I found this interesting if uneven, which is probably to be expected. It is a first draft of history.Plokhy’s work dovetails nicely with [b:The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America|36217163|The Road to Unfreedom Russia, Europe, America|Timothy Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519831741l/36217163._SY75_.jpg|57852601] and I found some tangents intriguing, especially the attention given to Boris Yeltsin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Plokhy is interested in events and precedents, not ideas. I think this would have benefitted from more of the latter. His notion that the war had thwarted Putin's cherished goal of a multipolar matrix was rather arresting. Putin’s actions solidified the idea of G2.

This is one of the best books that I’ve read this year. It provides a long history of Russo-Ukrainian relations dating back hundreds of years, which provides a basis for understanding the present conflict. It feels like not enough emphasis has been placed on this conflict in the West. This war has evolved into a truly global conflict in an attempt by Putin to elevate Russia’s global standing to that of the days of the Soviet Union. The author does an excellent job at conveying all of the geopolitical ramifications of this conflict.

I think I might legitimately consider this a "must-read".

A very useful summary of many of the events surrounding the war Russia unleashed on Ukraine - and the world beyond - in 2022, with helpful context provided. Very clearly written, easy to read, and well researched.