Borderland: A Journey through the History of the Ukraine FROM THE PUBLISHER
Borderland tells the story of Ukraine. A thousand years ago it was the center of the first great Slav civilization, Kievan Rus. In 1240, the Mongols invaded from the east, and for the next seven centuries, Ukraine was split between warring neighbors: Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, Austrians, and Tatars. Again and again, borderland turned into battlefield: during the Cossack risings of the seventeenth century, Russia's wars with Sweden in the eighteenth, the Civil War of 1918-1920, and under Nazi occupation.
Ukraine finally won independence in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Bigger than France and as populous as Britain, it has the potential to become one of the most powerful states in Europe. In this book, Anna Reid combines research and her own experiences to chart Ukraine's tragic past.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Journalist Reid (former Kiev correspondent for the and the ) recounts Ukraine's history in a narrative that combines research and personal accounts gathered from conversations with Ukrainians from all walks of life. Relating the tragedies of the past to the dilemmas of the present, she provides an accessible history that manifests her personal appreciation of the people and conveys the tragedies and travesties that occurred under Communist rule. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)