Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
- Downloads：6132
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-04-30 10:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Timothy Snyder
- ISBN：1541600061
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From the author of the international bestseller On Tyranny， the definitive history of Hitler’s and Stalin’s politics of mass killing， explaining why Ukraine has been at the center of Western history for the last century。
Americans call the Second World War “the Good War。” But before it even began， America’s ally Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the war。 Before Hitler was defeated， he had murdered six million Jews and nearly as many other Europeans。 At war’s end， German and Soviet killing sites fell behind the Iron Curtain， leaving the history of mass killing in darkness。
Assiduously researched， deeply humane， and utterly definitive， Bloodlands is a new kind of European history， presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single story。 With a new afterword addressing the relevance of these events to the contemporary decline of democracy， Bloodlands is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history and its meaning today。
Americans call the Second World War “the Good War。” But before it even began， America’s ally Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the war。 Before Hitler was defeated， he had murdered six million Jews and nearly as many other Europeans。 At war’s end， German and Soviet killing sites fell behind the Iron Curtain， leaving the history of mass killing in darkness。
Assiduously researched， deeply humane， and utterly definitive， Bloodlands is a new kind of European history， presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single story。 With a new afterword addressing the relevance of these events to the contemporary decline of democracy， Bloodlands is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history and its meaning today。
Reviews
David Bjelland
，
Each record of death suggests， but cannot supply， a unique life。 We must be able not only to reckon the number of deaths but to reckon with each victim as an individual。 [。。。] The Nazi and Soviet regimes turned people into numbers， some of which we can only estimate， some of which we can reconstruct with fair precision。 It is for us as scholars to seek these numbers and to put them into perspective。 It is for us as humanists to turn the numbers back into people。
Sam
，
The most horrific and depressing thing I’ve ever read， but an important education in the full extent of the tragedies and loss of the holocaust and reign of terror。
Keith Yocum
，
For those wishing to understand the war in Ukraine， you can't miss by reading this chilling， depressing history of how two tyrants killed 14 million people。。。and it's happening again。 For those wishing to understand the war in Ukraine， you can't miss by reading this chilling， depressing history of how two tyrants killed 14 million people。。。and it's happening again。 。。。more
Alise
，
Vēsture ir jāzina。 Grāmata， kas parāda cik nežēlīgi bija Hitlera Vācijas un Staļina Padomju savienības režīmi。 Abi režīmi atainoti kā vienlīdz noziedzīgi，un komunisma noziegumi netiek parādīti gaišākās krāsās tikai tāpēc， ka tas piedalījies nacisma sagrāvē。
julie
，
It is easy to sanctify policies or identities by the deaths of victims。 It is less appealing， but morally more urgent， to understand the actions of the perpetrators。 The moral danger， after all， is never that one might become a victim but that one might be a perpetrator or a bystander。
relja
，
Staljinizam je istočnoeuropske Židove uklonio s njihovog povijesnog položaja žrtava nacizma i optužio ih za imperijalističku zavjeru protiv komunizma。 Odatle pa do tvrdnje da je židovstvo samo po sebi zavjera， nedostajao je samo mali korak。 Tako je komunističko prešućivanje najvećeg Hitlerovog zločina s vremenom postalo svojevrsna afirmacija Hitlerovog svjetonazora。"Sad ćemo živjeti。" （Józef Sobolewski） Staljinizam je istočnoeuropske Židove uklonio s njihovog povijesnog položaja žrtava nacizma i optužio ih za imperijalističku zavjeru protiv komunizma。 Odatle pa do tvrdnje da je židovstvo samo po sebi zavjera， nedostajao je samo mali korak。 Tako je komunističko prešućivanje najvećeg Hitlerovog zločina s vremenom postalo svojevrsna afirmacija Hitlerovog svjetonazora。"Sad ćemo živjeti。" （Józef Sobolewski） 。。。more
Nicki
，
Wow- blown away。 I asked my good friend to recommend a book that explained the backstory of the current war in Ukraine。 This delivered。 And further reinforced my belief that American history books are utter trash。
David Lubin
，
