Customer Reviews

Borderland: A Journey Through The History Of Ukraine

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

A book both sweet and sour. Sweet in that it is a well written book on an oft neglected yet fascinating subject. As is often the case, a foreign land seen through the eyes of a visitor, makes for an interesting, revealing, and insightful read. Sour in that the author's point of view is often jaded, cynical, and superficial.

The book is an attempt at writing about complex geopolitical history in an approachable, easy, anectdotal way, and insofar as the book is enjoyable and engaging it is successful, but there are problems with this approach.

While professing a love of Ukraine and Ukrainians, Ukrainian heroes are given short shrift - branded as reactionary nationalists or self-serving opportunists and endowed with obligatory character flaws. Meanwhile, the shadows of Russian historiography loom large over the book, apparent in the coloring of the author's viewpoints - though to her credit, she is bright enough to see through some of the more blatant propaganda which many other authors and academics have blindly accepted. Her innate skepticism comes to her rescue, though often inconsistently.

In truth, it is not completely her fault, as the Russian version of Ukrainian history is the most widespread (the victors get to write the history). That said, one would think that a book devoted to Ukraine from a post empire, post soviet outlook would want to present the facts in a less biased, more informed manner, perhaps giving the Ukrainian version of history some much needed ink to balance the several hundred years of virtual Russian monopoly on Ukrainian history.

Whether intentional or not, and contrary to the author's stated feelings, the book casts Ukraine and Ukrainians in a largely unflattering light - corrupt, inept, devious, inferior, simple, anti-semitic.....all tired Russophile stereotypes popular since the days of Catherine. Never do we get a clear idea of the Ukraine the author fell in love with, or what makes it worthy of such devotion. Reid just cannot seem to give a compliment without following it with a bit of derision. Perhaps she is afraid of seeming biased? In my opinion she went too far the other way, leaving readers with an unsavory impression of the subject of her book.

Nevertheless, read the book for enjoyment or as an introduction to Ukraine. If you are after the historical facts, read Subtelny or Hrushevsky.

In this book, the author effectively presents the major points that have shaped the country that Ukraine is today, and presents it in an engaging style that is not only readable but that also leaves a lasting impression.

My wife is originally from Kharkov (in eastern Ukraine), and as a result, I have had the opportunity to visit the country a number of times. I felt that Reid accurately highlighted the cultural and economic differences that exist between the eastern and western parts of Ukraine, and which is a major influence in current Ukrainian politics. In the eastern half (or roughly east of the Dnieper river), Russian is primarily spoken and there is generally little animosity towards Russia. In the western half, however, Ukrainian is the language and speaking Russian can get you killed. Additionally, eastern Ukraine is more heavily industrialized than the agricultural west.

Reid also commented on how Ukrainians can switch between using Russian and Ukrainian in different social contexts and how these languages can be combined in everyday talk. My wife once told me that it would be a mark of honor on a person to be able to speak "true" Ukrainian, as opposed to limited Ukrainian with Russian words to fill in the gaps. Although Ukrainian is now the official language for the whole country, this law was made only recently and it remains to be seen how it will affect people's habits.

In the last chapter, Reid provides an interesting discussion of contemporary problems facing independent Ukraine, which primarily involve trying to stand tall in the face of neighboring Russia and make a name for themselves. Although the book was originally published in 1997, her commentary in this regard is still relevant today.

I have only two complaints with this book. First, and least important, I felt that her discussion of the events of the Russian Civil War and the end of the First World War was too rapid. This part of the book was simply a blur of dates and locations. Surely such a complicated interaction between Ukrainians, Poles, Austro-Hungarians, Germans, and Bolsheviks would deserve a more clear recount.

Secondly, and more importantly, my wife and I felt that Reid made a poor choice in the cover design for this book. A casual observer picking up this book may think that Ukraine is nothing more than a bunch of backward peasants tending to their livestock. More justice would have been done to the country by presenting a majestic scene from Kiev, or perhaps the Crimea or L'viv.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent book that concisely and entertainingly provides a good introduction to the history of Ukraine, which is sorely needed.

After reading many history books including this one, I have come to the conclusion that I am part of the "Ukrainian Diaspora". I say this up front so that the reader of this review can determine my 'bias' on the subject. My credentials are impeccable: Grandparents born in Ukraine towns, ending up in Germany after the war, displaced persons camps, eventually the U.S., etc.

