Eight books to better understand Ukraine

Kalani Pickhart is the recipient of research fellowships from the Virginia G. Piper Center and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Intelligence for Eastern European and Eurasian Studies.

She currently lives and writes in Phoenix, Arizona.

I Will Die in a Foreign Land is Pickhart's first novel.

At Electric Lit she tagged eight books about the fight for Ukrainian democracy. One title on the list:

The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy

“To understand the trends underlying current events in Ukraine and their impact on the world, one has to examine their roots.”

In The Gates of Europe, Harvard professor Plokhy gives a comprehensive history of Ukraine, starting in 45,000 B.C.E and ending in the war in Donbas, that highlights the long battle for sovereignty and identity. Complete with maps, a glossary of Ukrainian terms, and a “Who’s Who” section on major historical players, this book is a critical text for understanding Ukraine’s intricate and complex history.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Page 99 Test: The Gates of Europe.

--Marshal Zeringue