An Interesting Analysis of a Turbulent Period“Bloodlands，” by Timothy Snyder， is an in depth analysis of events that took place in Poland， Ukraine， Belarus and the Baltic States during the fifteen year period from 1932 until 1947。 The focus is on the 14 million people who were killed by Government decree during this time。 Two governments， Germany and Russia， were responsible for this enormous number of needless deaths。 Though I knew of Stalin’s murderous purges， I never really before had linked An Interesting Analysis of a Turbulent Period“Bloodlands，” by Timothy Snyder， is an in depth analysis of events that took place in Poland， Ukraine， Belarus and the Baltic States during the fifteen year period from 1932 until 1947。 The focus is on the 14 million people who were killed by Government decree during this time。 Two governments， Germany and Russia， were responsible for this enormous number of needless deaths。 Though I knew of Stalin’s murderous purges， I never really before had linked them to Hitler’s。 However， they are linked and together provided the opportunity for this to happen。 Likewise， I never before linked the Stalinist purges to the Holocaust。 They are not only linked but the Holocaust could reasonably include them in it’s numbers。 This is not an easy book to digest and I re-read many sections several times to process the immensity of what happened。 I commend Snyder for doing such a thorough job presenting this material。 If you decide to use the Audible version， the narrator is excellent。 。。。more
Andreea Reads
，
I'm at loss for words。 This book hurt the h=ll out of me。。。 But I'll put it on the list of "IMPERATIVE READS" during one's lifetime。 I'm at loss for words。 This book hurt the h=ll out of me。。。 But I'll put it on the list of "IMPERATIVE READS" during one's lifetime。 。。。more
Lawrence Roth
，
The best way I can introduce this book might be through the concept of the horror of the mundane。 Humans are not particularly good at processing large numbers。 We understand the concept of one thousand， or a few thousand， or even tens of thousands， millions even。 But we can't really "feel" millions of something。 We can't even really feel a thousand。 We are able to truly feel and connect with individual stories， which is why we take personal anecdotes of loss and pain very much to heart， but not The best way I can introduce this book might be through the concept of the horror of the mundane。 Humans are not particularly good at processing large numbers。 We understand the concept of one thousand， or a few thousand， or even tens of thousands， millions even。 But we can't really "feel" millions of something。 We can't even really feel a thousand。 We are able to truly feel and connect with individual stories， which is why we take personal anecdotes of loss and pain very much to heart， but not reports of how many hundreds or thousands dead in a natural disaster to heart， for example。 This book throws a lot of large numbers at you。 Five thousand， fourteen thousand， forty thousand， five million， sixteen million。 After hearing all of these numbers you start to get almost bored of it。 All these numbers are so much， and there's so many of them。 It's all so mundane。 But then the narrator of the audiobook started listing off the number of casualties during the Holomodor in Ukraine in 1933。 And that was the point when I truly understood the concept of the horror of the mundane。 It was when I thought to myself "Oh good， at least only two thousand five hundred people starved to death here， unlike the twelve thousand that starved in that other town。" The casual nature of that statement stunned me a little。 And that moment has perhaps given me a clearer view of how truly awful it must have been to have lived through the 1930s and World War II， or perhaps more accurately， died from it。 Timothy Snyder has written a book that is only enjoyable because it slaps you in the face with the cold， cruel reality of math， which then causes you see the history of Eastern Europe in a much clearer light。 Ralph Cosham， the narrator， does a fantastic job at presenting the data in a very sober， sometimes necessarily somber voice。 I'm glad Snyder has covered the atrocities of both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union。 They are two of the most destructive nation states in history， furthering two of the most destructive ideologies in history， led by two of the worst madmen in history。 Snyder's research unearths and explains the twisted logic of both in a way I've never truly experienced before， and I am thankful to him for publishing a book that I truly believe should be required reading in every school。 The timing of my reading of this book could not have been more prescient either。 According to my Goodreads account， I started listening to this audiobook on February 19， 2022。 Five days later， on February 24， 2022， Vladimir Putin's Russia invaded Ukraine in force， dragging the bloodshed of the Bloodlands into the 21st century。 As of April 21， 2022， Ukraine is still in the fight， doing much better than anyone expected， with Russia looking much weaker than everyone expected。 But that does not comfort the many millions who have fled their homes or who are under siege。 Here again we have the horror of the mundane in number form: nine hundred bodies dug up in a mass grave， three million refugees fleeing across Europe， and who knows how many casualties on both sides in a war upon which the responsibility rests on one man: Vladimir Putin。 Europe， and the world， has hopefully been reminded of the horrors of war。 With the rise of certain political figures and parties， it seemed that extremist ideologies were coming back into fashion over the past six years。 Now， that future is a little more doubtful， and I can only hope that authoritarianism's violent spread can be contained in the last century。 I definitely don't want to live in another world war。 Neither should you。A huge recommend from me to literally everyone who can read。 This book is what people think of when they say "you need to learn your history"。 And if enough people are confronted with the worst of history， maybe we can prevent conflicts like the one we are witnessing in Ukraine right now from happening again。 。。。more
