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wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Ukrainian history is complex and very vast, encompassing a very great part of Europe’s Eastern flank. Many a familiar title, and name gets brought up in all those battles, struggles, incredible, and unlikely victories in Ukraine’s history, as they fought to be and remain a sovereign nation.
My Opinion: Silver lining, if faded by the events that brought it up, is that my love for history is truly getting satisfied, as this is the only way I feel anywhat useful. Ukraine has a strange, and in some aspects even unique history. Not all is shiny and pure, but all of our histories at some point, without exception, are covered in blood of others. I highly recommend this book. From the start of it all, to Euromaidan.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Ukrainian history is complex and very vast, encompassing a very great part of Europe’s Eastern flank. Many a familiar title, and name gets brought up in all those battles, struggles, incredible, and unlikely victories in Ukraine’s history, as they fought to be and remain a sovereign nation.
My Opinion: Silver lining, if faded by the events that brought it up, is that my love for history is truly getting satisfied, as this is the only way I feel anywhat useful. Ukraine has a strange, and in some aspects even unique history. Not all is shiny and pure, but all of our histories at some point, without exception, are covered in blood of others. I highly recommend this book. From the start of it all, to Euromaidan.
anneofgreenplaces's review against another edition
4.0
This was both sobering and enlightening to read right now. It really drove home how the current conflict in Ukraine is more or less a continuation of conflicts over Ukraine's national identity that have gone on for centuries, with the latest tensions being strongly shaped by the ghost of the USSR and Russian imperialism--but when it wasn't the Russians, it was Vikings, Mongols, Poland/Lithuania, Ottomans, Austria, Germany...plus rivalries between Orthodox and Catholic and the attempted union between the two, the Muslim Ottomans/Crimean Tatars; and Ukrainian Jews, who could literally never catch a break even well before Hitler rolled in with the Holocaust (and if you needed any reminders that it is a serious tossup who was more evil, Stalin or Hitler, the 1930s in Ukraine is just one); and throw in conflict between the landowning classes, the Cossacks, the peasants, and eventually the Bolsheviks and the various nationalists...that's just a sample of all the forces at work in this often tragically violent multicultural mosaic. The book was written expressly to provide historical context for the current conflict, and succeeded. I can't judge how strong the bias is toward the Western-oriented Ukrainian identity; it read pretty objectively to me overall despite this explicit sympathy. It was written in 2015 so necessarily feels painfully unfinished; it would even if published today, of course. Still, I would be very curious to read an addendum or updated edition that incorporates the most recent escalations. As for readability, it reads like a well-written textbook: dense but accessible, with a good amount of structure and reminders of main takeaways. Luckily I wasn't aiming to pass any exams on the firehose of names, dates and places, just to get an overview and hope some of it sank in, which I think it did.
filaret526's review against another edition
4.0
There is a ton of detailed information in this book! It took me quite a while to finish it. Well researched.
james2529's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating history of Ukraine. It centers a region and nation that is so often seen as being on the fringes of larger powers. Highly recommended.
goroshyna's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Книга «Брама Європи» читати всім.
А якщо чесно, то мені сподобався комплексний підхід до переказування історії України. Не знаю, як в інших школах, а мені особисто ніхто ніколи не пояснював, що варяги і вікінги — це одне й те саме. Здається, це така очевидна інформація, але я її не знала. Якщо орієнтуватися лише на підручники, то історичні діячі постають максимально безликими, але завжди орієнтованими на розвиток української держави. Це те, про що говорив Тімоті Снайдер: країни подають власну історію як щось неминуче. Таке було й моє враження після шкільного курсу. Проте в «Брама Європи» пропонує не ідеалізовану версію подій, і я точно буду перечитувати деякі розділи.
А якщо чесно, то мені сподобався комплексний підхід до переказування історії України. Не знаю, як в інших школах, а мені особисто ніхто ніколи не пояснював, що варяги і вікінги — це одне й те саме. Здається, це така очевидна інформація, але я її не знала. Якщо орієнтуватися лише на підручники, то історичні діячі постають максимально безликими, але завжди орієнтованими на розвиток української держави. Це те, про що говорив Тімоті Снайдер: країни подають власну історію як щось неминуче. Таке було й моє враження після шкільного курсу. Проте в «Брама Європи» пропонує не ідеалізовану версію подій, і я точно буду перечитувати деякі розділи.
erikars's review against another edition
4.0
This book takes a regional approach to the history of Ukraine. That is, instead of looking at the history of any particular ethnic, religious or national group, it looks at the region of modern Ukraine and examines the history of the region across many groups.
