Ukraine

The Forging of a Nation

Contributors

By Yaroslav Hrytsak

Formats and Prices

Price

$17.99

Price

$22.99 CAD

A “pioneering and fundamental” (Timothy Snyder) new history of Ukraine from one of its leading public intellectuals

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the world witnessed the “creative, freewheeling, darkly humorous, and deeply resilient society” that is contemporary Ukraine. In this timely and original history, a bestseller in Ukraine, the historian Yaroslav Hrytsak tells the sweeping story of his nation through a meticulous examination of the major events, conflicts, and developments that have shaped it over the course of centuries.
 
Hrytsak weaves a rich and detailed tapestry of a country in continual transformation.
 
Ukraine is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand Ukraine’s dramatic past and its global significance–from the 17th-century Cossack uprising to the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and Ukrainian independence, and from the evolution of the Ukrainian language to the warning signs that anticipated Russia’s 2022 invasion. This book is the definitive story of Ukraine and its people, as told by one of its most celebrated voices.

  • "Hrytsak’s book is set in a global context that extends beyond Ukraine’s relations with Russia, Poland or even Europe as a whole...honesty and common sense … are the book’s trademark.” 
    Financial Times
  • “Essential reading for understanding the intricacies of the country and the underpinnings of its current conflict...[Hrytsak] skillfully executes this ambitious project… He's also meticulous and humble, noting where previous histories may have over- or understated certain facts or figures, and he's careful to mention historical gaps or conjecture.”
    Shelf Awareness
  • “Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak’s vivid, sweeping book lays bare the enduring pride that persuaded his countrymen to resist Russian aggression and offers grounds for hope.”
    The Observer
  • “A sweeping new history... an enlightening history intended for serious readers...a grim but expert history.”
     
    Kirkus Reviews
  • “Both pioneering and fundamental. This is the essential history of Ukraine, from one of the greatest Ukrainian thinkers and scholars.”
    Timothy Snyder, #1 New York Times bestselling author of On Tyranny

On Sale
Jan 23, 2024
Page Count
448 pages
Publisher
PublicAffairs
ISBN-13
9781541704619

Yaroslav Hrytsak

About the Author

Yaroslav Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and public intellectual. Professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Hrytsak has taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities and was a guest lecturer at the Central European University in Budapest. He is the author of many historical books, including several bestsellers and the recipient of numerous national and international awards. He has spoken at institutions throughout the US including the University of Michigan, the New School, and the University of North Carolina, and has written opinion pieces for many publications including The Times, the New York Times and Time Magazine.

Learn more about this author