A few quick impressions of this book:

* I have not read a book in recent times that was in such dire need of an addendum or afterward... something. I was in Ukraine in 2008 and can barely relate to what Anna Reid experienced. Don't get me wrong, I can visualize it. But her experiences were definitely not my experiences by any stretch. I was in many cities including Kiev, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Melitipol, and smaller villages as well. Orange Revolution anyone?

* It is amazing to read a book where I kept waiting for the crescendo of some fantastic point but only to find the chapter ending. Seriously. Is this something they teach in Journalism School? I was left to make my own conclusions, which based on her facts always seem to be: "Oh you silly Uke's. You don't have any real history, what are you getting so uptight about?"

With that being said, I really think Anna Reid did a fantastic job discussing Communism: the Kulak purges, the political famine, etc. If she is giving the 'Russian' version of events she doesn't seem to have a problem throwing the commies under the bus. At times it was hard to read because it churned my stomach. I feel fortunate to be able to trace my family tree and not find it ending in some Siberian gulag or a mass grave in a forest.

The World War II section was illuminating as well. Ms. Reid has some interesting historical stuff regarding the German attitudes towards the peasantry. As the Grandson of an 'Ostarbeiter' I felt like she was talking about my Grandma; anti-semitism and all.

She does seem to gloss over the Cossacks. After just finishing The Black Sea: A History it is hard to believe that this book doesn't give them short shrift.

Here is my bottom line: I would not give this book to a friend travelling to the Ukraine for the first time. I would rather they experience the hustle and bustle of Kiev. The warm breezes of Sevastopol along the Black Sea. Picking cherries near the sea of Azov. Upon returning they can read this book and compare it to their own experiences and flesh out their understanding of the region.

Certain parts of this book serve as a decent historical reference. Ms. Reid's commentary on the other hand... well it seems to be stuck in the past while Ukraine moves forward.

"Flat, fertile, and fatally tempting to invaders," Ukraina as literally translated means "on the edge" or "borderland," wrote author Anna Reid in the beginning of her excellent travel, political, and historical essay on Ukraine. An independent state for the first time with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has been on the border of various empires for centuries, at various times being split between Russia and Poland (from the mid 1600s to the late 1700s), Russia and Austria (throughout the nineteenth century), and Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Romania (between the two world wars). The fact that Ukraine is literally a borderland has resulted in two main things she writes; a legacy of wars, purges, and other violence, and a "tenuous, equivocal sense of national identity."

Reid takes the reader on a tour of Ukrainian history beginning with the medieval Kievan Rus kingdom, a civilization that gave rise to the later Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarussian peoples and languages (though it is still debated what the exact relationship between these groups are), civilizations that really started to widen in differences when the northern Rus fell under the sway of the Mongols and the southern Rus (the future Ukrainians) became dominated by the Lithuanians. From then on Ukraine's history was often a bloody one; between 1914 and 1921 1.5 million died thanks to World War I, the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war (during which there were two Ukrainian independence movements, both failing); the deliberate and cruel Stalin-ordered famines of 1932-1933 killed a fifth of the entire rural population or a total of 5 million people; many thousands of Ukrainians - out of a total number in the Soviet Union of 1 million executed and 2 million dying in labor camps - perished in the 1937-1938 purges; and 5.3 million died in the Second World War, or one in six of the entire population. The Chernobyl incident, which is also explored, may yet still claim lives.

Understandably lacking a national tradition (as for centuries there was no "Ukraine" nor were there "Ukrainians," with at various times Poles and Russians refusing to respect Ukrainian culture, history, or language or even at times acknowledging its existence), they have struggled to find historical figures to identify with. One figure Reid discusses at length is the Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky (hetman being a title), a controversial figure who has been different things to different people (to the Ukrainians he was the leader of the first Ukrainian war of independence; to the Poles he was the rebel peasant who split Poland and started the nation on its long slow decline; to the Russians he has been the man who led the Ukrainians out of Polish domination and into the arms of Muscovy). Another she explores is Taras Shevchenko, a 19th century writer that many believe single-handedly turned Ukrainian into a literary language and went a very long way - perhaps more than any other figure - into creating a sense of national identity. Another figure - though not a specific individual - Reid explores as part of the Ukrainian national conscious is the Cossack, a figure she notes that is not unlike the cowboy in the American tradition; outlaw, frontiersmen, pioneer, fighter, even ranging across the steppe in covered wagons, drawing them up in a circle against Tatar (rather than Native American) attack.

