Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know

By: Serhy Yekelchyk

Narrated by: Joel Richards

Ukraine's sudden prominence in American politics has compounded an already-widespread misunderstanding of what is actually happening in the nation. In the American media, Ukraine has come to signify an inherently corrupt place, rather than a real country struggling in the face of great challenges. Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know addresses Ukraine's relations with the West, particularly the United States, from the perspective of Ukrainians. The book explains how independent Ukraine fell victim to crony capitalism, how its people rebelled twice in the last two decades in the name of democracy and against corruption, and why Russia reacted so aggressively to the strivings of Ukrainians. Additionally, it looks at what we know about alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, the factors behind the stunning electoral victory of the political novice Volodymyr Zelensky, and the ways in which the events leading to the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump have changed the Russia-Ukraine-US relationship.

This volume is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the forces that have shaped contemporary politics in this increasingly important part of Europe, as well as the international background of the impeachment proceedings in the US.

©2015, 2020 Oxford University Press (P)2020 Tantor

Weird Narration

A lot of these reviews are saying that the narrator is “flat”, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. Imagine someone telling you something very important, in the same room as a sleeping baby that he’s desperate not to wake. He is aggressively whispering at you the whole time. There’s nuance in his voice, but all within a whisper. It took a while to get used to it.

Informative, but dry.

The breakdown of key topics creates an easy to follow flow of information. The performance was clear and easy to follow, though overall, dry.

Informative and Enlightening

Great book. Ukrainian history written by a Ukrainian born scholar. Maybe it doesn't fit American partisan views, but definitely a valid, well informed perspective.

great!

very relevant and succinct! good overview of how we got where we are today.

A Must Read

Originally published in 2015, updated to include only Zelensky's first year in office, this book provides more, and more nuanced, insights into the current global crisis sparked by Putin's invasion of Ukraine than anything else I've read. The last 10 minutes alone are worth the price of listening, for the clear way they explain the whole Trump phone call / Manafort / 2016 election / Russian interference mishegas. Fantastic resource!

Read (listen to) this!