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Anne Applebaum
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Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine Hardcover – October 10, 2017

by Anne Applebaum (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,028 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Gulag and the National Book Award finalist Iron Curtain, a revelatory history of one of Stalin's greatest crimes—the consequences of which still resonate today

In 1929 Stalin launched his policy of agricultural collectivization—in effect a second Russian revolution—which forced millions of peasants off their land and onto collective farms. The result was a catastrophic famine, the most lethal in European history. At least five million people died between 1931 and 1933 in the USSR. But instead of sending relief the Soviet state made use of the catastrophe to rid itself of a political problem. In Red Famine, Anne Applebaum argues that more than three million of those dead were Ukrainians who perished not because they were accidental victims of a bad policy but because the state deliberately set out to kill them.

Applebaum proves what has long been suspected: after a series of rebellions unsettled the province, Stalin set out to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry. The state sealed the republic’s borders and seized all available food. Starvation set in rapidly, and people ate anything: grass, tree bark, dogs, corpses. In some cases, they killed one another for food. Devastating and definitive, Red Famine captures the horror of ordinary people struggling to survive extraordinary evil.

Today, Russia, the successor to the Soviet Union, has placed Ukrainian independence in its sights once more. Applebaum’s compulsively readable narrative recalls one of the worst crimes of the twentieth century, and shows how it may foreshadow a new threat to the political order in the twenty-first.
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  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Doubleday
  4. Publication date
    October 10, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    6.49 x 1.65 x 9.54 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0385538855
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0385538855
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
2,028 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book informative, terrifying, and well-researched. They also say it's well-written, accessible, and a good primer for understanding current Ukraine relations. Readers describe the content as a tale of incredible resilience. Opinions differ on the emotional tone, with some finding it harrowing and depressing, while others say it’s great.

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Subject matterReadabilityContentEmotional intensityEmotional tone
68 customers mention "Subject matter"68 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative, interesting, and rigorous. They also appreciate the detailed truth, and say the book is incredibly deep and thorough. Readers also describe it as an important source work.

"...It is well written and so important for anyone who wants to understand today's struggles the Ukrainians are going through...." Read more

"...But it helps to understand the current history & determination of the Ukrainians in their present struggle, for self-determination, freedom &..." Read more

"...Academically rigorous and rich in background information that provides a thorough insight into the evolution of the Holodomor...." Read more

"...It offers detailed records and moving oral histories of life in the Ukraine from 1918 to 1935...." Read more

51 customers mention "Readability"39 positive12 negative

Customers find the book very well researched and written. They say it's easy to read, and a good primer for understanding current Ukraine-Russia relations. Readers also mention that the author is a fantastic synthesizer of archival documents and personal testimonies. Overall, they describe it as a meticulously researched examination of the Ukrainian famine and the policies that led to and exacerbated it.

"...It is well written and so important for anyone who wants to understand today's struggles the Ukrainians are going through...." Read more

"Anne Applebaum’s meticulous research and authoritative writing provide a comprehensive account of the Holodomor...." Read more

"...Anne Applebaum does an excellent job of outlining the events that led to the famine, as well as the impact that it had on the people of Ukraine...." Read more

"...mass of Ukrainian and Russian individuals involved can make this a difficult read...." Read more

4 customers mention "Content"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content incredible, rigorous, and secure. They also say it's a great history of the 1930s.

"...Yet, it is also a tale of incredible resilience: Ukraine still stands." Read more

"sent fast and secure Book is a great history of the 1930"s" Read more

"arrived good shape" Read more

"Academically stiff and rigorous..." Read more

4 customers mention "Emotional intensity"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the emotional intensity of the book compact yet powerful.

""Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine" is a powerful and well-researched book that sheds light on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century...." Read more

"...before, during and after the famine, her work is an indictment of devastating power...." Read more

"...It’s a powerful, extremely well-researched examination of Ukrainian culture and history in the context of Russian domination and near-genocide...." Read more

"Compact yet Powerful..." Read more

7 customers mention "Emotional tone"3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the emotional tone of the book. Some find it harrowing, informative, and sad, while others say it's depressing and not for the faint of heart.