Naomi
，
A staggering death toll ~14 million civilians （Jew & non alike） is detailed therein - from Stalin’s starvations to Hitler’s mass shooting & gassing murders… and adds it all up in horrifying fashion。 Man’s inhumanity to man。 Truly， everyone should read this book to grasp the scope and the ‘perverse interactivity’ between these dictators as the era of WWII began & progressed， with people caught in the middle。 This will be a long-winded review and doesn’t do it justice！ Just read the book！It’s an i A staggering death toll ~14 million civilians （Jew & non alike） is detailed therein - from Stalin’s starvations to Hitler’s mass shooting & gassing murders… and adds it all up in horrifying fashion。 Man’s inhumanity to man。 Truly， everyone should read this book to grasp the scope and the ‘perverse interactivity’ between these dictators as the era of WWII began & progressed， with people caught in the middle。 This will be a long-winded review and doesn’t do it justice！ Just read the book！It’s an interesting & ambitious take， to bring it all together， from multiple angles， rather than just look at each slightly different genocide （just Hitler or just Stalin）， in each separate region。 Hence the author’s term “bloodlands” where these mass killings overlap and were concentrated。 The “horror of the 20th century is thought to be located in the camps…” but the author contests that these are not where the *bulk* of the mass killings occurred， and details the much wider scope of death & destruction and some of the nuances between the methods and perpetrators （work camps， death camps， killings of POWs， gulags， mass killing fields， starvation zones， Soviet death quotas， widespread rape， & others。） He points out that the more typical American recounting a barely scratch the surface of the institutionalized killing， as they didn’t liberate the strictly-death camps （the Soviets did） of which there were very few survivors。 So most of the more famous stories people know， are from concentration camp survivors （where there was death， but also labor and chance of survival， as opposed to the immediate gassing facilities）。 Truly wild statistics。 It’s always morbidly fascinating that so many records exist， dryly documenting mass murder。“On any given day in the 2nd half of 1941， the Germans shot more Jews than had been killed by pogroms in the entire history of the Russian empire …” of this same period later he says， this was - “more than inmates in all their concentration camps。”“Jewish resistance in Warsaw was not only about the dignity of the Jews but about the dignity of humanity as such， including those of the Poles， the British， the Americans， the Soviets， of everyone who could have done more， and instead did less。” “… Though the responsibility… rests above all upon the perpetrators， indirect blame must be borne by humanity itself。”The author also points out the disproportionate killing of Ukrainians， Poles， Jews， and any other disfavored nationality/ethnicity/religious/etc group （along with the all too familiar accusations of their inhumanity & depravity）。 Anything can become an excuse for killing someone as ‘unfit’ or subhuman。 A lot of hatred on all sides for Jews， Slavs， Asian and other ethnic groups， and continual forced deportations and reshuffling of populations。 The ever-shifting nebulous identity criteria and the way groups were forcibly moved around， and then also used to excuse murder should show us how all these labels and distinctions （and racial/& national purity/pride） are bullshit。 Some things don’t change！ Readers will be familiar with some of the rhetoric of Fa/AntiFa， demonizing of the Jews- ‘rootless cosmopolitans’， and with the use of convenient deep state conspiracies as justifications for extrajudicial killings， regime change， and genocide。 The groups and ideologies may have all been different， but the aim of consolidating power （by eradicating other voices） and the result - murder on an almost unimaginable scale， especially of Jews， were the same。 Haunting how the author just keeps on listing death tolls throughout… thousands here， tens of thousands there… more and more and more。 Thankfully， he also recounts a few names as well， not just relegating them to abstract numbers。 Haunting also the casual acquiescence & eagerness of people to join in and help murder people。 Doctors willing to start with the mass murder of the disabled progress to staffing the gas chambers。 The human willingness to believe in ideologies and leaders- even though they can see insane policies and then death around them is mind-boggling。。 The cheerful complicity of one’s neighbors。。。 it’s a lot。 Also touches at least briefly on some of the long-standing ideas for moving & reducing the population of Jews （pre-final solution）， and how these evolved- helped and influenced in part by the unwillingness of the US， the UK， and other countries to accept Jews。 Which is a nuance that is so often left out of current historical & political commentary。 He gets a little preachy in his conclusion， in how his interpretations of these events is correct （e。g。 as opposed to Arendt’s views of totalitarianism/alienation）， and more philosophical analyses。 Extremely timely & unsettling re: the rise of political parties （blaming other groups for economic woes & conspiracies） that feels all too eerily relevant; and the special suffering of the Ukrainian people。 Where are all my fellow descendants of Eastern European Jews- we are all miracles！ We have hard choices in our time as well - what philosophies do we believe- what leaders do we follow - are they leading us to turn a blind eye to suffering & death？Will memory prevent murder？ 。。。more