Reid tours the modern nation, showing more regionalism and variety than I knew existed in Ukraine. Far eastern Ukraine - the Donbass coal basin - is densely populated, heavily industrialized, and predominately Russian-speaking. The southern city of Odessa - on the shores of the Black Sea - is a largely unspoiled city of outdoor cafes, a city with a long multi-ethnic tradition that once attracted such persecuted minorities as Serbs, Greeks, Armenians, Mennonite Germans, and Bulgars. The far western city of Lviv is part of Galicia, a once Austrian-dominated region, home in the 19th and 20th centuries to most of Ukraine's dissidents, intelligentsia, and demonstrators. Chernivtsi, located in the shadow of the Carpathian Alps in extreme southwestern Ukraine, was ruled at various times by the Poles, Turks, Austrians, and Romanians, finally annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, is now no longer as multi-ethnic as it once was but still a beautiful region of mountains and forests, once a favored vacation destination. She visited Crimea, a Russian-dominated peninsula that has had some difficulty believing it is part of Ukraine and a land that was once a pretty much independent Tatar state loosely associated with the Ottomans until annexed by Russia in 1783.

So what does Reid believe the future hold for Ukraine? She thinks that the future is fairly bright for the country. While it had some serious problems going into independence, some of those very weaknesses were also strengths; the somewhat fuzzy sense of national identity (nowhere as near developed as it was in the Baltic states for instance) has worked in the country's favor in dealing with the large Russian minority. Given full citizenship upon independence, despite Ukrainian being made the official state language they were not required to take language tests to vote and the state even continued to fund Russian language schools. Reid also believed that the very bloodiness of Ukraine's history in the 20th century have lead many in the nation at a personal level to shy away from war and even politics.

Where Ukraine might falter is largely in matters economic. The mid 1990s found Ukraine beset by runaway inflation and huge budget deficits, extreme difficulties in privatizing industries, and its agriculture so inefficient that 80% of all farmland produces only 50% of the total agricultural output. Perhaps worse, near epic corruption and red tape has several hampered business and foreign investment (she gives an example, where 14 different permits were required to export a sock).

All in all though, the author feels hopeful about Ukraine's future. Its long-suffering people have certainly earned a break if its history is any judge.

Having spent 6 years living in Ukraine, spanning the same period as the author, I can attest to the accuracy of this well-written introductory history book and description of the country during those turbulent and exciting years following Ukraine's declaration of independence. Borderland is a comprehensive overview of Ukraine's complex, misunderstood and often-altered history. Main events and periods have been artfully distilled and interestingly embellished with stories of the author's own experiences living in the country, providing a great deal more than just the facts, but also a taste for the rich culture of the Ukrainian people. Though the book was written several years ago and Ukraine has changed somewhat since that time, the stories are still pertinent if not 100% accurate. In all, Borderlnad is an excellent travel companion and introduction to a fascinating country well-worth exploring.

This is a brilliant travelogue that in the best tradition combines both history and culture with tourism and contemporary issues. It is highly recommendable to anyone interested in Ukraine, but who is not necessarily a historian or of that ilk. Once you begin you will be transported to another world and another time. Enjoy!

First off, Ukraine means "Borderland" in Russian but not in Ukrainian. Uk-Ra-ii-Na goes back to pre-Akkadian Sumerian meaning "Gift of Sun and Moon" and further Ukraina was used before there was a Russia to be a "borderland" with. The Tsarist and Soviet regimes rewrote everyone's history to obliterate national and cultural identities. From writings of English composer Arnold Bax to Ukrainian writer Mykola Hohol' - Ukraina is truly "Gift of Sun and Moon" especially in May when the Nightingales return. And how about Kyiv (key-eve) and not Kiev?

