Scan barcode
trixster33's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Expansive overview of Ukraine from pre 1700s to post USSR
sam12213's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
Me oh me oh my what a fucking slog!
Hate to say it but this just wasn't interesting until the last 100 pages or so. Before that, it is an interminable jumble of random names and events that seem barely connected. Plokhy has a tendency to simply take nation states and polities as actors by themselves, presenting them with agency in his narrative, which is the exact opposite of the kinds of histories I like to read.
That is a personal thing, but even then it is bewildering to me how this book does not cite anything - especially as it is written quite academically. Seems like Plokhy is just riding his clout here of being a very eminent historian, but it was still very puzzling.
And yeah overall the worst part of this is that it fundamentally doesn't tell you anything. It's really too brief to serve as an in-depth history, and the moments in which the book does attempt to make a point are quickly undercut because of the incessant need to move on to the next wacky event or character. For the record: this book deals with the entire post-WWII Soviet history of Ukraine in a chapter-and-a-half. That's mad! (Although it is also why the book gets better as it goes along, and the chronological scope narrows and becomes more pointedly focused on the contemporary Ukrainian situation at the time this was published)
Anyway, read this if you know jack shit about Ukraine and love arbitrary collections of names!!
Hate to say it but this just wasn't interesting until the last 100 pages or so. Before that, it is an interminable jumble of random names and events that seem barely connected. Plokhy has a tendency to simply take nation states and polities as actors by themselves, presenting them with agency in his narrative, which is the exact opposite of the kinds of histories I like to read.
That is a personal thing, but even then it is bewildering to me how this book does not cite anything - especially as it is written quite academically. Seems like Plokhy is just riding his clout here of being a very eminent historian, but it was still very puzzling.
And yeah overall the worst part of this is that it fundamentally doesn't tell you anything. It's really too brief to serve as an in-depth history, and the moments in which the book does attempt to make a point are quickly undercut because of the incessant need to move on to the next wacky event or character. For the record: this book deals with the entire post-WWII Soviet history of Ukraine in a chapter-and-a-half. That's mad! (Although it is also why the book gets better as it goes along, and the chronological scope narrows and becomes more pointedly focused on the contemporary Ukrainian situation at the time this was published)
Anyway, read this if you know jack shit about Ukraine and love arbitrary collections of names!!
1yourmom1's review against another edition
5.0
I look forward to the next revision of this text or perhaps even another book more closely covering the last 30 years of Ukraine. The history of the region shed a lot of light on the current war and views of the war throughout the world. I would encourage anyone interested in “why we should support Ukraine” to take the time to pick up this book and read at the very least, the second half of the book.
loar's review against another edition
4.0
Takový jemný rychloúvod do historie Ukrajiny a přilehlého okolí.
K audioknize jen tolik, že mě v druhé půlce štvalo, když vypravěč četl citace z dokumentů s východním přízvukem. (Jo a jak se tam pořád zmiňuje Galicia, tak je to česky Halič, chvíli trvalo, než mi to docvaklo
K audioknize jen tolik, že mě v druhé půlce štvalo, když vypravěč četl citace z dokumentů s východním přízvukem. (Jo a jak se tam pořád zmiňuje Galicia, tak je to česky Halič, chvíli trvalo, než mi to docvaklo
gj377's review against another edition
3.0
Having enjoyed Plokhy's Chernobyl book, and considering current world events, I was keen to pick up Gates of Europe in order to understand more about Ukraine's history, beyond its nuclear legacy. From Tatars to Cossacks to Oligarchs, Plokhy aims to cover hundreds of years of Ukrainian history, and using the history to frame the modern Ukrainian state (up to 2015).
The book tries to deal with notions of nationality, ethnicity, and identity, and indeed, the task of nation-building in regions that have undergone continual change, and constantly-shifting borders over the centuries. While there are many interesting parts to the book - a lot of which gives context to current events - the book is overly dry, and a real slog to read in places.
The hopeful endnote of the book, published in 2015, only feels like a knife in the back of Ukrainian optimism, given the current political climate, and the war with Russia.
Something to dip into over time if you are interested. Plokhy's Chernobyl book is much more accessible.
The book tries to deal with notions of nationality, ethnicity, and identity, and indeed, the task of nation-building in regions that have undergone continual change, and constantly-shifting borders over the centuries. While there are many interesting parts to the book - a lot of which gives context to current events - the book is overly dry, and a real slog to read in places.
The hopeful endnote of the book, published in 2015, only feels like a knife in the back of Ukrainian optimism, given the current political climate, and the war with Russia.
Something to dip into over time if you are interested. Plokhy's Chernobyl book is much more accessible.
braddy7's review against another edition
4.0
Due to the current invasion of Ukraine, I wanted to learn more about the history of Ukraine. It is clear that the history of Ukraine is complicated. I struggled through most of the history until the modern era. It was hard to keep it all straight. I would like to go back through it and try to get a better grasp of the history and the implications of that history. In the end, I was saddened by the way this group of people has been treated.