Nancy Cozzi
，
If you want to know the background of why Russia has invaded Ukraine today， this book is an exhaustive （in a good way） into how Stalin and Hitler really did a number on Ukraine， Belarus， the Baltic states， and Poland。 While these are horrors that happened 80 years ago， their effects are keenly felt today。 It's a book that requires patience， attention， and sometimes a break from the atrocities that happened at that time。 If you want to know the background of why Russia has invaded Ukraine today， this book is an exhaustive （in a good way） into how Stalin and Hitler really did a number on Ukraine， Belarus， the Baltic states， and Poland。 While these are horrors that happened 80 years ago， their effects are keenly felt today。 It's a book that requires patience， attention， and sometimes a break from the atrocities that happened at that time。 。。。more
Rickard Brivald
，
Ganska fruktansvärd bok， men knyter verkligen an till vad som händer i Ukraina idag。 Mycket intressant！
JennyM
，
I chose to read this book to better understand the relationship between Russia and Ukraine following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022。 What I learned staggered me。 I now question much of how I had been taught to understand about the Second World War and both Nazi and Soviet aggression。Snyder does not baulk at rendering the atrocities of the 1930s and 40s with a clear eye and a compassionate heart。 He moves adeptly between a large scale overview of Stalin's famine or the Warsaw Ghetto Uprisin I chose to read this book to better understand the relationship between Russia and Ukraine following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022。 What I learned staggered me。 I now question much of how I had been taught to understand about the Second World War and both Nazi and Soviet aggression。Snyder does not baulk at rendering the atrocities of the 1930s and 40s with a clear eye and a compassionate heart。 He moves adeptly between a large scale overview of Stalin's famine or the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising， to an intimately human account of the people forced to contend with these horrors。 These ever present reminders of the humanity of Stalin's and Hitler's victims makes this an emotionally difficult book to read。 He also contextualises the figures of the dead really well。 Just when another death toll is at risk of becoming another statistic， Snyder will present two figures side-by-side， or remind the reader of the pre-war population of this group in the Bloodlands。 It is this context that helps the reader through the pages of this book and which drives home the lesson that these two regimes were equally murderous and identical in their disregard for human life。I have other Snyder books on my shelves and I cannot wait to turn to them。 。。。more
Ram
，
In the heart of Europe， in the middle of the twentieth century， 14 million people were murdered， most of them civilians。 A meeting of interests of two unstoppable dictators， Hitler and Stalin， operated a greased death machine。 The place where all these victims perished stretches from central Poland to western Russia。 The victims were mainly Jews， Belarusians， Ukrainians， Poles， Russians and Baltics。In this facinating book， the author describes the motives， methods and means of these murders pai In the heart of Europe， in the middle of the twentieth century， 14 million people were murdered， most of them civilians。 A meeting of interests of two unstoppable dictators， Hitler and Stalin， operated a greased death machine。 The place where all these victims perished stretches from central Poland to western Russia。 The victims were mainly Jews， Belarusians， Ukrainians， Poles， Russians and Baltics。In this facinating book， the author describes the motives， methods and means of these murders painting a picture of rutheless dictators with zero concern for human life of suffering。I read this book in March 2022 during the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine。 Not only the names of the places are familiar but the motives and accusations are similar。 The soviets used similar anti facist excuses for retaliating， killing and starving millions of Ukrainians before and after WW2 and Nazi Germany had her share of killing the population for their sick reasons。While this book did not really introduce me to global facts I was not aware of， it did give me a new perception of the suffering that the Poles， Belarusians and Ukrainians suffered from the Nazis and Soviets。 While it does not justify the cooporation of these nations with the Nazis in killing Jew during the holocaust it does explain why the Germans chose these countries to execute so many Jews， as they were brutalizing the whole population there much more than in other parts of occupied Europe。 。。。more
