Travel to Belarus And Ukraine

Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine

Format: Paperback
Author: Anna Reid
ReleaseDate: June, 2000
Publisher: Westview Press
Rating:

Great History
This small country has gone through so many changes, and been under so many other countries leadership, finally winning their independance. While it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, this book gave a wonderful condensed history of the Ukraine. It makes you appreciate our own history.

A Truely Novel History
This work reads like a fine novel. Never would I have thought that a history could be so enthralling. The author has extensively researched her subject. The book was read in preparation for a visit to the Ukraine. Having read Borderland provided a basis for understanding the contempory politics and attitudes of the country whose National anthem begins with "Hope in the Ukraine is not yet dead. "!!! A must read for anyone interested in the Ukraine or the post USSR conditions of previous soviet border states.

Totally misleading book
Buy and read this book if you want to know about all Russian misconceptions of Ukraine. This is a good example of a book about Ukraine written by a person with a Russian mindset - crucial points about understanding the Ukrainian culture, spirit and sense of independance are wrong. Otherwise choose someone more knowledgeable. Two other reviewers made good points about what's wrong with the book, which you can notice even without reading it:
1) The explanation of the origin of the name of the country is wrong. This has been an issue of fierce scientific debates between true historians and pro-Russian communist pseudo-scientists who preferred to see Ukraine only as a border of the bigger Russain empire;
2) peasants on the cover of the book look really dirty, uneducated and backwards - like Ukraine doesn't have writers, scientists, cultural artifacts, national symbols over more than 2000 years of its history - well, there are millions of things she could have chosen for the cover of her book.
Sorry for the people reading this book and thinking they actually understand where Ukrainian sense of national identity and independence is coming from.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Belarus And Ukraine travel books.

	Ukraine: The Bradt Travel Guide
	Ukraine (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)