What emerges is a portrait of Ukraine as a permeable boundary, a gate: it's a place where nomads met more settled populations; a place where different ethnic groups met, clashed, and merged; a place where Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity, and Islam all had both political and religious influence. It was a place where east meets west, and a place where authoritarianism met (and in continues to meet) democracy.
This multifacted nature of Ukraine leads to a history that cannot be simplified down to a single narrative of "This is the true nature of Ukraine. These are the true Ukrainians." Instead, we see groups with shifting allegiances, countries with different claims to the lands that make up Ukraine, the ebb and flow of independence.
Throughout it all, we see the emergence of a Ukrainian identity based on a shared sense of history and geography. The emergence of this identity was, in a way, artificial: it was driven by the intentional actions of a set of people who spread a sense of Ukrainian identity. However, given the complex, interwoven history of the nation, the important takeaway is that any sense of shared regional identity will be a bit artificial in that sense: it's a deliberate choice about which elements of the identity to promote over others. In that sense, the Ukrainian identity is the most true because, unlike other competitors, it is the one that the people freely chose for themselves.
Written after Russia's aggression in Crimea but before Russia's current war of aggression against Ukraine, this book provides valuable historical insight into the current violence.
What emerges is a portrait of Ukraine as a permeable boundary, a gate: it's a place where nomads met more settled populations; a place where different ethnic groups met, clashed, and merged; a place where Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity, and Islam all had both political and religious influence. It was a place where east meets west, and a place where authoritarianism met (and in continues to meet) democracy.
This multifacted nature of Ukraine leads to a history that cannot be simplified down to a single narrative of "This is the true nature of Ukraine. These are the true Ukrainians." Instead, we see groups with shifting allegiances, countries with different claims to the lands that make up Ukraine, the ebb and flow of independence.
Throughout it all, we see the emergence of a Ukrainian identity based on a shared sense of history and geography. The emergence of this identity was, in a way, artificial: it was driven by the intentional actions of a set of people who spread a sense of Ukrainian identity. However, given the complex, interwoven history of the nation, the important takeaway is that any sense of shared regional identity will be a bit artificial in that sense: it's a deliberate choice about which elements of the identity to promote over others. In that sense, the Ukrainian identity is the most true because, unlike other competitors, it is the one that the people freely chose for themselves.
Written after Russia's aggression in Crimea but before Russia's current war of aggression against Ukraine, this book provides valuable historical insight into the current violence.
bookstagram_rach's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that contains so much information you didn’t know you needed. I picked it up to understand the war right now in Ukraine better and it provided so much more.
The book begins at the very beginning, literally. And explains the whole history of the region. What it provides is a general overview of the history and themes that have carried through from the beginning, like the Cossacks and being a country with steppes and forests. The beauty of this book is that it provides a very readable history of the entirety of Ukrainian history. The obvious downside is that some parts seem like a very quick overview. However, I think Plokhy did what he set out to do better than most historians which attempt it. The book was infinitely readable and enjoyable and provided a myriad of insights that’s applied not just to history but also explain the current conflict.
I studied Russian and Russian history and there was basically zilch about Ukraine. This book was a long time coming and very much needed in the empire dominated discourse.
The book begins at the very beginning, literally. And explains the whole history of the region. What it provides is a general overview of the history and themes that have carried through from the beginning, like the Cossacks and being a country with steppes and forests. The beauty of this book is that it provides a very readable history of the entirety of Ukrainian history. The obvious downside is that some parts seem like a very quick overview. However, I think Plokhy did what he set out to do better than most historians which attempt it. The book was infinitely readable and enjoyable and provided a myriad of insights that’s applied not just to history but also explain the current conflict.
I studied Russian and Russian history and there was basically zilch about Ukraine. This book was a long time coming and very much needed in the empire dominated discourse.
teibrich's review against another edition
4.0
I am not a big fan of history books, so this one was definitely a challenge for me. At times a bit lengthy, but overall a great and enjoyable read about Ukraine