Product Description
The only first-hand account of this crucial episode of the Russian Revolution. From 1918-21, fighting off both the Red and White Armies, the Makhnovistas - comprised almost entirely of peasants - created anarchism in the Ukraine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Indispensable source material
Freedom Press is an anarchist publisher in Britain who once again publishes this English translation of Peter Arshinov's near-epic "History of the Makhnovist Movement 1918-1921". The Makhnovists were a peasant insurgent movement in the Ukraine during the Russian Civil War. They were named after their leader, Nestor Makhno. The Makhnovists are often described as "anarchists" and play a prominent role in the political mythology of many anarchist groups. The leadership (including Arshinov and Makhno himself) was anarchist, but the movement as a whole was a populist peasant insurgency. Interestingly, the Makhnovists never collaborated with the White Guards. Indeed, they occasionally joined forces with the Bolsheviks against the Whites. However, Makhno's movement was never under actual Bolshevik control, and as Soviet Russia was sliding towards one-party rule, a showdown between Makhno and the Red Army became inevitable. By 1921, the movement had been defeated, and both Makhno and Arshinov fled to France. Their subsequent fates are somewhat curious. In France, Arshinov and Makhno published an anarchist platform which was too centralist and "Bolshevik" for the taste of the regular anarchists. They were roundly condemned as heretics. Even later, Arshinov became a Communist and returned to Russia! As a final ironic twist, Stalin had him shot during the Great Purges, accusing Arshinov of wanting to restore anarchism... Makhno, meanwhile, remained an anarchist and died in France in relative obscurity.

Although very partisan, Arshinov's book on the Makhnovists is nevertheless an indispensable source for students of the Russian Civil War and Ukrainian history. It tells the entire story of the Makhnovist movement from 1918 to 1921, and includes various documents issued by it. Despite its partisan character, the book does contain some revealing material. For instance, it's obvious that the movement wasn't particularly "anarchist" or "libertarian". It was essentially an army, commanded by Makhno and a closely knit group of collaborators. Makhno was called Batko ("little father" - actually a deferential term given to leadership figures) and the official name of the movement was Revolutionary Insurgent Army of the Ukraine (Makhnovist), which suggests a personality cult of some sort.

Nor is this surprising. Peasant movements are often welded together by military strongmen of this kind. It's probably inevitable: the peasantry is decentralized, and the only way to unite it might be through strong leadership figures to whom the peasants feel an almost individual loyalty and deference. Other examples probably include Zapata, Pancho Villa, Sandino, Farabundo Marti and even Mao Zedong. Interestingly, all of these had some kind of "anarchist" ideology (except Mao). We can also see this phenomenon historically. What about Thomas Münzer or Engelbrekt, for instance?

Nor were the Makhnovists particularly "democratic". At one congress of the Insurgent Army, Makhno quite simply shot and killed his opponent Grigoriev in front of the entire meeting, where upon Grigoriev's men supposedly hailed Makhno and decided to follow him instead! I have little doubt that Grigoriev was a bandit and anti-Semitic pogromist, but this episode does show that Makhno wasn't your average liberal democrat. The book also shows that Makhno had a very ambivalent attitude to other left-wing movements. When his army captured the town of Ekaterinoslav, they did proclaim freedom of speech and organization, while simultaneously warning the political parties not to "impose any political authority on the working masses". In other words, to stay clear of the Makhnovists, who had the real political authority.

Personally, I find these non-anarchist traits entertaining, since they belie Makhno's position in anarchist mythology. Indeed, it may have been Arshinov's and Makhno's experience in the Ukraine that led them to later propose a more centralist, disciplined form of anarchism.

Another account of the Makhnovist movement can be found in Voline's "The Unknown Revolution", a mammoth work also published by Freedom Press. Voline also belonged to the Makhnovist movement, but couldn't accept the later platform of Arshinov and Makhno.

Recommended.

Open end the star system!
Like the Abel Paz classic,"Durrutti,The people armed."This is one essential book.Second only to Durrutti in time.The place for the drama is the Ukraine,circa,1917-20.The history of the Makhnovista's is truly epic,gut wrenching and incredible.It is almost totally forgotten or ignored now,yet,this is one of those points in History with a capital H.The ripples of these extraordinary events and superhuman feats are still rippling outward in spite of several genocides wreaked on this reigon.The writers style seems a little old fashioned and unusual,yet, you get drawn in by the human interest story of the education and stellar rise of a genuine working class hero and revolutionary Icon,"Batko",Nestor Makhno met the author in prison and learnt the basics of anarchism from him.They were released in the febuary revolution and their battles in the south against tyranny's of white and red armies have become the stuff of legend.The study of what ordinary people actually do in revolutionary periods is intrinsically interesting.I would suggest that close study of the makhnovist libertarian socialist revolution should be rewarding,if only for entertainment.(Its 70mm cinematic.) ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

Descriptive Atlas Outstanding; Historical Narratives Need Improvement
This work provides a city-by-city survey of remnants of Jewish architecture in eastern Galician towns. The properties that once belonged to the Polish expellees, often still bearing half-concealed Polish writing, are also frequently mentioned. Featured are the towns of Lviv (Lwow), Sambir (Sambor), Drohobych (Drohobycz), Stryi (Stryj), Bolekhiv (Bolechow), Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanislawow), Kolomyia (Kolomyja), Kosiv (Kosow), Kuty (Kitov), Horodenka (Gorodenka), Husiatyn (Gusiatyn), Chortkiv (Czortkow), Zolotyi Potik (Potok Zloty), Buchach (Buczacz), Monastyryska (Monasterzyska), Ternopil (Tarnopol), Berezhany (Brzezany), Zolochiv (Zloczow), Brody (Brodie), and Zhovkva (Zolkiew). Surprisingly, Boryslav (Boryslaw), the city of my ancestors, is omitted.

