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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF CHERNOBYL: HISTORY OF A TRAGEDY

‘An indispensable guide to the tragic history of a great European nation’ Sunday Telegraph

‘This is present-minded history at its most urgent. Anyone wanting to understand why Russia and the West confront each other over the future of Ukraine will want to read Serhii Plokhy’s reasoned, measured yet passionate account’ Michael Ignatieff

Located at the western edge of the Eurasian steppe, Ukraine has long been the meeting place of empires – Roman to Ottoman, Habsburg to Russian – and they all left their imprint on the landscape, the language and the people living within these shifting borders. In this authoritative book, Harvard Professor and acclaimed author of Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy traces the history of Ukraine from the arrival of the Vikings in the tenth century to the current Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.

Fascinating and multilayered, The Gates of Europe is the essential guide to understanding not just Ukraine’s past but also its future.

Publisher Review

Clear and elegant... an indispensable guide to the tragic history of a great European nation -- David Blair * Sunday Telegraph * A fast-moving history, full of prompts and nuggets... a strong rebuttal of the arrogant assumptions of the Putin court that Ukraine, though intrinsically part of the greater Russian nation, is culturally inferior, weaker and compromised -- Roger Boyes * The Times * Admirable... In his elegant and careful exposition of Ukraine's past, Mr Plokhy has also provided some signposts to the future * Economist * An assured and authoritative survey that spans ancient Greek times to the present day -- Tony Barber * Financial Times * Plokhy's careful, engaging history is a series of stories about a spectral nation, one that has appeared and disappeared down the ages... If sense ever prevails, Plokhy's fine book should find its way to Vladimir Putin's desk, if only to show the imperialist that Ukraine itself is far from done, and will not be extinguished -- Ian Bell * Herald Scotland *