Mitch Friedman
，
Relentless detail on the carnage both Stalin and Hitler imposed on eastern Europe， sourced from records that became accessible only after the Berlin Wall and the USSR collapsed。 I’m pretty well read on history but it turns out I didn’t know the half of it。 It’s appalling and disturbing， but it must be known。 If you want to understand the context for Putin’s invasion and the history behind the lies and tactics he has exhumed， this book is essential。 May Ukraine put an end to this evil lineage。
John Waldron
，
Weaves an amazing tale of horror in eastern Europe but does not really provide any of the explanatory power about either。 Like just because two horrible things happen in the same place separated by just a decade doesn't mean the Nazis and the Commies are the same。 The Soviets did not starve the Ukrainians because they were Ukrainian but instead because they were peasants resisting their gangsterish socialist style state。 Good writing and a great assemblage of facts but poisoned by liberalism。 Weaves an amazing tale of horror in eastern Europe but does not really provide any of the explanatory power about either。 Like just because two horrible things happen in the same place separated by just a decade doesn't mean the Nazis and the Commies are the same。 The Soviets did not starve the Ukrainians because they were Ukrainian but instead because they were peasants resisting their gangsterish socialist style state。 Good writing and a great assemblage of facts but poisoned by liberalism。 。。。more
Roo Marshall
，
Tough read， but one of those books you feel you should read given the disgusting behaviour of Russians in 2022。
Charlotte Osborn-bensaada
，
Written in 2010， this book examination of Hitler and Stalin's massacres， starvations and deportations in what Snyder calls the Bloodlands of Poland， Belarus， Baltics and Ukraine is a timely reminder that the past is always present。 Chapter by chapter Syner goes through how first Stalin and then Hitler use their utopian ideologies to justfy mass murder via starvation， death pits deportation and mass murder of at least 14 million people。 May of us think about WWII in terms of the Western Front， we Written in 2010， this book examination of Hitler and Stalin's massacres， starvations and deportations in what Snyder calls the Bloodlands of Poland， Belarus， Baltics and Ukraine is a timely reminder that the past is always present。 Chapter by chapter Syner goes through how first Stalin and then Hitler use their utopian ideologies to justfy mass murder via starvation， death pits deportation and mass murder of at least 14 million people。 May of us think about WWII in terms of the Western Front， we can't really understand its brutality unless we understand how it played out in middle Europe。 Snyder has spoken urgently over the last 5 years of our need to face a resurgence of authoritarianism and I see why he is so terrified at what he is seeing in places like Russia， Hungry and yes the United States。 In his conclusion he asks a haunting question about the dynamics that drives people to participate - too often just the need to survive but also how the logic of authoritarianism turns people against each other。 This is a dark and sober read but valuable knowledge。 。。。more
Alex Moffatt
，
DNFI was interested in reading up about the history of Eastern Europe to try and understand why Putin is desperate to bring Ukraine back into Russian control at such a cost to himself and his cronies。 This seemed like a good book to do that， and it probably would have been but it was so unbelievably comprehensive that I just couldn't hack through it。The history is fascinating。 And of course it's complex。 And I get that there's an audience for people who want to dive into the intricacies of every DNFI was interested in reading up about the history of Eastern Europe to try and understand why Putin is desperate to bring Ukraine back into Russian control at such a cost to himself and his cronies。 This seemed like a good book to do that， and it probably would have been but it was so unbelievably comprehensive that I just couldn't hack through it。The history is fascinating。 And of course it's complex。 And I get that there's an audience for people who want to dive into the intricacies of every nuanced shift of power， but that's just not me。 Maybe it's because I was coming into it cold， but there was just too much going on for me to follow and make sense of。 I think I'll stick to a documentary。 。。。more
nastya
，