One learns many things. Prewar Poles and Ukrainians were poorer than the Jews (p. 17); 80% of present-day Jews have their ancestry in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (pp. 16-17), and both the Ukrainian and the Jewish ("Ha-Tikvah") national anthems were influenced by the Polish national anthem. (p. 121). Approximately 1.4 million Ukrainian soldiers and 2.2 million Ukrainian civilians perished at the hands of the Nazis. (p. 67).

Omer Bartov shows bias in featuring writers that he agrees with (e. g. Gross, Michlic), while mentioning, but ignoring the findings of, historians such as Marek Chodakiewicz (p. 40, 206), who he mischaracterizes as part of"the right-wing turn in Polish politics." Bartov also repeats unsupported Polonophobic assertions, such as: "Moreover, even as Poland did courageously resist the German occupation and paid a horrendous price for its struggle, numerous Polish patriots and nationalists were also anything but displeased with the `removal' of the Jews from their country, and not a few collaborated with the effort to bring about that `removal'." (p. 205).

He recognizes the fact that "Nazis chose Poland as the site of the death camps because of Poles" has no basis in fact, but then uses his "being a victim doesn't absolve you form being a victimizer" thinking inconsistently. (p. 159). Bartov is in strong denial about the fact and magnitude of Jewish-Soviet collaboration against Poles and Ukrainians. (pp. 35-36, 40, 68, 159-160, etc.). In actuality, this collaboration was substantive, and, contrary to exculpations, was not primarily driven by Jewish fear of the Nazis. (See detailed English-language review of Przemilczane zbrodnie: Zydzi i Polacy na Kresach w latach 1939-1941 (Polish Edition)).

Bartov repeatedly discusses Ukrainian-Nazi collaboration, and condemns the glorification of the OUN-UPA, which occurs through such things as the erection of statues honoring Bandera at Drohobych (p. 53), Buchach (p. 137), and Berezhany (pp. 164-165). However, he has only a rather superficial grasp of the magnitude of the OUN-UPA genocide of Poles (p. 52, 65-66, 92, 102, 129). For details, see my Listmania: Ukrainian Fascism...

Disappointing
A very partisan account that will affirm some readers' prejudices but otherwise is poorly written and far from credible as an account of what happened in and between the Polish, Jewish and Ukrainian communities of Galicia before, during or after the Second World War.

A very important tribute
As the world has come to learn about each and every depopulated Palestinian village and record their names and the Nakhba (All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948, or Sacred Landscape: The Buried History of the Holy Land since 1948 (Honorable Mention for the Albert Hourani Award, Middle Eastern Studies Association)) it is interesting to learn how Europeans, the same Europeans who value every inch of Palestinian history, obliterated, destroyed and crushed the Jewish history of eastern Europe, in this case Galicia.The book tells how the Jews were first destroyed and then their history, through neglect, communistic anti-semitism and finally Ukrainian nationalism, was forgotten and pushed aside.This is one of the few testaments to a vanished people.While German Jewry has been done justice in numerous important publications (The Pity of It All: A Portrait of the German-Jewish Epoch, 1743-1933), there has been comparatively little interest in the Yiddish civilization and the Jews of the Pale of Settlement or Galicia.Outside of the Annihilation of Lithuanian Jewry and Synagogues Without Jews this history has simply vanished.This is such an important book not only for Jews whose ancestors came from these places but also for all the Jews whose roots are in Eastern Europe and Russia, and for Europeans who might one day want to recall this vanished people who once lived among them.

A very sad book that describes a hidden history that, while most recall the holocaust, few can see the physical traces of the once vibrant, warm, loving communities that were crushed under the Nazi boot and then erased to make way for modernity.

Seth J. Frantzman

Excellent account of an inredibly sad situation
This book explained the extremely said situation of the erasure of Jewish heritage in the Ukraine. It is quite thorough on the towns that were visited. It is a must read for anyone with roots in the former Galicia.

Interesting look at Galicia
For a long time Galicia was a 'hotbed' of nationalism and this book shows the ramifications of that.I am from a city that is, according to the author, part of Galicia but it is not one of the cities he traveled to and wrote about in the book, sadly.I would have been quite interested to read his take on what happened to this city after the war, etc.

Overall, as another reviewer has said, the book is at times repetitive. What readers will notice is that for the most part in practically every city Ukrainians partook in the pogroms or murders of Jews from the beginning days of the German occupation.Few, on the other hand, tried to save Jews.One can argue that they had no time to save Jews as they were looking out for themselves, yet that does not go a long way in explaining why so many were implicit in their deaths.

Today all the memorials erected to commemorate the suffering and death of the Jewish people are overlooked or forgotten about, in their place have sprung up dozens of monuments to Ukrainian nationalists, many of them guilty of mass murder and anti-Semitism.It should be mentioned that during the Soviet era the Holocaust was not mentioned, the Soviets did not want to single out any one group of people (commendable in some respects but not realistic or to a degree honest) and most of the memorials do not mention which group died but rather you will find them saying that so many 'Soviet citizens' died/were murdered, etc.It seems that it will be a long while, if ever, before Ukraine and Ukrainians can come to grips with their past in regards to WWII and the Holocaust.

