Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine [Paperback]

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.

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.