The History of Ukraine

by Paul Kubicek

Ukraine's struggle for a national identity plagued this former Soviet Union state long before the Cold War shook the world. Its central location between Eastern Europe and Western Asia invited many different cultures to settle the land, ultimately populating a powerful early medieval society known as Kievan Rus. However, readers will learn how Kievan Rus's Golden Age quickly crumbled with decades of Mongol invasions, Polish-Lithuanian occupation, and Russian empirical ruling. Explore how Ukraine flirted with independence in the early 20th century, only to be quickly taken over by harsh Soviet rule in 1922. Despite its independence from the USSR in 1991, devastating consequences of the socialist rule have allowed the world to witness Ukraine's ceaseless efforts to attain a stable government, struggling through the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko, rigged elections, and the Orange Revolution. Kubicek's survey is comprehensive and concise-a perfect resource for high school students and undergrads, as well as general readers looking to further their knowledge of this up-and-coming nation.

Genres: History, Ukraine

220 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jason Offord · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Clif notes overview of history of Ukraine, though could use a revision to include the past 14 years.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It delivered what I wanted- a general overview of Ukrainian history. It is clearly designed for more current foreign policy people, because the most recent 20 years takes up 2 chapters while seemingly monumental events like the Soviet famine and Nazi invasion are dispensed with in paragraphs.

[Jonathan]

There are more things I came to know after I reading this. Ukraine got worst wars from Bolshveks, Mongols, Turks, Polish etc., Its still fighting for its identity, most confusing people, confusing philosophy, mostly the country didn't have the patriotic leaders their leaders are from Russia, Germany, Europe countries.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these Greenwood histories. They are simply written, written for students, and free of the abstract accoutrements which consistently muddy current ways of presenting the past to the reader. You want a fowkin' historee of mahdern You-krane? You gots it.

[Yifei Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

翻譯略拉胯，整體詳今略古，有關橙色革命前後的情況寫得較為詳盡，可與Plokhy書參看。

[Laisky · Rating 4 out of 5]

介绍了乌克兰民族性的形成，以及他历史上是如何与白俄罗斯、俄罗斯（基辅罗斯）分化，并与波兰-立陶宛帝国分道扬镳，最终在苏联体制下形成统一的民族认同和语言文化，在苏联解体后的民主化进程中屡受挫折，走过衰退动荡的二十年。在今天被俄罗斯试图分裂和占领，希望尽早翻过这黑暗的一夜，slava ukraini！