Overall the book is an interesting read because one can get a glimpse of the exact same thing happening in every village/town/city, one after another.It is not a natural phenomenon, I'm sure to a degree it is part of a state sponsored program to erase the Ukrainian past during WWII in regards to the Holocaust and replace it with heroic nationalistic characters like Stepan Bandera. ... Read more

Product Description
The events in Eastern Europe and Ukraine during World War II are generally little known and often misunderstood, even though it was here that the war lasted the longest and caused devastation on an unprecedented scale. Millions either lost their lives or became slave labourers. In some areas, underground resistance to Nazi and later Soviet rule did not subside until the early 1950s. This book will interest those concerned with the history of Ukraine during World War II, as well as the controversy over the presence of alleged war criminals in Canada and the United States.

Contributors include Orest Subtelny, Bohdan Krawchenko, Peter J. Potichnyj, and many others. Augmenting the articles is a 9-page transcript from a press conference discussing Canadian war-crimes investigations, photographs, extensive documentary materials, a chronology of events, and a detailed bibliography.

Ukraine during World War II is a comprehensive guide to one of the most complex aspects of modern East European history. ... Read more

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The Greek Catholic church has been described as a hybrid of eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, that combines the heritage of Byzantine Christianity with the Roman papacy. This book looks at the collision of the eastern and western elements of the church in Galicia in the late 19th century. ... Read more

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Within living memory, occupation of the Ukraine by Poland, Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia has demanded a huge price in human lives. Between 1930 and 1945 famine, war, repression, mass execution and nationalist struggle caused the death of a staggering 15 million Ukrainians. Through unique personal testimonies, archive and contemporary photographs, this book reflects on the history of the Ukrainian people from the 1920s to the close of the 20th century. ... Read more

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This booklet contains the proceedings of the first Annual Conference sponsored by the Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University, and the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University at Harvard University, May 12-13, 1994. Kostiantyn P. Morozov, first Minister of Defense of independent Ukraine, gave the keynote address. Papers exploring recent Ukrainian military history and the construction and Ukrainianization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were presented by Professors Zenon Kohut (Director, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies), Mark von Hagen (Columbia University), and John Jaworsky (University of Waterloo). Responses to these papers were given by senior Ukrainian military personnel who attended the conference. The Military Tradition in Ukrainian History will be useful to specialists in East European affairs, military historians, and Ukrainianists.

The Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University has established the Harvard Papers in Ukrainian Studies as a medium for occasional papers, lectures, reports, reprints, long articles, and recent theses of particular merit. It also is a venue for monograph-length works that utilize new analyses and methodologies that broaden the field of Ukrainian studies. The series is not geographically limited to Ukraine proper--it also will examine questions of importance to surrounding countries, inasmuch as these questions are significant to the history and current development of Ukraine.

This monograph, is in the Harvard Papers in Ukrainian Studies series of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, and is distributed by Harvard University Press. ... Read more

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In July 1989 coal miners throughout the Soviet Union engaged in a massive strike that briefly captured world headlines and inaugurated a movement of strike committees that persisted across the Soviet/post-Soviet divide. In this collection of interviews and essays based on encounters over a three-year period, the voices of industrial workers and their families in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the coal capital of the Donbass, are heard. The stories collected here allow Western readers to "hear" these people describe their struggles for survival and identity in conditions of economic, political and social disintegration/transformation; and to analyze their testimonies and other kinds of texts in terms of changing meanings of work, gender, and national identity. Included are an examination of the "older generation" that came of age during the Stalin era; an analysis of the miners' movement and the trade union politics that emerged out of the strike of 1989; and a focus on the social crises and cultural disorientations accompanying Ukrainian independence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

History of Ukraine by "the most distinguished Ukrainian historian" provides objective, accurate information--an enthralling read
As background on why Mykhailo Hrushevsky's A History of Ukraine is such an important tome, it's important to at least be familiar with his academic and professional credentials.Mykhailo Hrushevsky (1866-1934) was born in Kislovodsk, North Caucasus krai, RSFSR.He was the "most distinguished Ukrainian historian; principal organizer of Ukrainian scholarship, prominent civic and political leader, publicist, and writer; member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society from 1894, the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences from 1923, and the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1929."His father was a pedagogue and a Slavist.In 1869, his family moved to Caucasia, where Hrushevsky graduated from the classical gymnasium in 1886.While still there, he began to write belles-lettres in Ukrainian.In 1890, Hrushevsky graduated from the Historical-Philological Faculty at Kyiv University; there, he was a student of Volodymyr Antonovych (historian, archeologist, archeographer, professor of history at Kyiv University from 1878, editor-in-chief of the publications of the Kyiv Archeographic Commission, patron and head [from 1881] of the Historical Society of Nestor the Chronicler in Kyiv, and organizer of archeological conferences in Ukraine).Much more detailed biographical information on both Mykhailo Hrushevsky and on Volodymyr Antonovych is available on the website of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine.

Hrushevsky published, perhaps, his most important essay in 1904.In that article, he traced Ukraine's history and that of the Ukrainian people to the period of Kyivan Rus--"he argued that the history of the Ukrainian nation is distinct from that of the Russian both in its origin and in its political, economic, and cultural development" (translations appeared in English in 1952 and in German in 1935).Most Russian historians rejected Hrushevsky's argument (they "believed that the modern Russian state was the only direct descendant of Kyivan Rus and did not accept that the Ukrainian nation had developed as a result of a separate and unique history").Nevertheless, most Ukrainian historians including those in Soviet Ukraine (until 1929) accepted, with some changes, Hrushevsky's scheme and periodization of Ukraine's history, as did the emigration.

