hen Russia expanded its invasion into Ukraine, it left many scrambling for answers. Amid all the confusion and misinformation, what is really happening? Why? What’s next? Frankly, even the experts don’t know, which makes the present dynamic particularly alarming and concerning. Many had thought that Russia President Vladimir Putin would stop with the recognition of Luhansk and Dontesk, but it is clear these limited aims were not the extent of the Russian president’s aims.
Nobody knows what’s coming next. What is clear is that Russia has launched the first full scale war on European territory since the end of the Second World War. Understanding this conflict (as well as we can, anyway) requires an understanding of history, the dynamics beyond it, and the people involved in its decisions. To aid in this below is a Diplomatic Courier list of books worth reading on Russia, Ukraine, Putin, and the complex dynamics underpinning the present crisis.
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine
Serhii Plokhy
In this thorough history of Ukraine, Plokhy offers an accessible and compelling overview of Ukraine from its ancient history through to the Euromaidan protests of 2014. The protests – which Putin believes to have been stoked by the West – are widely seen as the catalyst which turned Ukraine away from Russia’s sphere of influence to a decidedly European orientation. This shift in orientation is what lead ultimately to the present war.
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Snyder’s book is a powerful, painful read about the impact that both Stalin and Hitler had on Central and Eastern Europe. In “Bloodlands” he brings vividly to life the atrocities both Berlin and Moscow carried out in Poland and Ukraine, taking numbers and statistics from abstraction to concrete reality. In this area of the world, memories are long and what happened during World War II and in the early post-war period still matter today.
Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine
Anne Applebaum
The prolific Anne Applebaum has masterfully captured the tortured history of the Holodomor, a famine in Ukraine caused by Stalin’s policies which killed millions. In “Red Famine” Applebaum argues that these deaths were not the accidental consequence of bad policy, but the targeted outcome of intentional policy decisions at the Kremlin.
Not One Inch
M. E. Sarotte
In this complex and rich look at the arguments underpinning Russia’s present concern about NATO, Sarotte looks at the end of the Cold War and the subsequent enlargement of the defense alliance. Sarotte showcases the debates over NATO’s enlargement as well as highlighting the discrepancy between what was said in those debates and what was implicitly understood. There are, Sarotte demonstrates, several discrepancies between the two with implications that still resound today.
Putin’s People
Catherine Belton
Turning more specifically to the Kremlin, former FT Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton offers one of the richest looks at how Putin came to power and how he’s wielded power in her book “Putin’s People” – Diplomatic Courier’s “best book” of 2020. Her reporting resulted in several lawsuits aimed at silencing her and her narrative. It remains the best single volume at explaining the complexity of the financial ecosystem around the Russian president.
A Short History of Russia
Mark Galeotti
For much of the West, Russia’s history either starts with the foundation of the Soviet Union or the end of the Cold War. In Galeotti’s brilliant, short, history of Russia, he shows just how rich, complex, and dynamic Russia’s history has been and remains to this day. In light of this perspective, the Cold War was merely a blip in the long palimpsest history of modern Russia.
We Need to Talk About Putin
Mark Galeotti
Focusing specifically on the Russian president, Galeotti yet again offers an accessible and rich deconstruction of many assumptions of Putin and how he thinks. Rather than rely on shortcuts or simplistic narratives, Galeotti takes individual assumptions in turn and offers a focused, measured analysis of how Russia’s president operates.
Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin
Fiona Hill & Clifford Gaddy
Likely one of the most complex portraits of the Russian President, “Mr. Putin” looks at the multifaceted, complex identities of Vladimir Putin. Hill and Gaddy argue that there are multiple overlapping dimensions of Putin and that to understand how he views the world, one must understand these unique individual aspects of his personality.
Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?
Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet, and Ben Noble
Selected as one of the 2021 best books of the year, “Navalny” offers not just a rich biography of a complex and misunderstood political opponent of the Kremlin, but the most insightful book on Russia’s complex and dynamic politics. The authors provide a clear and nuanced look at how politics operates within Russia today, rather than relying on shortcuts and misled assumptions either about the subject of the biography or Russia itself.
Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West
Keir Giles
Chatham House Russia expert Keir Giles explores the worldview and psychology of Russia in his book “Moscow Rules”. Giles rightfully confronts the widely held Western assumption that Russia views the world as Europe does. Instead, Russia has a unique world view shaped by its history, present circumstances, and interests. These are lessons that Washington, London, and Brussels would do well to appreciate in the current crisis.
Weak Strongman
Timothy Frye
A fascinating look at the system in which Putin lives and operates – a “personalist autocracy” – Frye argues that Putin is constrained by the same limitations as other autocrats. In the book Putin comes across as neither all-powerful nor weak, just playing a strong hand. Indeed, Putin’s regime and even his very survival are predicated on a precarious balancing of interests at all levels. Understanding this balancing act could lead, ideally, to better policy making.
Russia Resurrected
Kathryn Stoner
Stanford University’s Stoner picks apart assumptions that Moscow is a declining power, arguing that Russia’s hand is not nearly as weak as it seems. Rather, Russia has managed to recover from its beleaguered post-Cold War position and develop a stronger hand than the West assumes. More importantly, Russia is increasingly willing to play that hand on the international stage, argues Stoner.
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Books to Help Make Sense of Russia’s War in Ukraine
Ukraine Countryside. Field of Sunflowers. Image by Pixabay.