This is a good example of a book about Ukraine written by a person with a Russian mindset - crucial points about understanding the Ukrainian culture, spirit and sense of independance are wrong. Buy and read this book if you want to know about all Russian misconceptions of Ukraine. Otherwise choose someone more knowledgeable. Two other reviewers made good points about what's wrong with the book, which you can notice even without reading it:
1) The explanation of the origin of the name of the country is wrong. This has been an issue of fierce scientific debates between true historians and pro-Russian communist pseudo-scientists who preferred to see Ukraine only as a border of the bigger Russain empire;
2) peasants on the cover of the book look really dirty, uneducated and backwards - like Ukraine doesn't have writers, scientists, cultural artifacts, national symbols over more than 2000 years of its history - well, there are millions of things she could have chosen for the cover of her book.
Sorry for the people reading this book and thinking they actually understand where Ukrainian sense of national identity and independence is coming from.

I purchased this book for research purposes (I needed some familiarity with Ukraine), and this book more than sufficed. Reid makes her book more of a narrative, providing glimpses at modern Ukraine as an introduction and conclusion to the sections of her history. For my purposes especially, this was invaluable.

The book is not only informative, but also enjoyable (something a non-historian like me found refreshing). Reid gives a face to the Ukrainian people, and does well at showing an outsider the past of the nation. It has certainly piqued my curiosity about Ukraine, and what started as a small bit of research has grown into a genuine interest in the region.

I think this book would be interesting to anyone, and is a great resource for those particularly interested in Ukraine.

Looking at the cover of this book, I immediately thought to myself that this is not Ukraine--not as I know her! The cover was an insightful indication of the biased rhetoric that was to follow.

The top cover photo is of two paupers (local characters), courtesy of the State Historical Museum in Moscow.

The bottom image on the cover is called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.

The back cover repeats the front, bottom photo called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.

Now, I ask the reader, why would a person put on a cover (and repeat on the back cover) of a book purporting to describe the history of Ukraine, photos from Russia and call the book a journey through the history of Ukraine?

According to the lavish review written by The Times on the back of the book, Anna Reid spent three years living in Kyiv as a reporter and is very clear-headed regarding Ukraine's history and its competing versions, including, according to Reid, its mostly invented heroes. It states that a wise government in Kyiv (Kiev) would give her a medal for this book. I ask: why would the Ukrainian government give Ms. Reid a medal for stating that Ukraine has mostly invented heroes?

The author's very obvious Russian slant/bias is apparent from not only the cover and page one of the book, where she opens with a quote from a Russian novelist and playwright, Mikhail Bulgakov (a Russian born in Kyiv, Ukraine to Russian parents), but continues throughout the book. Again, I ask why wasn't a quote used from a Ukrainian if the book deals with Ukrainian history? If the author wanted to quote Russians and use photos from Russia, why not write a book on Russia and give it a title with Russia in the name?

Of the ten chapters in the book, chapter two has a quote from Ukraine's bard Taras Shevchenko and also a traditional Ukrainian curse (which I've never heard, but encountered for the first time in this book). We, again, hear from Ukrainian bard Taras Shevchenko in chapter four's introduction, but his quote isn't deemed important/meritorious enough to stand alone, so a quote by Hugh Seton-Watson accompanies it.

In chapter nine, there is a quote from the chorus and first verse of the Soviet national anthem (eight lines) followed by two lines attributed to an unnamed Rukh leader. I ask: why are we forced to read lines from the Soviet national anthem in a book dealing with the history of Ukraine?

Chapter ten has a quote from Gogol. Most people still think, erroneously, that he was a great Russian writer. However, to her credit, Ms. Reid does state much earlier in the book (chapter three) that Gogol was a Ukrainian--please see my review (Amazon.com) of Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian and Russian Nationalism, where I state: Gogol (Hohol) was a Ukrainian born in the Poltava region of Ukraine. Gogol, a Ukrainian, became a great Russian writer--this anomaly resulted in studies over the decades. Edyta M. Bojanowska, Ph.D., Harvard University, offers her analyses of this nineteenth-century writer from a new perspective, giving convincing arguments and reflecting critical thought in the process. Dr. Bojanowska teaches (is a Lecturer on Slavic Languages and Literatures) at Harvard University, where she was a Junior Fellow at the Society of Fellows. Her book is available on Amazon.ca and on Amazon.com--buy it, read it, and become enlightened--Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian and Russian Nationalism.

Why not quotes from Ukrainians like Ivan Franko (a Ukrainian scholar, publicist, poet, political and civic leader, publisher, novelist, literary historian, and nationalist, who had Lviv University renamed in his honor. He had over 6,000 books in his personal library; he completed over 5,000 translations for sixty authors in 14 languages. In 1956, UNESCO sponsored the centenary of his birth, an event that was noted internationally.) Franko is just one example--why not quotes from Lesia Ukrainka, Olha Kobylianska, or other Ukrainians?