Following a brief stay in Saint Petersburg, Hrushevsky returned to Kyiv.In 1907, he cofounded the Ukrainian Scientific Society, which was modeled on the Shevchenko Scientific Society.In the fall of 1914, during the First World War, he was arrested, imprisoned in Kyiv for two months, and exiled to Simbirsk, then to Kazan, and finally to Moscow.He continued his scholarly work despite his repression.After the February Revolution of 1917, he was released from exile and emerged as the leader of the Ukrainian national revolution.The Central Rada elected him chairman on March 17, 1917 while he was still in Moscow.And, it was under his direction, that the Central Rada became the revolutionary parliament of Ukraine.Hrushevsky was elected president of the Central Rada of the Ukrainian National Republic on April 29, 1918, which was overthrown when Pavlo Skoropadsky led a coup d'état.Hrushevsky's involvement in government ended then, although he continued his political activities.

Hrushevsky's professor Volodymyr Antonovych, as well as Mykola Kostomarov, Mykhailo Drahomanov, and E. Durkheim had a great influence on the formation of his historical approach.A member of the populist school of Ukrainian historiography (which stressed the primacy of social or popular interests over that of the nation and of the state), Hrushevsky later began to attach "more importance to the state and the political development of the Ukrainian nation.Hrushevsky rejected the Normanist theory of early Ukrainian history and considered the Antes the predecessors of the Ukrainian nation.Elements of his historical scheme were adopted by some non-Ukrainian historians such as Aleksandr Presniakov, Matvii Liubavsky, and Oskar Halecki."

Copyrighted in 1941 by Yale University Press, Hrushevsky's, A History of Ukraine, was reprinted with permission for the Ukrainian National Association by Archon Books in 1970 in an unaltered and unabridged edition.O. J. Frederiksen edited the volume very aptly.Professor George Vernadsky wrote the scholarly preface.This one-volume tome represents the cooperative efforts of several persons, and specific acknowledgments are made to:Wasyl Halich, Omelian Revyuk, Dr. Luke Myshuha, Stephen Shumeyko, Professor O. J. Frederiksen of Miami University, Ohio, and Professor George Vernadsky of Yale University.

As Professor Vernadsky advises in his preface written in 1941, although there were, at the time, publications in English dealing with Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Balkan countries, at the time of publication of A History of Ukraine, there remained an important gap--Ukraine.Although Ukrainians are the second largest Slavic nation, there remained a lack of knowledge concerning Ukrainians and Ukraine.To stress that not only was there a paucity of knowledge, but also of erroneous conceptions, Professor Vernadsky cited an example:"people used to speak for example of the annexation of `Eastern Poland' to `Russia,' not realizing that the country in question is neither Poland nor Russia proper but Ukraine."

I've included a four-page table of contents and a listing of the four maps which are included in this tome, which may be accessed from the product detail page.

Professor Hrushevsky's, A History of Ukraine, is written in an enthralling style, which renders it difficult to put down.The script is informative, the writing style is easy to read and comprehend, and the volume is enhanced with maps to visually present the information.The index (pages 601-629) attests to the multitude of entries covered.The history of Ukraine is rendered via an accurate, impartial portrayal of events.Very highly recommended, this tome is definitely five stars plus!

Addendum:To augment visually the text of Professor Hrushevsky, I've posted on the product detail page nearly one hundred photos that I've taken throughout Ukraine in 1993 and 1994.

Additionally, Readers, you're invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted.

Also, please visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject matter.

An Oustanding Volume on Ukrainian History!
If you're lucky enough to find this terrific 629 p. volume, published by Yale University Press way back in 1941, and since reprinted, even in translation, you will be rewarded with a first rate account of Ukrainian history by the legendary Ukrainian scholar and patriot, Michael Hrushevsky, who died in 1934 as a result of his imprisonment by the Soviet authorities. It's authoritative, scholarly and very readable. ... Read more

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The book addresses achievements, challenges and problems of Ukraine's foreign and security policy since 1990/91. Emphasis is put on the often problematic, but presently stable, bilateral relations with Russia as well as Ukraine's policies aimed at enhancing its position in the Central Eastern European region and integration into Western and Euro-Atlantic structures. The book contains contributions by well-known Ukrainian, Russian and Western foreign and security policy analysts such as Olga Alexandrova, Hermann Clement, Anatolii Grytsenko, Taras Kuzio, Arkadiy Moshes, Hryhorii Nemyria, Oleksandr Pavliuk, Oleksandr Potekhin, James Sherr, and others, as well as concluding remarks by the editors. A foreword is dedicated by H.E. Borys Tarasyuk, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. ... Read more

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Carpatho-Ukraine in the Twentieth Century offers political memoirs and commentary by Vincent Shandor, an elder statesman who served as head of the Carpatho-Ukrainian Representation to the Prague Federal government during the period preceding and at the beginning of World War II. From his unique first-person perspective, Shandor analyzes the shifting political and legal status of Carpatho-Ukraine from the twilight of the Habsburg Empire through the region's two decades as Czechoslovak "Subcarpathian Ruthenia" and onto the wartime reoccupation by Hungary and the region's ultimate incorporation into the Ukrainian SSR. Significant both as scholarly critique and as autobiography, Shandor's work presents materials never before available in English about events leading up to and during World War II. It will be valuable to all those interested in the twentieth-century development of Central Europe.

