Part 1. I’ve been enjoying your newsletters, but today, suffice it to say I’m aghast that you’d recommend Reid’s ‘history’ book. Amazon in the States, Canada, and the UK are the venues where I’ve posted over one hundred reviews of materials on Ukraine. As a Ukrainian-American and now also a Ukrainian-Canadian, my background as a Ukrainian is surely a plus when I review Ukrainian materials. Below is my review of Reid’s book (written almost fourteen years ago) which is probably on some people’s shelves and maybe even still being sold in bookstores. If I could have given her book zero stars, I would have.
Anna Reid’s “Borderland – A Journey Through the History of Ukraine.”
Reviewer: Yaroslava Benko (Mandrivnyk)
1.0 out of 5 stars Decidedly Disappointing--riddled with biased, subjective personal phrases and commentary throughout!
Looking at the cover of this book, I immediately thought to myself that this is not Ukraine--not as I know her! The cover was an insightful indication of the biased rhetoric that was to follow.
The top cover photo is of two paupers (local characters), courtesy of the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
The bottom image on the cover is called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.
The back cover repeats the front, bottom photo called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.
Now, I ask the reader, why would a person put on a cover (and repeat on the back cover) of a book purporting to describe the history of Ukraine, photos from Russia and call the book a journey through the history of Ukraine?
According to the lavish review written by The Times on the back of the book, Anna Reid spent three years living in Kyiv as a reporter and is very clear-headed regarding Ukraine's history and its competing versions, including, according to Reid, its mostly invented heroes. It states that a wise government in Kyiv (Kiev) would give her a medal for this book. I ask: why would the Ukrainian government give Ms. Reid a medal for stating that Ukraine has mostly invented heroes?
Please read the entire review: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anna-Reid-Borderland-Journey-Through/product-reviews/B00I63AF3U/ref=cm_cr_unknown?pageNumber=1&filterByStar=one_star
Part 1. I’ve been enjoying your newsletters, but today, suffice it to say I’m aghast that you’d recommend Reid’s ‘history’ book. Amazon in the States, Canada, and the UK are the venues where I’ve posted over one hundred reviews of materials on Ukraine. As a Ukrainian-American and now also a Ukrainian-Canadian, my background as a Ukrainian is surely a plus when I review Ukrainian materials. Below is my review of Reid’s book (written almost fourteen years ago) which is probably on some people’s shelves and maybe even still being sold in bookstores. If I could have given her book zero stars, I would have.
Anna Reid’s “Borderland – A Journey Through the History of Ukraine.”
Reviewer: Yaroslava Benko (Mandrivnyk)
1.0 out of 5 stars Decidedly Disappointing--riddled with biased, subjective personal phrases and commentary throughout!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2008
https://img.thriftbooks.com/api/images/m/96c7d898f4d596a8371a65f6f77d801d0b8bd9bb.jpg
Looking at the cover of this book, I immediately thought to myself that this is not Ukraine--not as I know her! The cover was an insightful indication of the biased rhetoric that was to follow.
The top cover photo is of two paupers (local characters), courtesy of the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
The bottom image on the cover is called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.
The back cover repeats the front, bottom photo called Lunch in the Fields (1934), by Georgii Petrusov, courtesy of Galerie Alex Lachmann, Cologne, The idealization of Russian family and collective.
Now, I ask the reader, why would a person put on a cover (and repeat on the back cover) of a book purporting to describe the history of Ukraine, photos from Russia and call the book a journey through the history of Ukraine?
According to the lavish review written by The Times on the back of the book, Anna Reid spent three years living in Kyiv as a reporter and is very clear-headed regarding Ukraine's history and its competing versions, including, according to Reid, its mostly invented heroes. It states that a wise government in Kyiv (Kiev) would give her a medal for this book. I ask: why would the Ukrainian government give Ms. Reid a medal for stating that Ukraine has mostly invented heroes?
Please continue to Part 2