Ms. Reid likes to give her Russified version of events, followed by her phrase--the Ukrainian version of events, of course--which implies that the Ukrainian version is in all cases wrong and something to be dismissed and ridiculed.

She describes her drive from Khortytsya Island in Zaporizhya and compares the landscape, which was covered in snow, to an over-exposed black-and-white photo. Maybe Ms. Reid should have taken that photo and used the photograph on the cover of her book. It would have depicted the steppes of Ukraine and Ukraine's chornozem (on its website, the Embassy of Ukraine describes chornozem as meaning black earth--it has become internationally recognized and refers to Ukrainian soil, celebrated as the most fertile possible. Because of her fertile land, Ukraine was once known as the Breadbasket of Europe.).

In this book, you can't venture far without derogatory remarks and comments, such as those stating that the Cossacks weren't up to much--they were, according to Reid, violent, drunk, failures, and even made fun of by Gogol in his classic, Taras Bulba.

Let me first of all address the issue of Cossacks (Kozaks). Everyone should view the video entitled, Ukraine: Ancient Crossroads, Modern Dreams. In my review of that video on Amazon.com, I quote from the movie where the narrator explains that the Cossacks financed the building of churches, brought developments to the region, and held off the bondage of serfdom--they did more than just fight and dance, as typically described! This must-see video is available through interlibrary loan, or for purchase on Amazon.com.

Regarding Ms. Reid's reference to Gogol and Taras Bulba, Professor Bojanowska addresses this issue expertly in her scholarly study (Harvard University Press) entitled: Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian and Russian Nationalism. Pages 271-279 are rich with references, quotes, and scholarly insight. She states that Bulba was a savvy political leader who promoted an ideology--rather than just follow one. Further, she states that the portrayal of Bulba by Gogol is more complex than just an affirmation of his actions and values as commonly assumed. Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian and Russian Nationalism is available through interlibrary loan, or for purchase on Amazon.ca and on Amazon.com.

As another example of disparaging discourse on Ukraine, Ms. Reid describes Shevchenko's grave and uses the word hideous to describe the monumental bronze statue, which stands today. I propose to readers that the word hideous is Ms. Reid's description. That she thinks it's hideous is really of no interest to me. When I read a history of a country, I like to read the facts, not someone's opinion and biased description.

A disparaging comparison from Ms. Reid is in her statement that the title of a Polish marching song is Napoleonic; however, similar words open the present-day Ukrainian national anthem--this time, she refers to the words as less-inspiring.

Ms. Reid could have added some prose describing Ukraine in a favorable light--others have--instead, her depictions are as drab as the cover of her book. Though she quoted both Clarke and Kohl, you won't find passages in her book quoting favorable passages from them. Edward Daniel Clark, of London, England, said that each Ukrainian owner had the finest oaks leading up to his door. J. G. Kohl, a noted German scientist who traveled in Ukraine in 1837-38, said that in Ukraine nature was simply beautiful, and that Ukrainians lived in well-kept houses, which smiled at you. That Ms. Reid chose to exclude favorable comments such as those above, and decided instead to include a drab cover with Russian paupers (implying that they are Ukrainians) does a distinct disservice to Ukrainians!

Visitors to Ukraine came from many corners of the earth, both far and near: Russian writers Tolstoy and Checkhov; English author Ethel-Lilian Voinich; and, American writers William Saroyan, John Reed, and Mark Twain, to name a few.

Her derogatory descriptions continue as she refers to the Banderivtsi as fanatical and Stepan Bandera as a leader of a terrorist unit. The Encyclopedia of Ukraine describes Bandera as a politician, revolutionary, and ideologue of the Ukrainian nationalist movement. I submit that the words fanatical and terrorist unit have no place in this discussion if it's to remain truly objective and depict historical events. The Encyclopedia of Ukraine is the most comprehensive work in the English language on Ukraine, its geography, economy, history, people and cultural heritage. A team of scholars and editors from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) (University of Alberta/University of Toronto) created the website and update and maintain it. Specialists from around the world (in the hundreds) contributed and continue to contribute to the Encyclopedia of Ukraine.