Customer Reviews (1)

A major work on a little-known region of Europe
Shandor tells the modern history of a section of Ukraine now known as the Zakarpatskaya Oblast. This is the fascinating story of a country that has been a part of five different nations in the 20th Century and whose peopletoday live in six different countries. It was a part of the HungarianEmpire until the end of the First World War. After the war it was promisedautonomy as Subcarpathian Ruthenia, the third part of Czechoslovakia, butthis was never realized until the break-up of this country in 1938-39. Thenfor three days in March of 1939 it was the independent country ofCarpatho-Ukraine, until the Hungarian Army crossed the border to reclaimit. In 1945 the Czechs and Russians agreed to make it part of the Ukrainewithout consulting its people. Shandor was the Ruthenian delegate in Praguebetween the two wars and has quite a tale to tell. Occasionally, the readeris swamped with names and details mentioned to prove Shandor's point ofview. The presentation could have been more balanced, but overall it isfascinating reading. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a first attempt to present an approach to Ukrainian history which goes beyond the standard 'national narrative' schemes, predominant in the majority of post-Soviet countries after 1991, in the years of implementing 'nation-building projects'. An unrivalled collection of essays by the finest scholars in the field from Ukraine, Russia, USA, Germany, Austria and Canada, superbly written to a high academic standard. The various chapters are methodologically innovative and thought-provoking.The biggest Eastern European country has ancient roots but also the birth pangs of a new autonomous state. Its historiography is characterized by animated debates, in which this book takes a definite stance. The history of Ukraine is not written here as a linear, teleological narrative of ethnic Ukrainians but as a multicultural, multidimensional history of a diversity of cultures, religious denominations, languages, ethical norms, and historical experience. It is not presented as causal explanation of 'what has to have happened' but rather as conjunctures and contingencies, disruptions, and episodes of 'lack of history.' ... Read more

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This book was conceptualized as an effort to provide for a Western reader not familiar with psychology in the East, a broad outline of Ukrainian Psychology within the socio-historical context. ... Read more

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Scythians and Greeks focuses on the ancient history of the northern Black Sea region: a major "new frontier" of Classical studies. The book presents a series of engagements with key themes bearing on cultural interactions within the region, from archaic Greek colonial settlement (approx. sixth century BC) down to the region's inclusion within the Roman imperial system (first century AD). By bringing together contributors from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia, the book makes available material and ideas which are either wholly new or known only to a very limited circle of specialists. The particular focus is on the relationships which developed, in peace and war, between the local peoples of the region (conventionally termed "Scythians") and the cultures of the classical Graeco-Roman world. ... Read more

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The author follows in the footsteps of his namesake, the rabbi explorer of the twelfth century, Benjamin of Tudela, to create the first all-encompassing guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine.

Until Communism fell, the Jews of Russia and Ukraine had been suppressed and denied human and religious rights. Today, not only are they reborn, but they are rebuilding a new, vibrant community for the twenty-first century. Frank explores this rebirth and guides both first-time and experienced travelers to Jewish and historical sites. He profiles synagogues, monuments, and schools that can be found in such cities as St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, and even Kishinev in Moldava.

Approximately 120 years ago, the majority of the world’s Jews lived in what was called the "Pale of Settlement" in the Russian Empire. Most American Jews today trace their ancestry to Russia and the surrounding territories, especially Ukraine. "A Travel Guide to Jewish Russia & Ukraine" will aid those visiting places where relatives once lived, as well as those simply in search of history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Editors could have made a better job of it
As a part of a Jewish community in Western Ukraine I am well aware of the problems the citizens of Ukraine are facing be they Ukrainians, Russians or Jews.

I found this book worth of interest -- unfortunately it has too many minor factual and other mistakes that make it not applicable for the purposes I needed it for.

The entire Ukrainian part should be reworked if the author ever plans to publish it again -- to make Ukrainians less bloodthirsty and a little bit closer to what they are in reality (if they were that bloodthirsty as the author portrays them to be how possibly could Jews have survived living side by side with Ukrainians for one thousand years?)
A consultation with a specialist in Ukrainian history will be a must as well as a thorough fact-checking.
Petliura was never a bandit. As a matter of fact he heavily prosecuted any demonstrations of anti-Semitism in the army he was in charge of. The guy who killed him just ate too much of Soviet propaganda.
Besides, the author who meticulously mentions participation of Ukrainians in the Holocaust fails to mention that among Ukrainians there were a lot of those who risked their lives and lives of their families to rescue Jews.
When talking about Babi Yar, he never mentions that exterminations were held there for 2 years -- and the Jews were killed there during the first week. After that it was prisoners of war, Ukrainian nationalists, Gypsies, gays and lesbians, and a lot of other people.

If he wants to write the story of Jews in Ukraine he has to be better informed.
What would be also nice is consistent spelling of names of the cities -- in compliance with Ukrainian tradition, not with Russian.

Also the author could have better harnessed his anti-Ukrainian stance:
for example, when he is writing about the Jewish memorial in Babi Yar he writes:
[I am giving an exact quote]
p.335
Only in 1991, when the menorah memorial was erected [...] did the Ukrainian government dedicate and recognize the spot as the area where Jews were killed and buried.

Just for reference: Ukraine regained its independence on August 24, 1991.
It was not able to recognize it earlier officially because it did not have its own government.

The last but not the least: the author fails to learn the difference between the Russian and the Soviet. When writing about history of the 20th century it is indeed a major difference.