February 26, 2022
If you're scrambling to understand what's happening in Ukraine, why Russia invaded, and what comes next, then you're not alone. Nobody has all the answers, but Diplomatic Courier's book reviewer Joshua Huminski has a reading list that can help you understand a little better.
W
hen Russia expanded its invasion into Ukraine, it left many scrambling for answers. Amid all the confusion and misinformation, what is really happening? Why? What’s next? Frankly, even the experts don’t know, which makes the present dynamic particularly alarming and concerning. Many had thought that Russia President Vladimir Putin would stop with the recognition of Luhansk and Dontesk, but it is clear these limited aims were not the extent of the Russian president’s aims.
Nobody knows what’s coming next. What is clear is that Russia has launched the first full scale war on European territory since the end of the Second World War. Understanding this conflict (as well as we can, anyway) requires an understanding of history, the dynamics beyond it, and the people involved in its decisions. To aid in this below is a Diplomatic Courier list of books worth reading on Russia, Ukraine, Putin, and the complex dynamics underpinning the present crisis.
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine
Serhii Plokhy
In this thorough history of Ukraine, Plokhy offers an accessible and compelling overview of Ukraine from its ancient history through to the Euromaidan protests of 2014. The protests – which Putin believes to have been stoked by the West – are widely seen as the catalyst which turned Ukraine away from Russia’s sphere of influence to a decidedly European orientation. This shift in orientation is what lead ultimately to the present war.
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
Snyder’s book is a powerful, painful read about the impact that both Stalin and Hitler had on Central and Eastern Europe. In “Bloodlands” he brings vividly to life the atrocities both Berlin and Moscow carried out in Poland and Ukraine, taking numbers and statistics from abstraction to concrete reality. In this area of the world, memories are long and what happened during World War II and in the early post-war period still matter today.
Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine
Anne Applebaum
The prolific Anne Applebaum has masterfully captured the tortured history of the Holodomor, a famine in Ukraine caused by Stalin’s policies which killed millions. In “Red Famine” Applebaum argues that these deaths were not the accidental consequence of bad policy, but the targeted outcome of intentional policy decisions at the Kremlin.
Not One Inch
M. E. Sarotte
In this complex and rich look at the arguments underpinning Russia’s present concern about NATO, Sarotte looks at the end of the Cold War and the subsequent enlargement of the defense alliance. Sarotte showcases the debates over NATO’s enlargement as well as highlighting the discrepancy between what was said in those debates and what was implicitly understood. There are, Sarotte demonstrates, several discrepancies between the two with implications that still resound today.
Putin’s People
Catherine Belton
Turning more specifically to the Kremlin, former FT Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton offers one of the richest looks at how Putin came to power and how he’s wielded power in her book “Putin’s People” – Diplomatic Courier’s “best book” of 2020. Her reporting resulted in several lawsuits aimed at silencing her and her narrative. It remains the best single volume at explaining the complexity of the financial ecosystem around the Russian president.
A Short History of Russia
Mark Galeotti
For much of the West, Russia’s history either starts with the foundation of the Soviet Union or the end of the Cold War. In Galeotti’s brilliant, short, history of Russia, he shows just how rich, complex, and dynamic Russia’s history has been and remains to this day. In light of this perspective, the Cold War was merely a blip in the long palimpsest history of modern Russia.
We Need to Talk About Putin
Mark Galeotti
Focusing specifically on the Russian president, Galeotti yet again offers an accessible and rich deconstruction of many assumptions of Putin and how he thinks. Rather than rely on shortcuts or simplistic narratives, Galeotti takes individual assumptions in turn and offers a focused, measured analysis of how Russia’s president operates.
Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin
Fiona Hill & Clifford Gaddy
Likely one of the most complex portraits of the Russian President, “Mr. Putin” looks at the multifaceted, complex identities of Vladimir Putin. Hill and Gaddy argue that there are multiple overlapping dimensions of Putin and that to understand how he views the world, one must understand these unique individual aspects of his personality.
Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?
Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet, and Ben Noble
Selected as one of the 2021 best books of the year, “Navalny” offers not just a rich biography of a complex and misunderstood political opponent of the Kremlin, but the most insightful book on Russia’s complex and dynamic politics. The authors provide a clear and nuanced look at how politics operates within Russia today, rather than relying on shortcuts and misled assumptions either about the subject of the biography or Russia itself.
Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West
Keir Giles
Chatham House Russia expert Keir Giles explores the worldview and psychology of Russia in his book “Moscow Rules”. Giles rightfully confronts the widely held Western assumption that Russia views the world as Europe does. Instead, Russia has a unique world view shaped by its history, present circumstances, and interests. These are lessons that Washington, London, and Brussels would do well to appreciate in the current crisis.
Weak Strongman
Timothy Frye
A fascinating look at the system in which Putin lives and operates – a “personalist autocracy” – Frye argues that Putin is constrained by the same limitations as other autocrats. In the book Putin comes across as neither all-powerful nor weak, just playing a strong hand. Indeed, Putin’s regime and even his very survival are predicated on a precarious balancing of interests at all levels. Understanding this balancing act could lead, ideally, to better policy making.
Russia Resurrected
Kathryn Stoner
Stanford University’s Stoner picks apart assumptions that Moscow is a declining power, arguing that Russia’s hand is not nearly as weak as it seems. Rather, Russia has managed to recover from its beleaguered post-Cold War position and develop a stronger hand than the West assumes. More importantly, Russia is increasingly willing to play that hand on the international stage, argues Stoner.
