books that changes everything you think you know. The author makes these points:
1) In 1790, Russia started taking over Poland
2) Polish magnate-owned towns had all kinds of people and lots of Jews who ran businesses and fairs
3) Russian nationalism set in around 1840, effectively destroying the towns, which then became the dirt-poor shtetls that modern Jews think are beloved
Lots of new archival material. Very interesting if you like Eastern European history.