The Russo-Ukrainian War

How did we get here? Serhii Plokhy, a professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University, looks for an answer to Putin’s irrational war in this important and magisterial account… He is excellent on the dangers of perverse history * The Times and Sunday Times Best Books for Summer *The foremost historian of Ukraine turns his attention to contemporary events. He argues that Russia’s invasion is an act of old-fashioned imperialism. Plokhy uses his historical perspective to provide an original erudite and very readable account of the roots of the war and its course so far – Gideon Rachman * Financial Times Best Summer Books *Vladimir Putin’s full invasion of Ukraine has made 2021 look like “vegetarian times”, to borrow Anna Akhmatova’s phrase. I’ll be spending three weeks among the scrabbly pitch pines of Cape Cod, and of the stream of new books about the war itself, I plan to bring … Serhii Plokhy’s The Russo-Ukrainian War (Allen Lane), for its historical perspective on Ukraine and the Russian imperial project – Rebecca Reich * TLS Summer Books *The great chronicler of Ukraine breaks new ground in his rigorous and elegant analysis of Europe’s biggest conflict since 1945. Wonderfully readable and deeply personal – Luke Harding * Observer *This magisterial book by a leading historian explains how long-held Russian imperial delusions lay behind the attack on Ukraine. It brilliantly outlines the dangers of perverse history – David Patrikarakos * The Times *Erudite, objective and immensely readable. A compelling rejoinder to those who, reductively, still blame Putin’s war of aggression on western provocations, and an expression of faith in Ukrainian resilience – Ben Hall * Financial Times *Plokhy, a Harvard historian who has authored many respected books, is himself Ukrainian… this book represents an impassioned plea for his country * Sunday Times *The world’s foremost historian of Ukraine… the chronicler of a country on the front lines of a seismic European war * Financial Times *Impressive and valuable… A clear, reliable and (in the circumstances) remarkably calm account of how we got here – John Simpson * Guardian *Plokhy has become an international celebrity. His books on Ukrainian history fly off the shelves as a domestic and international audience look to understand the history and culture of the country at the heart of the clash. His writings introduce readers to a history that is rarely taught in the West and explain the region’s complex and difficult past * Daily Telegraph *

Serhii Plokhy is the author of Chernobyl- History of a Tragedy, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Pushkin House Book Prize, and the New York Times bestseller The Gates of Europe. His many acclaimed books, including The Russo-Ukrainian War, Nuclear Folly and Atoms and Ashes, have been translated into over a dozen languages. He is Professor of History at Harvard University where he also serves as Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.