A ***correction*** to misinformation by "daryoush"
This is a response to an earlier review that contained a major, major Big Lie.

Specifically, "daryoush" from Seattle, in the course of commenting upon this book and expressing interest in a book about "recent Jewish history" in Lebanon, West bank and the Gaza strip, says the following:

"I like to better understand the Israeli massacres in the refugee camps."

He/she also goes on to make several other specious statements including usage of the term "concentration camps."

Daryoush's statement is a Big Lie masquerading as a review. I have serious reservations about his/her agenda, but setting that aside for a second, the deaths in the refugee camps (that I assume he refers to, related to the 1982 war in Lebanon) were not "Israeli massacres." They were carried out, by all credible accounts, by Lebanese militiamen arguably under Israel's influence. This is not to excuse the killings, nor even Sharon's alleged negligence or complicity, but even in the worst case terming them "Israeli massacres" is simply inaccurate.

One has to wonder about the mindset of someone who would use such a term.

The need to respond to such garbage is a sad commentary upon the state of discourse on Israel and our times generally.

- Ezra in Minnesota

Terrific travel guide to Russian & Ukrainian Jewish history.
Approximately 120 years ago the majority of the world's Jews lived in what was called the "Pale of Settlement" in the Russian Empire of the Czar. Most American Jews today trace their ancestry to Russia, the Ukraine,and the surrounding territories and provinces of the old empire. UntilCommunism fell, the Jews of Russia and Ukraine had been suppressed anddenied human and religious rights. With the collapse of the Communists,Judaism has emerged from centuries old persecution and pogrom and thesynagogues, monuments, schools and other Jewish historical sites areavailable and accessible to the western visitor. Ben Frank's A Travel GuideTo Jewish Russia & Ukraine is an invaluable, highly recommended travelguide for planning and implementing a trip in search of their familyheritage and religious roots throughout Russian and the Ukraine.

It made me drop my chalupah and turn the page
Not only informative but terrific reading.It will keep you on the edge of your seat.A travel log that's enjoyable to read whether you visit theplaces or not. Put on your seatbelt because this is a journey well worthtaking! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Ideas that need more work
There are at least three good books buried in this rather cursory little booklet, trying to get out, but not quite succeeding:

1)A thoughtfulanalysis of how and why the Reform Rabbi Abraham Kohn died in Lviv (then Lemberg) in 1848.Stanislawski does furnish details that he found in archives, and he advances the theory (not totally convincing)that the man charged but acquitted of the murder,Abraham Pilpel, was in fact the murderer. But these details do not add up to a coherent explanation of just how and why Pilpel, presumably together with Orthodox Jewish co-conspirators, would conceive and carry out a deed so alien to the methods traditionally used in internal Jewish disputes.

2)A religious history of the Jews of Lviv-Lemberg.Some elements of this history are of course familiar, in particular the disputes between Hasidim and the traditional Orthodox. But Rabbi Kohn was a Reform Jew, and the appearance of Reform Judaism so far east of Germany requires fuller and more careful explanation than given to us here.

3)The use of assassination in internal Jewish disputes, which Stanislawski says interests him so much, needs much more, and much more careful analysis.It appears that in addition to the (questionable) case of Rabbi Kohn, there were only two other cases that come easily to mind:that of Prime Minister Rabin in 1995, and that of the Labor Zionist leader Haim Arlosoroff in 1933, presumably at the hand of right-wing Zionists.Now if, as Staniswaski maintains, these cases are very rare, this rarity needs to be established, say through a careful comparative analysis of other groups similarly located.In Lemberg, that would involved the Poles, the Germans, and the Ruthenians.Is assassination more common in the internal affairs of these groups ? If not, perhaps the Jews are not as unique here as Stanislawski suggests. Moreover (and this goes back to book #1, above), if assassination is indeed generally considered unacceptable by all factions of Jews (except perhaps the clearly mentally imbalanced),Stanislawski has much explaining to do if he insists, as he does, that the murderers in the Rabbi Kohn case were organized by part of the local Jewish leadership.

In short, this is a stimulating outline for a number of books.Let's hope that the author will get to work on at least some of them.

A great book. Concise and beautifully written
This is a well thought out and concisely written book.The facts and comments are not padded with excessive or unnecessary information.It's a slim and to the point account of the background and consequences of the pioneering attempts to introduce Reform Judaism in the Eastern Europe of the 1800's.
The author accomplishes a beautiful act of compromise between the objectivity a historian ought to apply and the feelings, emotions and nostalgia that are inevitable given the nature of the subject.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I suspect that any person interested in the subject of Reform Judaism or the works of a great historian would enjoy it as well.

A great book
I really enjoyed this book -- especially the author's description of him travelling to Lviv recently.The author should write more from first hand experience.The story would make a great movie. ... Read more

Product Description
Decision in the Ukraine (George M. Nipe, Jr.) Hard cover, small format (9"x6"), 390 pages, 75 photographs and 29 maps and orders of battle. For the first time in English, the full story of the crucial battles on the Mius River by the 6. Armee and the successful counterattack spearheaded by the II. SS-Panzer-Korps, consisting of "Das Reich" and "Totenkopf". Also covered in detail are the offensives after Kursk in July/August 1943. The author uses many primary sources and conveys the action in vivid detail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Excellent Operational Coverage and Analysis
In the introduction, a capsule summary of the key events of the war before the Battle of Kursk is given and includes Barbarossa, Stalingrad, the Soviet offensive after Stalingrad in AGS sector and the retaking of Kharkov by Manstein in Feb, Mar 1943. Still in summary but with a greater level of detail, the author describes Kursk. At this juncture, Mr Nipe goes to great length to discuss the tank battles near Prochorovka as well as the false propaganda and exaggerations of German losses that have surfaced over the years about that fateful July 12th. He also brings up a key issue that is rarely mentioned in other books. By July 9th, it was obvious that 3rd PzC was too far behind to assist 2nd SS PzC in attacking Prokhorovka by attacking 5th GTA. Why didn't Manstein commit the 24th PzC which was in reserve to help speed up the advance of Kemp's forces. With the slow progress the Germans were making, it seemed an appropriate response. The author is on a mission to strike down fallacy and to promote the truth. It was a very interesting, worthwhile commentary.