For readers who want a true, unbiased history of Ukraine, an excellent 150-minute video called The Ukrainian Experience covers Ukraine's history in five parts: part 1: From Antiquity to the Rise of Kiev (Kyiv); part 2: From the Fall of Kiev (Kyiv) to the Rise of the Hetman State; part 3: From the Ruin to the 1905 Revolution; part 4: Modern History of Ukraine; and, part 5: The Diaspora and Ukrainians in Canada.

This video is Ukraine's history from the founding of Kyiv (Kiev) to the recent Declaration of Independence as told by Roman Onufrijchuk, lecturer and writer with the Department of Communications at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C.; it's enhanced with colorful visuals, anecdotes, pathos, humor and music. This series was produced during 1992 as a Centennial Project by: the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, B.C. Provincial Council, #208 - 1015, Burrard St., Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 1Y5, phone: 604-687-2052.

Another excellent source for impartial information on Ukraine's history is Professor Orest Subtelny's (published to international acclaim) Ukraine: a History. Orest Subtelny is a Canadian historian of Ukrainian descent, and a Professor at the Department of History and Political Science, York University, Toronto, Canada. Please read my review of his fourth edition, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

There are good sources of information on Ukraine's history; unfortunately, Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine falls far short of a good reference source. As I read through some of the reviews, seeing statements that stated that the reviewer purchased the book for research purposes because he/she needed some familiarity with Ukraine, and that the book more than sufficed--I cringed! A person doing research needs material that is factual, not something that is laced throughout with subjective, biased comments.

Consider another review on Amazon.com, which states that the book gives a wonderful, condensed history. I submit that there is nothing wonderful about biased. This person refers to Ukraine as two words (the Ukraine)--I cringed some more!! By the way, the name of the country is one word: "Ukraine," the phrase: "the Ukraine" is incorrect!

Another reviewer says that some historical inaccuracies in the book exist, but a person can assume that the data was supplied by Polish and Russian sources, and otherwise the book is good for a reader to get an introduction to Ukraine's history. May I suggest to the author of this review that, as he/she states, some historical inaccuracies, do not otherwise make it a good book.

I wonder whether this A Customer is the same one that I encountered on Amazon.com when I wrote a rebuttal review of Ukraine: Ancient Crossroads, Modern Dreams? A Customer in his/her review recommended that readers save their money since that video taught him/her nothing about the Ukraine, the countryside, the people, or the culture. My review, in part, reads: Ukraine (Ancient Crossroads, Modern Dreams) is a must-see video! Not only is it recommended by the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies, but the university also offers a free loan (call 614-292-8770, or write to Keisel.1@osu.edu). For a complete review/debunking of the review of A Customer, please go to that page and read my review. Ukraine: Ancient Crossroads, Modern Dreams is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

A Customer's review states that Borderland is an excellent book, and that the author is very perceptive and knowledgeable. It's interesting that when A Customer writes a review, his/her Amazon account is closed so that when you mouse over that name, no profile appears. I do believe that this person puts out false/misleading information, and then conveniently disappears so that answers won't be forthcoming to legitimate questions.

A very serious question: how is it that A Customer has three reviews of this book posted on Amazon.com? They're dated: May 16, 2000 (2 stars), July 24, 2000 (5 stars) on Amazon.com, and February 15, 2001 (5 stars).

Is this the same person, closing an account, only to reopen it a short while later so that he/she may continue to write reviews and influence the rating system, while at the same time the reviews appear scattered, so that they don't attract attention that maybe it's the same person writing all three reviews? And, to make a reader think that it's three different reviewers, A Customer inserts a 2-star review so as not to draw attention to the fact that maybe it's the same person writing all three reviews--two of them 5-star reviews. This way, A Customer tilts the star rating in favor of the book. Since there are so very many A Customer entries when you search the profiles of reviewers, that pseudonym doesn't attract attention.

Imparting truthful information is one thing; imparting biased information is inexcusable. The author used credible sources/references to conveniently lure the unsuspecting reader into a complacent belief that the rest of the words that follow are objective reporting (an exception is chapter six on The Great Hunger [Holodomor]--it is a good one, and merits reading). This could have been a remarkable `journey through the history of Ukraine'; unfortunately, the author squandered her opportunity by littering the avenues of knowledge with transparent biases and subjective slants, making words suspect and untrustworthy--and, each time an unsuspecting reader opens her biased book, the damage and defamation will continue!