Ukraine and Russia

10 books to help you better understand what's going on in Ukraine

Amid the devastating Russian invasion of Ukraine, here are 10 books that explain the history and current events of the two countries. If you'd like to read beyond the headlines for a clearer understanding of the conflict and what's at stake, check out one of the titles below:

1. The Crimean War: A History by Orlando Figes (947.0738 FIGES)
2. In Wartime: Stories From Ukraine by Tim Judah (947.7086 JUDAH)
3. Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine, and the New Cold War by Marvin Kalb (947.7 KALB)
4. Black Square: Adventures in Post-Soviet Ukraine by Sophie Pinkham (947.7086 PINKHAM)
5. The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy (947.7 PLOKHY)
6. The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America by Timothy Snyder (320.53 SNYDER)
7. The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Gessen (947.086 GESSEN)
8. Putin Country: A Journey Into the Real Russia by Anne Garrels (947.43 GARRELS)
9. Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich; translation and preface by Keth Gessen (363.1799 ALEKSIEV)
10. The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep: Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship Under Yeltsin and Putin by David Satter (947.086 SATTER)