An Orange Revolution: A Personal Journey Through Ukrainian History

I found this book in The Globe bookshop in Prague. Was intrigued by the title and the subject matter. Like the writer, I had been in Kyiv at the time of the Orange Revolution; though I had not played a role, as this journalist had.
I had followed most of the events from Moscow with a sense of bewilderment, that the powers that be allowed events to unfold as they did. But only when I read this book did I understand just how close to violence on the streets of Kyiv Ukraine had come.
There are other interpretations of events further back, the role of the Ukrainian nationalists in the second world war is described very differently by the historian Norman Davies, for instance, but the author makes it clear his account is based on his own family history.
A British-born journalist from a Ukrainian emigree family, this could never be a completely unbiased account. The book, published in 2006, has already become dated by the latest twists and turns of Ukrainian politics since the Orange revolution.
May I suggest Askold Krushelnycky to add a couple of new chapters to show how the story has unfolded since.

For anyone interested in the region's history, fascinating background.

A people steeped in history (0/1 people found this helpful)

This book goes a long way towards explaining the complexity of Ukraine, a nation that is divided in accepting or rejecting the different identities the world knows of it. Is it the craddle of Russian civilization that includes present day Ukraine, Russia and Belarus or is it the frontier(eastern Ukraine in particular) where eastern slavs (progenitors of Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusiians) escaped to from suppresive powers of overloards (Poland and Russian princes, or is it the center where a new set of Russians-western Ukriane (Ukrainians or Ruthenians or Little Russians) came into being from the amalgamation of foreign influnces (Polish, Lithanian, Slovakian, Austria,Hungaria etc)?

From Gogol's work-TARAS BULBA one can get a picture of how easterners view themselves as Ukrainians (orthodox,eastern slavonic who fraternalise with their other eastern slavonic brothers) and who have been prominent in Russian or east slavic history(Yermak, Krushchev, Breshnev etc). UNION MOUJIK is another that gives a clearer picture of the divide. Two brothers in the same house with one brother stressing on their roots and those they share common roots with(east), and the other brother attaching importance to the influences picked up in the past(west)

A Fascinating, Enchanting read (2/3 people found this helpful)

An Orange Revolution is a book written by an author with a personal tale to tell as well as the tragic tale of the history of the people of Ukraine. The book first guides the reader through the history of a country that has faced invasion and persecution from the monguls thru to the Nazi's and Communist's and finally to the granting of independence and the Orange revolution when Ukranians discovered the true meaning of freedom. This fast paced read gives a great account of the principle actors in the revolution and how a corrupt state, run by a handful of criminals with the Russian Bear looking on was toppled by people power and a man the state tried to poison - Victor Yushenko - who with his political ally with the princess looks - Yulia Tymoshenko - won an election they were meant to lose.

An Amazing Gripping Book (3/3 people found this helpful)

I was unable to put this book down, regularly almost missing my stops on the train, this book provides an interesting and amazing journey into ukraine and its politics.

A page turner (3/3 people found this helpful)

It's rare to find a page-turning book about history that integrates the author's personal background and also illuminates current events. "An Orange Revolution" is that kind of book. Reading it kept me up long into the night.

An Orange Revolution: A Personal Journey Through Ukrainian History

Askold Krushelnycky

Reader Reviews:

A personal return (0/0 people found this helpful)

A people steeped in history (0/1 people found this helpful)

A Fascinating, Enchanting read (2/3 people found this helpful)

An Amazing Gripping Book (3/3 people found this helpful)

A page turner (3/3 people found this helpful)

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