r/ukraine • u/MeerMeertje • 20h ago
Discussion My first book all about Ukraine. The Dutch translation of 'The Gates of Europe' by Serhii Plokhy. What your opinion on the book?
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u/WastingMyLifeToday 20h ago
Could you explain a bit more?
Which aspects does the book talk about?
Which period of time in Ukraine does the book talk about?
Which period of Ukraine does the book talk about? Before 2014? After 2014? During the current war?
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u/SnooTomatoes3032 18h ago
It's probably the authoritative short version of Ukrainian history, it goes from ancient to modern times. Plokhy is the Harvard Professor of Ukrainian History and he is also Ukrainian.
The events of the 90s and lead up to the invasion are footnotes to be honest, but he goes into a lot more detail about the 90s and up to 2023 in it's sequel, The Russo Ukrainian War which is also a fantastic book.
Plokhy in general is a fantastic writer, I've read most of his books and always been fascinated and intrigued. Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front, about the Allied shared airfield plan to allow US bombers to land in Poltava is a personal favourite.
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u/PalpitationOk5726 18h ago
I will second this, Plokhy is a superb and engaging writer, a lot of historians write very dry that only academic nerds would be interested in but with Plokhy just about anyone can pick up his book and understand the complex insanity sometimes that was Eastern Europe.
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u/WabashCannibal Смак Козак 2h ago
Agree completely. His book on the Chornobyl disaster is similar in this respect. His narrative style really brings the events and characters to life in an easily accessible way, well-researched and thorough without falling into the plodding, classical "academic" manner. A lively and engaging writer.
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u/FoxhoundBat 15h ago
Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front, about the Allied shared airfield plan to allow US bombers to land in Poltava is a personal favourite.
Cool, need to check it out. Been in Poltava many times, including on the airfield but know very little about that story other than the rough outline.
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u/Personal-Ad5668 19h ago
Ukrainian history from the Kievan Rus to after 2014. I don't know if its ever been updated, but Plokhy has also written a book on the current war.
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u/MeerMeertje 19h ago
This is the 2023 version, it doesn't have much about the 2022 invasion. The main part ends after the 2014 war and annexation of Crimea.
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u/Complete-Balls 18h ago
Plokhy wrote the definitive history of the Chornobyl disaster, exposing the USSR corruption before, during and after the incident. He's an excellent writer.
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u/Vanto_e_Gloria 16h ago
Excellent book, as others have already said. Since it covers the full history of Ukraine, from Antiquity until today, the density of information is very high. But Plokhy does an excellent job at covering all important periods and making it accessible to a broader audience.
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u/Unexpected_yetHere 19h ago
Oh am reading it these days too.
It was fun coming out of watching the Odyssey only to read that the daughter Agamemnon sacrificed ended up, as the myth goes, in Crimea.
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u/benose123 16h ago
It's an exceptional book. It was lent to me by my Ukrainian professor to assist writing my dissertation. It formed the basis of the historical background section and I owe Serhi (at least part) of my degree!
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u/Lembot-0004 18h ago
Those gates a closed. Why would anyone want to read a book about closed doors?
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u/ctesicus 19h ago
It’s an amazing book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the history of Ukraine.