Resilience, Peace and Security

11 books to help you understand the war in Ukraine

Ukraine blue and yellow flag.

Here are 11 books to gain a deeper understanding of Ukraine. Image: UNSPLASH/Max Kukurudziak

Victoria Masterson
Senior Writer, Forum Agenda

Listen to the article

  • The war in Ukraine is pushing a country of 44 million people to humanitarian catastrophe.
  • Young people in the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community have identified 11 books to gain a deeper understanding of Ukraine.
  • Many books explore key events, including the Soviet famine of the 1930s, which killed millions of Ukrainians, to the Orange Revolution of 2004.

Young people globally are responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is pushing a country of 44 million people to humanitarian catastrophe.

The Global Shapers Community, a network of more than 10,000 young people in almost 150 countries, has curated a list of 11 books to help raise understanding of Ukraine and its war-torn history.

An initiative of the World Economic Forum, the Community is a movement of young people under the age of 30, which delivers projects to lift the fortunes of local communities, while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Discover

What is a Global Shaper?

Here are the books they recommend.

Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine by Anne Applebaum

A history of the Soviet famine from 1931 to 1933, which killed millions of Ukrainians.

Cover of a book.
Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine by Anne Applebaum Image: Penguin Random House

The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution by Marci Shore

An account of the 2013-14 Ukrainian Revolution, inspired by the stories of people who were there.

Cover of a book.
The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution by Marci Shore Image: Yale University Press

The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy

The award-winning historian examines the long history of conflict over Ukraine.

Cover of a book.
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy Image: Penguin

From ‘The Ukraine’ to Ukraine: A Contemporary History (1991-2021) edited by Georgiy Kasianov, Mykhailo Minakov, Matthew Rojansky

A collection of stories about Ukraine and its people since the country became independent in 1991.

Cover of a book.
From ‘The Ukraine’ to Ukraine: A Contemporary History (1991-2021) edited by Georgiy Kasianov, Mykhailo Minakov, Matthew Rojansky Image: Columbia University Press

Ukraine's Maidan, Russia's War: A Chronicle and Analysis of the Revolution of Dignity by Mychailo Wynnyckyj

An account of how Ukrainians fought back against the Russian regime in 2014.

Cover of a book.
Ukraine's Maidan, Russia's War: A Chronicle and Analysis of the Revolution of Dignity by Mychailo Wynnyckyj Image: Columbia University Press

Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna Reid

The story of Ukraine’s early origins, war-torn past and fight to create a national identity.

Cover of a book.
Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna Reid Image: Weidenfeld and Nicolson

Ukrainer: Ukrainian Insider by Bogdan Logvynenko

The printed edition of a 2016-2018 digital media project exploring Ukraine’s most historic regions.

Cover of a book.
Ukrainer: Ukrainian Insider by Bogdan Logvynenko Image: Ukrainer

UKRAINE: Food and History by the The Ukrainian Institute in cooperation with the Їzhakultura Project

The past and present of Ukrainian cuisine is explored, alongside traditional recipes and cooking techniques.

Cover of a book.
UKRAINE: Food and History by the The Ukrainian Institute in cooperation with the Їzhakultura Project Image: Ukrainian Institute

One Hundred Years in Galicia: Events That Shaped Ukraine and Eastern Europe by Dennis Ougrin, Anastasia Ougrin

A history of Ukrainian Galicia and the many extraordinary stories of survival against the odds.

Cover of a book.
One Hundred Years in Galicia: Events That Shaped Ukraine and Eastern Europe by Dennis Ougrin, Anastasia Ougrin Image: Cambridge Scholars

The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson

An exploration of Ukrainian identity and history through events such as the Orange Revolution of 2004.

Cover of a book.
The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson Image: Yale Books

Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder

New voices from Eastern Europe help inform a re-examination of the Holocaust and the risks it still embodies.

Cover of a book.
Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder Image: Timothy Snyder
Have you read?
Loading...
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Ukraine

Related topics:
Resilience, Peace and SecurityArts and Culture
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Ukraine is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

Humanitarian crises are growing. So how do we make crisis response more efficient?

Guiseppe Saba

November 7, 2024

How the Maldives can revive its economy through sustainable growth

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum