Borderland: A Journey Through The History Of The Ukraine: A Journey Through the History of the Ukraine

Overall it is a good book derived from the authors experiences (& opinions) on Ukraine. The author obviously has a lot of knowledge about the subject - Ukraine in this case - based on her travel experiences, etc. But, I cannot help think that the book is somewhat biased.

I wouldn't qualify this as a history book. It's more like a "her story" book. I would love to see another book written about the same subject from a different prespective. Don't get me wrong, the book contains a lot of facts and useful information but I wouldn't qualify this as a history, or reference book.

On the other hand, it would be impossible to be completely neutral when writing about history. The author chooses to focus more on the tragedies & mishaps that have happened to the country and its people (it's undeniable that the country's history has been filled with those, but there is no reason to just concentrate on them). I suppose it's typical of today's mentality ( e.g., on the news) where people tend to concentrate more on the bad things that happen in a particular country (you'd hardly hear about some faraway country on the news until something bad/tragic has happened).

I also feel that because the author comes from western background, she tends to "look down" on the ways the Ukrainians handle their own affairs. Different strokes for different folks, as they say!

Whether Ukraine chooses to maintain close relationship with Russia, or whether it decides to build new relationship with other countries (Western Europe, America, etc.) it would be just as good for them. Either option will carry its rewards & costs. Both Russia and the Western European countries/America would have their own agendas/motives anyway - none of which will include a genuine concern for the welfare of Ukrainian people. However, the author, in a very subtle manner, tries to steer the readers in one direction in this book...Still overall it's a good book (not too many books are written about Ukraine out there!)

All the best to Ukraine!

Good read overall (17/17 people found this helpful)

I am a Ukrainian from Kyiv myself and I purchased the book while searching for a guide to my country for some friends of mine, who plan to visit. I would like to commend the author on her good work - the book is well-written and quite captivating (I started flipping through the pages and ended up reading the entire book). Also, it is clear a lot of background research went into it. Finally, I am thankful for the book as such as there is so little popular information on Ukraine published yet. Couple of clarifying remarks are still in order, in my opinion. Firstly, the depiction of Ukraine in the book is quite dated. Kyiv, for one, has changed dramatically since ten years ago (when the material of the book was gathered) - mostly for the better. Also, invariably for a non-scientific history book, a lot of views and perceptions of the author are subjective. That's what makes the book interesting and readable, but also that is why the book should not be used as a proper guide to a Ukrainian history (The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson is one of my picks, apart from the classical history books published by Ukrainian historians). My final comment is that Anna Reid seems to have discovered many Ukraines - Polish, Russian, Austrian, Jewish, Romanian ones (reflecting my country's history and the wonderfully diverse ethnic and cultural heritage), but I feel that Ukrainian Ukraine is yet to be fully discovered and appreciated by the author... Perhaps Anna should come and visit Ukraine again and update the book?

If only more history books were like this! (5/6 people found this helpful)

This is a lively account of the history of the Ukraine full of interesting anecdotes and details. The first chapter is about Kiev; it was fascinating to read how different it was in 1993 when the author went there, ten years on it is a lovely western city that bears little resemblance to the place she describes. Reading 'Borderland' gave my visit a historical perspective and filled in the gaps in my knowledge. It has a strong sense of narrative, so visiting the Ukraine isn't a prerequisite for enjoying the book.

History rather than Travel (7/7 people found this helpful)

I bought this book thinking it was a travel book, expecting to find descriptions of mountains, forests and adventures with bears and strange people. Instead it is a comprehensive history of an eastern European crossroads, an area that has been involved in very many political expansions, empires and revolutions. I'd never before seen this important chunk of history centred on this part of the world; I was amazed at how Anna Reid's very readable account made sense of many events about which I'd previously read as peripheral events.

Amusing yet tragic. (7/7 people found this helpful)

When colleagues at work found me reading a book about Ukranian history they thought I had gone round the bend. At best they considered that I was just showing off. Before to long, however, it was these very same people who would steal it off me and quote extracts to their friends.

What makes Anna Reid`s book such a great achievement is the way she is able to transform what could have been a pretty stodgy historical account into a jolly good read. At times it verges on the anecdotal yet one is never far from a well documented tragic flip side.

Borderland: A Journey Through The History Of The Ukraine: A Journey Through the History of the Ukraine

Anna Reid

Reader Reviews:

Good read, but somewhat biased... (1/2 people found this helpful)

Good read overall (17/17 people found this helpful)

If only more history books were like this! (5/6 people found this helpful)

History rather than Travel (7/7 people found this helpful)

Amusing yet tragic. (7/7 people found this helpful)

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