Anna Reid

An interesting look at Ukraine, focusing mostly on its history over the last two centuries or so, from the perspective of a journalist who's spent many years living in and reporting on Eastern Europe. The version of Borderland that I read consists of the original book, published in the late '90s, which talks about the history of Ukraine and its early years of post-Soviet independence; an additional section written in 2015 which brings coverage up to the Maidan Uprisings of the 2010s; and a last part which considers Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The earliest sections make for sometimes eerie and often queasily ironic reading in light of recent events. This isn't a deep analytical dive into the history or politics of the region, but it is an accessible overview of events. Anna Reid has a journalist's eye for good anecdotes/interesting vox pop moments.… (mere)