When the current Ukraine war started, I realized I didn’t know much about the country’s history. This book did a great job filling all the holes in my knowledge and answered many of the questions I had about the relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

The bulk of this book is horrifying details about the suffering during the famine. I had no idea that Ukraine was the main supplier of food for the region. There was also a comment made by Putin recently about Ukrainians being Nazis. Through this book I learned that has been a frequent accusation over the years. When the Germans first showed up during WWII many hoped they would help them but soon learned that they were trading one dictator for another.

There are a few statements late in the book that I found very interesting. First, if Ukraine becomes too European the Russian people may start to ask why they can’t also. The other was that the Soviet leaders then and the Russian leaders now continue to use disinformation about Ukraine so they won’t be questioned about why the current Russian living standards are stagnant or justify the leaders’ wealth and power.

Very difficult but enlightening read.