Customer Reviews

Ukraine in Pictures (Visual Geography (Twenty-First Century))

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I was actually hoping for a "coffee table book" with lots of glossy pictures of Ukraine. This is more like a research book for teens doing school papers, and it would be great for that. There are quite a few pictures but they are mostly small. It does give a good overview of the country (history, culture, economy, etc.) and is up to date (copyright 2006 with a weblink to get current stats). I bought it for my husband (who traveled to Ukraine twice this year) just to fill in some background and history. He breezed through it on the plane and liked it. It is not a travel guide and the maps are very general.

This second edition of the Visual Geography Series, Ukraine in Pictures, not only covers an area much broader than just geography in its 80 pages, but it also touches on these topics: the Land; History and Government; People; Cultural Life; and the Economy.

A nice feature of Ukraine in Pictures is that it's web enhanced. Anyone needing more detailed information needs only to visit the website, and in the left-hand column click on Ukraine for quick access to: downloadable maps, a flag, and photos for reports; and, links, which correspond to the main sections in the book. The website will give students quick access to notes/instructions, report writing tips, a sample outline and tips on how to write a bibliography. There's also a section entitled Teacher Resources.

Each of the main headings in the book is enhanced with colored panoramic photos spanning two pages. Throughout, notes are highlighted; as an example: reference is made to the Russian spelling of the capital city, Kiev. We're told that it is being replaced by the Ukrainian spelling, Kyiv, and that throughout the book, Ukrainian spellings are used whenever available (Russian spelling follows in parentheses).

Another example: in the past, Ukraine was known as the Ukraine since it was considered to be an extension of the larger Russian (and later Soviet) Empire. With independence, the Ukrainian government announced that the nation would be known as Ukraine (one word) to distinguish it as a separate country.

Although the book is called (as are others in the series) Ukraine in Pictures, the photos are used as supplements to the text rather than being a photo album with captions. For anybody wishing wonderful photo albums depicting Ukraine and Ukrainians, please see my reviews of Simply Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine in Postcards, Kiev in Autumn Colours, and Ukraine Worldwide. I also heartily recommend Ukraine, Its History and Its Arts and Ukraine and Ukrainians--both by Peter Kardash. If they aren't available for purchase on Amazon, they usually can be obtained through libraries or through interlibrary loan.

Since so many topics are explored in only 80 pages, it stands to reason that for an in-depth education, the reader will need to investigate further. An example is mention of the famine. Famine conjures natural occurrences; Ukraine had man-made famines--genocides. Please see my reviews of Genocide in Ukraine, Harvest of Despair, the Unknown Holocaust, and Enough. Other good sources are The Encyclopedia of Ukraine (on the Internet) and Robert Conquest's book, The Harvest of Sorrow.

Features of the book include a timeline of history, currency fast facts, a description and photo of the Ukrainian flag, the national anthem, famous people (again, for a more extensive exploration, please see the website of The Encyclopedia of Ukraine), sights to see, glossary, selected bibliography, and further reading and websites. There are good references listed such as: Professor Orest Subtelny's book Ukraine: A History (the book's bibliography misspells his name as Subtleny), Kyiv Post (on the Internet), Ukrainian World Congress, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and Robert Conquest's book, The Harvest of Sorrow.

One of the bibliography entries needs a word of caution. Please read my review of Anna Reid's book Borderland: A Journey through the History of Ukraine. Although it's mentioned in the selected bibliography, I found her book to be extremely biased and anti-Ukrainian.

Regarding the description of Cossacks by Anna Reid on pg. 23 where she compares them to cowboys, I do believe that she takes Professor Subtelny's (Ukraine: A History) quote out of context. Here are, in part, his words: "And the Polonization of the Ukrainian elite drew the Ukrainian Cossacks into a role that was fulfilled elsewhere by the nobles. Consequently, the Cossack became a key figure not only in the history of Ukraine but also in Ukrainian consciousness. The growing importance of the Cossacks was accompanied by renewed vigor in Ukrainian religious and cultural life."

Please consider the following: Ukrainians don't consider Cossacks (Kozaks) to be cowboys! In my review of the video entitled, `Ukraine: Ancient Crossroads, Modern Dreams,' I quote from the movie: In one segment, the narrator explains that Kozaks not only fought and danced, they also financed the building of many churches...and other developments to the region, but, perhaps, their most important achievement was holding off the bondage of serfdom... The video is available through interlibrary loan--it is a must-see video.

The cover left me a bit puzzled, since it isn't what would come to mind when thinking of Ukraine. For future editions, if searching for the unusual, perhaps covers with: woodcuts or etchings by Ukrainian born painter and sculptor Jacques Hnizdovsky (America's greatest woodcut artist), trembita players in the Carpathian Mountains (a trembita is a Ukrainian alpine horn made of wood), or Ukrainian dancers.

Ukraine in Pictures is worth first reading and then exploring in greater depth. Caution must be used, however, to ensure sources aren't biased.

Addendum: Readers, you're invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted.

Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject matter.