In mid July, after the Allies landed on Sicily and Citadel was becoming too costly, Hitler calls off his offensive. This is when the author leaves summary mode and begins a detailed study and analysis of the next six weeks of battle when the Soviets launched their own offensives to the south of the Kursk salient. The battle action begins in mid July in the Mius River area when Tolbukhin's Southern Front launches a diversionary attack against 6th Army to draw German forces away from Kursk. The subsequent German counterattack to regain lost ground of the newly formed Soviet bridgehead was especially revealing and costly. At the beginning of August a major Soviet offensive begins north of the Merla-Merchik Rivers area, west of Belgorod and Kharkov and will last to the end of August. In both campaigns, the 2nd SS PzC was used to try to stop the assault. In the later assault, these mobile forces would be up against the Soviet 6th Guard Army, and the reformed 1st Tank Army and the 5th Guard Tank Army.

The daily coverage of the tactical engagements, which is from the German perspective, is excellent. For the German side the level of detail is usually at the division level while the Soviets are presented at either Army, Corps or Division level. Sometimes Mr Nipe doesn't provide Soviet designation on every occurrence of an engagement and will force the reader to remember the previous entry of said engagement. This is not bad for the previous entry is usually quite close and not hard to find if a refresher is needed. The accompanying analysis is also very good and will appeal to many of the readers.

With sector coverage so good for the month of August, this book is the ideal supplement to David Glantz's "The Battle of Kursk" or Mark Healy's "Zitadelle". Neither book has anywhere near the coverage or analysis of this book for the month of August. Between these three books plus Didier Lodieu's book on 3rd PzC, you will have exemplary coverage of this key offensive and Soviet counter offensive to the south of Kursk.

To greatly add to the story, there were 29 maps. The maps were simple but effective and were spread out throughout the book and were aligned with the narrative, making it easier to follow the action along the key rivers, fortified hills and villages. Some of the key battle sites were Dmitrievka, Kuibyshevo, Stepanovka, Saur Mogilsky, Hill 213, Akhtyrka, Kotelva, Trostyanets, Bogodukhov. The key rivers included Donets, Psel, Mius, Merla, Merchik and Vorskla. In addition to the useful maps, there was an impressive gallery of 75 photos of German officers, equipment and battle scenes.

Without many first hand experiences, some may think this book dry but for those interested in the operational aspects of this time and sector along with insightful appraisal, this book will be highly valued for its high level of detail, analysis and truthfulness.
The author includes an Appendix which has an abbreviated Order of Battle as well as other statistics. The OB could've been more complete but it was still useful. The author delivers analysis throughout the book but his final chapter of conclusions and observations is especially helpful. The author makes the case that Manstein was right to want to keep 4th PzA and III PzC together to complete and destroy the huge pocket south of Prokhorovka. It would have given 6th Army a better chance of holding the Mius bridgehead in August.
There is also a Notes section, a Bibliography but no Index. Though using some secondary sources and interviews, much of the material came from primary sources like the National Archives in Washington DC.
For those who are trying to piece together the operational events of the war, this book is invaluable for its detail of the last half of July and August 1943 is most comprehensive and fills in an important piece of the puzzle that other books miss. Its highly recommended for serious students as is his other book, "The Last Victory in Russia".

INCREDIBLE!
I recently picked up the book for $105. I hesitated on the purchase because of the high price. This is the 7th book I have read on the eastern front in the past 6 months. This book uses sources that were classified by the UNITED STATES government until 1978 to 1981. So, Mr. Nipe had access to first hand documents, battle reports and statistics that were not available to previous authors. They were released on microfilm to the public between 1978 and 1981. The documents expose the fraud and deception we were fed by the soviets regarding battlefield casualties, statistics regarding armor losses, troop casualties etc... The soviets lied for political reasons about their casualties and equipment destroyed in battles.

Reality on the Eastern Front
"Decision in the Ukraine, Summer 1943.." was the first offering that I had read by George Nipe Jr prior to my reading his other book on Manstein's Kharkov Counter offensive in 1943. An extremely revealing book which clearly demonstrates the tactical & mobile superiority of German armoured units in 1943. It also shows the role increasing played by these forces in the 'fire brigade' role rushing from one crisis point to another. Nipe uses fact to destroy the myth that Prokorovka was a draw with both sides suffering equal losses. The Soviet's strategic reserve 6th Guards Tank Army rushing headlong into battle suffered appalling losses which meant it was unlikely to have been able to continue it's assault on the day in which Hitler cancelled the offensive. Manstein's belief that this was a mistake is born out, but would only have made sense with the committment of the German reserve XXIV Panzercorps. Nipe's more detailed description of the defensive battles on the Mius shows that this was an effort by the Soviets to force the Germans to Cancel 'Citadel' & also shows that the SS 'Totenkopf' Division although was still a relatively inexperienced formation at that time suffering appalling losses from inappropriate commitment by wehrmacht commanders. Making up for this by it's fanatical bravery of it's officers & men. Finally the Bogodukhov operation also shows German Armoured superiority in a situation where the soviets had an enormous amount of tanks & men. Here the Armoured forces of Army Group South were able to use their superior mobile forces to encircle, destroy & blunt two Soviet tank armies although not able to prevent the Soviet capture of Belgorod & Kharkov for the last time. Nipe exposes myths that have grown since the second world war on the eastern front & along with David Glantz is & Steven Newton is one of the best authors in this area. A recommended read to anyone who enjoys reading detailed information on the Eastern Front.

