Politics & Government
![Serhii Plokhy - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001H6KWTU.jpg)
The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History
An authoritative history of Europe's largest military conflict since World War II, from the New York Times best-selling author of The Gates of Europe.
Despite repeated warnings from the White House, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. Why did Putin start the war―and why has it unfolded in previously unimaginable ways? Ukrainians have resisted a superior military; the West has united, while Russia grows increasingly isolated.
Serhii Plokhy, a leading historian of Ukraine and the Cold War, offers a definitive account of this conflict, its origins, course, and the already apparent and possible future consequences. Though the current war began eight years before the all-out assault―on February 27, 2014, when Russian armed forces seized the building of the Crimean parliament―the roots of this conflict can be traced back even earlier, to post-Soviet tensions and imperial collapse in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Providing a broad historical context and an examination of Ukraine and Russia's ideas and cultures, as well as domestic and international politics, Plokhy reveals that while this new Cold War was not inevitable, it was predictable.
Ukraine, Plokhy argues, has remained central to Russia's idea of itself even as Ukrainians have followed a radically different path. In a new international environment defined by the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the disintegration of the post–Cold War international order, and a resurgence of populist nationalism, Ukraine is now more than ever the most volatile fault line between authoritarianism and democratic Europe.
Despite repeated warnings from the White House, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. Why did Putin start the war―and why has it unfolded in previously unimaginable ways? Ukrainians have resisted a superior military; the West has united, while Russia grows increasingly isolated.
Serhii Plokhy, a leading historian of Ukraine and the Cold War, offers a definitive account of this conflict, its origins, course, and the already apparent and possible future consequences. Though the current war began eight years before the all-out assault―on February 27, 2014, when Russian armed forces seized the building of the Crimean parliament―the roots of this conflict can be traced back even earlier, to post-Soviet tensions and imperial collapse in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Providing a broad historical context and an examination of Ukraine and Russia's ideas and cultures, as well as domestic and international politics, Plokhy reveals that while this new Cold War was not inevitable, it was predictable.
Ukraine, Plokhy argues, has remained central to Russia's idea of itself even as Ukrainians have followed a radically different path. In a new international environment defined by the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the disintegration of the post–Cold War international order, and a resurgence of populist nationalism, Ukraine is now more than ever the most volatile fault line between authoritarianism and democratic Europe.
Editorial Reviews
"An utterly compelling account, deeply personal, persuasively authoritative, surely the must-read book for this challenging moment."
― Philippe Sands, author of East West Street
"The essential book about the Russia-Ukraine war―superb, accessible and erudite―by the world's chief expert. The must-read work."
― Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity
"For those trying to understand the roots of the war in Ukraine, there is no better guide than Serhii Plokhy. It's impossible to make sense of the Russian invasion of 2022 without knowing something of the history―recent and less recent―and the struggle for Ukrainian national identity; this compelling and lucid book illuminates both."
― Lindsey Hilsum, author of In Extremis
"Insightful.... Readers aiming to follow the fighting should read the daily news, but for a complete picture, this is the book."
― Kirkus Reviews, starred review
― Philippe Sands, author of East West Street
"The essential book about the Russia-Ukraine war―superb, accessible and erudite―by the world's chief expert. The must-read work."
― Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity
"For those trying to understand the roots of the war in Ukraine, there is no better guide than Serhii Plokhy. It's impossible to make sense of the Russian invasion of 2022 without knowing something of the history―recent and less recent―and the struggle for Ukrainian national identity; this compelling and lucid book illuminates both."
― Lindsey Hilsum, author of In Extremis
"Insightful.... Readers aiming to follow the fighting should read the daily news, but for a complete picture, this is the book."
― Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Readers Top Reviews
Gabriel SteinG
A compelling description of Russian and Soviet geopolitics and analysis of the decision of the Putin dictatorship to initiate the invasion of Ukraine.
B. J. Willing G
This is a detailed history of events leading to this war and and the eventssince it started. To me it is essential reading, even if it is in a small font. Buy it. You will not be disappointed.
Daniel McNeilB. J
Every perspective helps to aid in understanding the complexity of the Ukrainian situation. This book is timely and scholarly.
R. NykyforukDanie
Kudos to Mr Plohky for this history book on Ukraine written in an excellent detailed and chronological manner. Every segment of Ukraine’s development, struggles to survive starting in the mid 1550s and onward with onslaught by Muscovy, Poland, Lithuanian, Ottomans, Hapsburgs, Nazis, Bolsheviks and lastly ruthless Communists was well presented and the travails of survival were also clearly described. Being in Central Europe, Ukraine was the envy of surrounding countries and ruthless onslaught, starvation, deportation of Ukrainian people by Czars, Communists never allowed Ukraine to enjoy of breath of freedom. Mr. Plohky explains the hardships and difficulties Ukraine endured during its embryonic growth of true freedom since 1992 and the adjustment to capitalism, freedom and shedding the yoke of communism , corruption, lies, and empty promises lasting for more than 80 years. This cancer of communism/socialism is hard to get rid of, yet the human spirit, nationalism, culture and religion survived! Unfortunately now the criminal and mindless war and destruction of Ukraine continues with tyrant Putin. Hopefully Ukraine will finally win, survive and flourish and not be betrayed by the West as it was in the past with worthless treaties signed by Russia who can never be trusted. To thy own self be true! An excellent book that should be read by people to better understand what Ukraine was, is and will be again. Слава Україні!
Kim ZussmanR. Nyk
I highly recommend professor Plokhy's well researched and timely book about this terrible imperial war. It gives a thorough, compelling, and objective treatment of the history leading up to the original invasion in 2014 and the current conflagration. This book should be required reading for US congress members and other Western leaders - especially those on the right who (at best) believe the US should not be helping Ukraine, or (at worst) naively admire Putinist Russia. The argument that this conflict is distant and not "our problem" fails when understanding Putin's goal to ressurect the Soviet union and re-subjugate Eastern Europe - preventing former Soviet rump states from continuing or seeking democratic governments. Democracy - flawed though it may be but where votes actually count and every political opponent is not murdered or imprisoned - is a big threat to the chief mafia capo of Russia. Western leaders should understand that Putin's hybrid warfare does not stop in Eastern Europe. His goal is to assemble an empire counterpoised to the "decadent West", and to make a shambles of the West with disinformation, hacking, propaganda, and other means. Russia's current non-representative kleptocratic government with ritual/rigged elections would seem less abominable if people in other countries buy Russian disinformation suggesting their systems are no different. Hopefully "The Russo-Ukrainian War" will soon be translated to Russian and made available online for those in Russia who again, as in Stalin's era, face repression and prison for seeking truth. For that matter this book should also be translated to Mandarin for open minded people of that other police state.