"...It was devastating to read about and it’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s informative and talks about the consequences of defying the Soviet..." Read more

"...up to the famine, as well as the famine itself, are detailed and harrowing...." Read more

"...It is unbelievably, unrelentingly depressing. But it is assigned reading for diplomats working in Ukraine, for good reason...." Read more

"Such a wonderfully written book, equal parts heart-breaking, infuriating and fascinating...." Read more

Shocking Famine
4 out of 5 stars
Shocking Famine
Book ordered is a great read. Very interesting stories, and shocking truth stories.
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Top reviews from the United States

A. Cicogna
5.0 out of 5 stars History repeats itself !
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
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Truly enjoyed this book which gives the reader a true history of the mindless atrocities of the soviet regime towards their " Ukrainian cousins". In this book one will understand why Ukraine suffered so much at the hands of the soviets and Germans. This is a book that is so valuable in order to understand today's conflicts between the two countries. It is well written and so important for anyone who wants to understand today's struggles the Ukrainians are going through. It is a sad historical account but one that needs to be remembered. Highly recommended
9 people found this helpful
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Starbright
5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn’t get better
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2024
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Definitely “like new”. Detailed discussion of the numerous times the lands now known as “Ukraine” have changed hands & been overrun & occupied by other armies & their people subjected to the whims & tortures of the occupiers. Stalin considered Ukraine his “breadbasket” & subjected the people to the cruel & inhuman torture of famine to cover for his own poor management policies.

I had to take frequent breaks from reading because the facts & torture were so disturbing. This book is not for th faint-hearted, describing the historical background & awful ways many millions of countrymen died at the hands of occupiers. But it helps to understand the current history & determination of the Ukrainians in their present struggle, for self-determination, freedom & democracy.

An excellent and well researched book. A must-read for those who want a better understanding of Ukraine & their current motives.
5 people found this helpful
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Jonas Wipf
4.0 out of 5 stars Academically stiff and rigorous
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
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Anne Applebaum’s meticulous research and authoritative writing provide a comprehensive account of the Holodomor. Academically rigorous and rich in background information that provides a thorough insight into the evolution of the Holodomor. I feel that the book lacks a personal connection to the people who suffered so horrendously (personal narratives/or direct quotations of primary sources). However, for posthumous study, it is an essential read for Eastern European scholars.
3 people found this helpful
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Trainman95630
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed history of the brutal communist imposed artificial famine which decimated Ukraine
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2018
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Detailed history of the brutal communist imposed artificial famine which decimated Ukraine
This is an excellent book which analyzes how the 1932 – 1933 drought in Ukraine was the result of Soviet policies. It offers detailed records and moving oral histories of life in the Ukraine from 1918 to 1935. The first third of the book is a little dry as it is dealing with places, names and events that I wasn’t familiar with. However, by the time the book starts to describe the campaign against the “kulaks” (small landowners who employed 2 or 3 farmhands) to the brutal collectivization of the early 30s to the forced confiscation of all peasant food stuffs in the winter of 32-33, the story is stunning in its brutality.

The Ukraine famine is rarely mentioned in the retelling of brutal 20th century genocides (20th century should probably be known as the “death century”) as the retelling of it would go against the prevailing leftist cultural stranglehold which propagates the idea that socialist/communist societies are magical wonderlands where humanity flourishes. As AOC and Bernie Sanders and a generation of university educated morons assure us that this time the promise of socialism (now rebranded as “democratic “) will magically meet the needs of mankind, this book is a brutal reminder of what power in the hands of ideologically inspired, class conscious, “do gooders” actually looks like.

The demonization campaign against the Kulaks reminded me so much of the current cultural currents surrounding straight white CIS men that it was eerie. (From chapter 4 )

"public shaming played an important role in the campaign ……. to who knew them. Silence and terrify everyone. In the atmosphere of hysteria and hatred any criticism of the Communist Party (prevailing liberal ethos) could be used as evidence that the critic was a nationalist, a fascist (or the catch all racist)”

Ever wonder why comedians aren’t so funny anymore?