First class military history!
This is an excellent book for the military history buffs and it's also very useful for anyone who wants to thrive into the details of the terrific battles of the Eastern Front in the summer of 1943. Mr Nipe's fine historical research and his vast archical references prove beyond doubt that "the (German) losses at Prokhorovka are a myth, and in fact, the Waffen SS divisions retained sufficient fighting power to destroy Tolbukhin's Mius bridgehead in July and later help III Panzerkorps fight the Soviet 1st and 5th Guards Tank Armies to a standstill at Bogodukhov". Although the first 68 pages are devoted to the great tank battle of Kursk and the damage that the Germans inflicted to their enemy, the most interesting part (and that which is most analytically presented) is the Mius campaign, where the weak 6th Army with the help of II SS Panzerkorps smashed the Soviet South Front after grevious battles which lasted for 16 days. The details are abundant and it is clear that the author has a perfect grasp of his subject. The book has manyblack and white maps (and some very good b/w photos also) which may be not of the finest quality but give the reader a comprehensive picture of the action. The story of battle of Kharkov begins on page 259 and is also extremely interesting. With this book Mr Nipe has covered a little known period of the Great Patriotic War which is usually overshadowed by the Kursk and Dnieper battles and is often less than a paragraph long in other books. Despite its volume this book is easy to read and the chronological presentation of the action, as well as the informative chapter and paragraph titles help a lot! A very highly recommended book!

my thoughts about the chance of german partial vicotry in the south wing of kursk
I just want to point out that field marshal von manstain really mistakenly evaluated the situation.

1. The whole German offensive in the north became defensive, and later on model have to abandon Orel which threaten Moscow for two years.
2. Manstain believed USSR depleted all of their reserve, actually soviet still have a complete "grass army" in reserve, the soldier's number change from
1.35 million to some what 2.2 million in the end(stalin even transfer troops who gonna liberate Leningrad to Kursk front).
3. German troops were extremely exhausted and outnumbered. As you described, they had so few tanks in hand and how could they encircle the red army which is sever times greater in manpower, weapons.
4. soviet can produce 1200 tanks during 1943 and they can quickly refit and regroup their amour division while German's factory were bombard by USA, it can't
Recover from the heavy loss to Kursk at all.

My conclusion is: Von manstain never can have a chance in the south wing even if Hitler won't halt the action.
Actually in fact, Hitler allowed him to advance, and most the unit can't transfer to Italy due to the soviet's attack. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

The deadly hand of Russia.
As I write this review, Russia has invaded Georgia and is helping two breakaway regions in Georgia.This book reveals the interfering hands of Russia and President Putin in Ukraine in 2004.Not only had they the gumption of telling the world how the West and the USA were interfering in the affairs of an East European state, but they were financing and fradulently electing a stooge of their own choosing for Ukraine.It shows that Putin's Russia is just a clone of the old Soviet state and tolerates no dissidence from countries on their own border.It also shows how the left in the West took up this fradulent story of the West interfering in Ukraine.

As the author relates, the Orange Revolution was a genuine social revolution caused by a dictatorship immitating a democracy (managed democracy).The old ruling elite were too corrupt to prevent the population from rising up and throwing them out of office.Russia and Putin supported the kleptocrats and also was shown the door.Hopefully this will happen elsewhere in the near abroad.

I think Wilson does a wonderful job of showing how this Revolution came about.This is a nice work on the progress of democracy in the former Soviet Union.

All you need to know
This is a detailed -- almost newspaper like -- account of the Orange Revolution.It would do for a textbook and shows the writer's knowledge.

An introduction to Ukraine & the Orange Revolution
'Ukraine's Orange Revolution' was one of the first books written on the much publicized events of late 2004. Wilson does a wonderful job providing a brief history of Ukraine as well as setting the context for the inspiring events.

The book's major strength is its description of what Wilson defines elsewhere as virtual politics. The book graphically shows how the old Ukrainian government used the familiar Soviet devices (e.g. electoral fraud, black PR, & assassination attempts)to 'win' victory for the chosen successor.

But the regime - before, during, and after the campaign - went too far. It was the government's outrageous tactics that largely drove the population to revolution. `Ukraine's Orange Revolution' is a good introduction to the events that inspired a nation to fight for democracy.

Taking the first steps toward true democracy
You'll be lucky if you can keep all the names straight, and the author provides plenty of them, but it's a good look behind the scenes of a modern, peaceful revolution. It can be a bit dry at times and the author's writing style and word usage sometimes left me curious as to exactly what he meant but push through it and you'll finish the book with a reasonable understanding of the challenges faced and overcome by people who wanted a new, responsive government. They've still got a lot of work ahead of them but let's hope they succeed.

Orange Revolution
Excellent analysis, must read to see the chaos that is now democracy in Ukraine ... Read more