‘Both pioneering and fundamental. This is the essential history of Ukraine, from one of the greatest Ukrainian thinkers and scholars.’

Timothy Snyder #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of On Tyranny

‘Ukrainian historian Yaroslav Hrytsak’s vivid, sweeping book lays bare the enduring pride that persuaded his countrymen to resist Russian aggression and offers grounds for hope.’

Luke Harding, Observer

‘People and nations are forged in the fires of adversity.’

John Adams

UKRAINE The Forging of a Nation delves into the events that led to the creation of Ukraine, examining crucial moments of Ukrainian and world history and how connected they have been, and continue to be, to this day.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the world witnessed the ‘creative, freewheeling, darkly humorous, and deeply resilient society’ of contemporary Ukraine, and discovered more about a country with a history that is ‘exceptionally rich in examples of survival, solidarity and resilience.’

In this timely and original history, already a bestseller in Ukraine, Professor Yaroslav Hrytsak, Ukrainian intellectual and public historian, tells the sweeping story of his nation through a meticulous examination of the major events, conflicts and developments that have shaped it over the course of centuries, exploring Ukraine’s dramatic history, incredible fight for freedom and its place as an independent nation in our world today.

This book is a definitive story of Ukraine and its people, as told by one of its most celebrated voices.

Yaroslav Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and public intellectual. Professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Professor Hrytsak has taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities and was a guest lecturer at the Central European University in Budapest. He is the author of many historical books, including several bestsellers and the recipient of numerous national and international awards and has written opinion pieces for many publications including The Times, the New York Times and Time Magazine.