The book traces the history of communist Bulgaria from 1944 to 1989. A detailed narrative-cum-study of the history of a political system, it provides a chronological overview of the building of the socialist state from the ground up, its entrenchment into the peaceful routine of everyday life, its inner crises, and its gradual decline and self-destruction. The book is the definitive and the most complete guide to Bulgaria under communism and how the communist system operates on a day-to-day level.

Ivaylo Znepolski (Editor) is Emeritus Professor at the University of Sofia and Director of the Institute for Studies of the Recent Past, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Mihail Gruev is Head of the Bulgarian State Archive.

Momtchil Metodiev is Research Fellow at the Institute for Studies of the Recent Past, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Martin Ivanov is Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Sofia.

Daniel Vatchkov is Head of the Institute of Historical Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Ivan Elenkov is Full Professor at the University of Sofia, teaching the History of Bulgarian Modern Culture.

Plamen Doynov is Associate Professor at the New Bulgarian University.