First published 2026
Ukraine faces Russia in a conflict that echoes the biblical David and Goliath story. Russia spans the world's largest territory while Ukraine, though Europe's biggest country, remains thirty times smaller with barely a quarter of Russia's population. Despite these odds, Ukraine mounts fierce resistance against its larger, better armed neighbor. Russia threatens nuclear war if Ukraine refuses surrender or the West provides aid. Serhii Plokhy, the leading Ukrainian history scholar, collected his essays, commentaries, and interviews written before and during Russia's full invasion. These pieces span the conflict's first two years and Europe's largest war since World War II ended. Plokhy reveals why Ukraine continues fighting and succeeding both militarily and in winning global support. History illuminates Ukraine's determination and battlefield victories against overwhelming force.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: david-and-goliath, underdog
Setting: Europe, Russia, Ukraine
Period: 21st-century
272 pages · Hardcover · Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute