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A review by larry1138
The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History by Serhii Plokhy
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.75
I listened to the Audible audiobook version.
Serhii Plokhy has written an engaging and authoritative recounting of the history of Russia and Ukraine that then feeds into a well-researched recounting of the first year of the Russo-Ukrainian War. I knew much of what was stated in this book because we've all lived through the very current events that it covers, but I was very satisfied with the historical narrative that Plokhy weaved to show how Ukraine (Kiev) and Russia (Moscow) have been entangled and disentangled throughout their history, and how that history feeds into the current conflict.
This book piqued my interest in studying old eastern European history focusing on the kingdoms of Kievan Rus, Muscovy, Novgorod, Crimea, and the other kingdoms around Poland, Romania, and the Baltics. But until a "Shortest History of" book comes out for these, I'll settle for great books like this one to fill in the gaps. The current tragic war in Ukraine is due to some factors that go back hundreds of years and others that only occurred in 2021. Plokhy's strength is to provide the reader with a satisfying and conclusive narrative that ties together all these factors to make sense of a superficially senseless conflict. That's just the first part of the book, which is incredible in it's own right, covering Russian and Ukrainian history from the very first kingdoms to the machinations of the Russian empire, Cold War politicking, and the fall of the Soviet Union into the modern iterations of both nations.
The latter part of the book is an accurate and engaging war story, recounting the maneuvers and politics of the war from February 2022 until spring 2023 at publishing (pre-Pregozhin insurrection, though I would love to see an updated epilogue addressing that particular bit of the war). Ukraine watchers will recall the events of Snake Island, the battle at Hostomel airport, the sinking of the Moskva, the Bucha massacre, and various other events large and small mentioned here. For those who haven't followed the war closely, this book may be your first introduction into what modern warfare actually looks like in the 2020s, and what geopolitical analysts account for when observing military and political leaders of nations in conflict.
A very high recommend for me for anyone who wants to get to know the Russo-Ukrainian War in better detail, both from a historical perspective and from a tactical and strategic conflict analysis perspective.
Serhii Plokhy has written an engaging and authoritative recounting of the history of Russia and Ukraine that then feeds into a well-researched recounting of the first year of the Russo-Ukrainian War. I knew much of what was stated in this book because we've all lived through the very current events that it covers, but I was very satisfied with the historical narrative that Plokhy weaved to show how Ukraine (Kiev) and Russia (Moscow) have been entangled and disentangled throughout their history, and how that history feeds into the current conflict.
This book piqued my interest in studying old eastern European history focusing on the kingdoms of Kievan Rus, Muscovy, Novgorod, Crimea, and the other kingdoms around Poland, Romania, and the Baltics. But until a "Shortest History of" book comes out for these, I'll settle for great books like this one to fill in the gaps. The current tragic war in Ukraine is due to some factors that go back hundreds of years and others that only occurred in 2021. Plokhy's strength is to provide the reader with a satisfying and conclusive narrative that ties together all these factors to make sense of a superficially senseless conflict. That's just the first part of the book, which is incredible in it's own right, covering Russian and Ukrainian history from the very first kingdoms to the machinations of the Russian empire, Cold War politicking, and the fall of the Soviet Union into the modern iterations of both nations.
The latter part of the book is an accurate and engaging war story, recounting the maneuvers and politics of the war from February 2022 until spring 2023 at publishing (pre-Pregozhin insurrection, though I would love to see an updated epilogue addressing that particular bit of the war). Ukraine watchers will recall the events of Snake Island, the battle at Hostomel airport, the sinking of the Moskva, the Bucha massacre, and various other events large and small mentioned here. For those who haven't followed the war closely, this book may be your first introduction into what modern warfare actually looks like in the 2020s, and what geopolitical analysts account for when observing military and political leaders of nations in conflict.
A very high recommend for me for anyone who wants to get to know the Russo-Ukrainian War in better detail, both from a historical perspective and from a tactical and strategic conflict analysis perspective.