The best books about the recent history of Russia and Ukraine that help us understand what is going on right now
A new entrant in the book-recommendations market, Shepherd asks authors to recommend five books about a subject connected with their own work.
Here’s my list. These are personal recommendations, not an ‘official’ reading list by any means: shepherd.com/best-books/the-recent-history-of-russia-and-ukraine
Who am I?
I’ve spent the past few years writing about the 1940 Katyń Massacre of 22,000 Polish prisoners of war by Stalin’s NKVD and the decades-long cover-up of their crime.
My research has taken me far and wide across the recent history of eastern Europe but until the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 I was convinced the events I was studying belonged firmly in the past.
Now, more than ever, we need to make an effort to understand the ways in which history informs the present. I most admire writers who combine a forensic attention to detail with a deep compassion for the individuals at the heart of every story.
