Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ajtaylor 's review for:
Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine
by Anne Applebaum
The Harrying of Ukraine
Anne Applebaum’s Red Famine is an excellent and important work on the Bolshevik’s theft and then war on Ukraine. Covered up and denied by the Soviets and Western Left-leaning commentators until the late 1980s this is an important scholarly work to place the Holodomor in memoriam.
I was drawn to this book following the recent events in Ukraine and the recommendation of the great historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. It did not disappoint. There is so much information blocking into here, I learnt a lot about a country and a period of history that I am completely not familiar with. Ukraine (meaning ‘borderland’) is a place, has a history, a people and an identity. Although under the Russian Empire and breaking free in the revolution of 1917, the worst was to come after capitulation and then harrying by the Bolsheviks. Their hatred, jealously and incompetence is shown as they drove a people and a nation into the ground through collectivisation and persecution. Then the cover up began with its equally terrifying results. Only such an oppressive and cruel could have gotten away with this, as Applebaum even states they weren’t even sorry for it in later years. It’s all here, a poignant story which only gets worst with Nazi invasion.
I have discussed recently with socialist friends this episode in history and I would argue that I did not find this book biased, it simply presents the facts, which are backed up. Others such as my friends my disagree. However, for me this is history at its best.
My criticism would be the book continues just too long as Applebaum toes up the narrative. I felt the point was made about the impact, denial and the coverup and how it effects modern Ukraine and Russia way before the book concluded. However, more facts are better than less. There’s a lot to be learnt and it has definitely peaked my interest in the area and the period. Great work.
Anne Applebaum’s Red Famine is an excellent and important work on the Bolshevik’s theft and then war on Ukraine. Covered up and denied by the Soviets and Western Left-leaning commentators until the late 1980s this is an important scholarly work to place the Holodomor in memoriam.
I was drawn to this book following the recent events in Ukraine and the recommendation of the great historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. It did not disappoint. There is so much information blocking into here, I learnt a lot about a country and a period of history that I am completely not familiar with. Ukraine (meaning ‘borderland’) is a place, has a history, a people and an identity. Although under the Russian Empire and breaking free in the revolution of 1917, the worst was to come after capitulation and then harrying by the Bolsheviks. Their hatred, jealously and incompetence is shown as they drove a people and a nation into the ground through collectivisation and persecution. Then the cover up began with its equally terrifying results. Only such an oppressive and cruel could have gotten away with this, as Applebaum even states they weren’t even sorry for it in later years. It’s all here, a poignant story which only gets worst with Nazi invasion.
I have discussed recently with socialist friends this episode in history and I would argue that I did not find this book biased, it simply presents the facts, which are backed up. Others such as my friends my disagree. However, for me this is history at its best.
My criticism would be the book continues just too long as Applebaum toes up the narrative. I felt the point was made about the impact, denial and the coverup and how it effects modern Ukraine and Russia way before the book concluded. However, more facts are better than less. There’s a lot to be learnt and it has definitely peaked my interest in the area and the period. Great work.