“The official dislike of the kobzar and he bandura was no surprise, like court jesters in Shakespeare’s day, they had always expressed impolitic (politically incorrect) thoughts and ideas, sometimes singing of things that could not be spoken. In the heated atmosphere of collectivization, when everyone was in search of enemies, this form of humor—along with the nostalgia was intolerable”

After 5 million dead in just over a year, the Soviets yielded and stopped the confiscation of grains. By this time any resistance to the Soviet way was long evaporated. The only thing that remained was to insure the genocide was lost to history. Aided and abetted by such liberal luminaries of our “free” press such as NY Times journalist Walter Duranty, the real facts of this genocide lay hidden for 40 years.

The history of the Ukrainian people is tragic and reverberates today. I have a co worker in his mid-20s at work whose family emigrated from Ukraine in the 90s. The other day he happened to ask me if I had read any good books lately. I said I’m reading “Red Famine”. He asked what that was about and I told him it was about the collectivization of the farms in Ukraine and subsequent famine. He said “Oh the famine of 32-33.” For a young kid, born in America to know the dates of that famine, when the typical millennial couldn’t tell you the date of Pearl Harbor, I thought was remarkable. It shows the psychic effect of Socialism 3 generations later.

Read this book for the knowledge you will game, your humanity it will touch and use it to inspire you to resist the false promises of state run economies which a segment of our naïve, woefully mis-educated electorate is pushing.
47 people found this helpful
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Mary S
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
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I’m writing this as a political science major student and this book is excellent. Definitely a book that people need to read in times like these. The tragedy of what went on in Stalin Russia is essential to every human’s education and overall awareness.
2 people found this helpful
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John R Reid
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2024
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Book received was perfectly new, and fast shipping. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Matt
5.0 out of 5 stars Horrible truth. Great book.
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
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This is a must read and should be taught in all schools. Not enough people know about the Holodomor and the horrors that communism brings. This book covers the tragedies that took place under Stalin's rule. Very moving.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Client Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars A must to understand the war in Ukraine (2024)
Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2024
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This book explain well some of the causes of the conflict in Ukraine right now (2024), definitly a must for someone who like to know more on the causes of this conflict
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David W
5.0 out of 5 stars Ukraine's Holocaust
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2024
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Applebaum's forensic analysis of Russia's calculated starvation of nearly 4 million Ukranians is a damning indictment of Soviet Communism, Stalin and his apparatchniks.
She writes powerfully, combining a wealth of detail with individual human accounts to produce a horrific examination of the origins and reasons for a State-orchestrated genocide.
It is another masterful work from a great writer.
2 people found this helpful
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Orso
5.0 out of 5 stars Che prima di parlare si dovrebbe sempre studiare.
Reviewed in Italy on August 3, 2023
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Molto bello nella sua tragicità. Per me dovrebbe essere obbligatorio lo studio nelle scuole.
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Carlos Vivanco Pastore
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book
Reviewed in Spain on September 11, 2022
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Although it was difficult for me to follow some of the historical characters, it gave me a much better understating of today's events in Ucrania.

Whilst reading the book I started to comprehend Russia's aggressive strategy towards the Ucrania as a nation.

I hace certainly enjoyed and highly recommend to anyone who whish to know more about Ucrania history.
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Marcos Luz
5.0 out of 5 stars OMG
Reviewed in Brazil on May 13, 2020
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A friend of mine has read this book and told me how disturbed he got because of it. Since Crimea episode(Russia invasion), I have been looking for some book that would bring in information about the relationship that connects Russians and Ukrainians and the barrier among then. The famine of 1932 to 1935 is a huge brick. Ukrainians starved to death by the millions not because they did not produce plenty of food but because of a stubborn (to not say radical and genocide) vision of Stalin and his peers towards the proletariat and communism doctrine. Like Chernobyl, the Communist Party also tried to cover it up and failed. Five stars for sure
One person found this helpful
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