“Each of the living bore a name。 The toddler who imagined he saw wheat in the fields was Józef Sobolewski。 He starved to death， along with his mother and five of his brothers and sisters， in 1933 in a famished Ukraine。 The one brother who survived was shot in 1937， in Stalin’s Great Terror。 Only his sister Hanna remained to recall him and his hope。 Stanisław Wyganowski was the young man who foresaw that he would meet his arrested wife， Maria， “under the ground。” They were both shot by the NKVD i “Each of the living bore a name。 The toddler who imagined he saw wheat in the fields was Józef Sobolewski。 He starved to death， along with his mother and five of his brothers and sisters， in 1933 in a famished Ukraine。 The one brother who survived was shot in 1937， in Stalin’s Great Terror。 Only his sister Hanna remained to recall him and his hope。 Stanisław Wyganowski was the young man who foresaw that he would meet his arrested wife， Maria， “under the ground。” They were both shot by the NKVD in Leningrad in 1937。 The Polish officer who wrote of his wedding ring was Adam Solski。 The diary was found on his body when his remains were disinterred at Katyn， where he was shot in 1940。 The wedding ring he probably hid; his executioners probably found it。 The eleven- year-old Russian girl who kept a simple diary in besieged and starving Leningrad in 1941 was Tania Savicheva。 One of her sisters escaped across the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga; Tania and the rest of her family died。 The twelve- year-old Jewish girl who wrote to her father in Belarus in 1942 of the death pits was Junita Vishniatskaia。 Her mother， who wrote alongside her， was named Zlata。 They were both killed。 “Farewell forever” was the last line of Junita’s letter。 “I kiss you， I kiss you。” Cultures of memory are organized by round numbers， intervals of ten; but somehow the remembrance of the dead is easier when the numbers are not round， when the final digit is not a zero。 So within the Holocaust， it is perhaps easier to think of 780，863 different people at Treblinka: where the three at the end might be Tamara and Itta Willenberg， whose clothes clung together after they were gassed， and Ruth Dorfmann， who was able to cry with the man who cut her hair before she entered the gas chamber。 Or it might be easier to imagine the one person at the end of the 33，761 Jews shot at Babi Yar: Dina Pronicheva’s mother， let us say， although in fact every single Jew killed there could be that one， must be that one， is that one。 Each of the dead became a number。 Between them， the Nazi and Stalinist regimes murdered more than fourteen million people in the bloodlands。ttttThese atrocities shared a place， and they shared a time: the bloodlands between 1933 and 1945。 To describe their course has been to introduce to European history its central event。 Without an account of all of the major killing policies in their common European historical setting， comparisons between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union must be inadequate。 Now that this history of the bloodlands is complete， the comparison remains。 “tttttttThis is what I was preparing to write and then Snyder wrote it better。 My grandfather was born in the Ukrainian part of the bloodlands in the first year of Holodomor。 He was always a very quiet man， not bothering anyone unlike my communist grandmother， who loved ussr and was an ardent communist， who was one of the millions of mourners at Stalin’s funeral。 Her strong loud personality always overshadowed his。 But I remember he hated the Soviets very much。 I knew his 6 siblings died as children but I assumed it was just bad healthcare in the village in Poltava。 Never asked how they died and why he hated ussr so much。 And now he's dead and that history of my ancestors is lost to me。 It is my big regret that I wasn't curious enough to ask。 I am now and there’s nobody left。 P。S。 They both never talked about life under nazi occupation。 。。。more
Richard Marney
，
This book is heart-wrenching and hard on the soul。Yet， as with all of the author’s works， meticulously researched and expertly explained。How do the homelands of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven also produce Stalin （and Putin） and Hitler？ The author’s contribution on this question is informed， albeit not necessarily original。 What does set the book apart is the incisive history of the this unique region in Europe where many millions were murdered （starved， shot， gassed， etc。） by intentional government p This book is heart-wrenching and hard on the soul。Yet， as with all of the author’s works， meticulously researched and expertly explained。How do the homelands of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven also produce Stalin （and Putin） and Hitler？ The author’s contribution on this question is informed， albeit not necessarily original。 What does set the book apart is the incisive history of the this unique region in Europe where many millions were murdered （starved， shot， gassed， etc。） by intentional government policy。 Reading this book today as the war in Ukraine rages was especially challenging and painful， but I finished it， with all the expected emotional wounds。 。。。more
Ra
，
Very well-written and deeply moving。 If you want to understand what is happening in Ukraine right now， this is the book to read。I always knew in the abstract that millions of people had been killed by Stalin and Hitler。 Yet this book really lays out what that really means。 By giving voice to the individual victims， it solidifies what happened into concrete knowledge。 History as normally told in the United States and west Europe falls so short of being honest about the reality of what happened。 T Very well-written and deeply moving。 If you want to understand what is happening in Ukraine right now， this is the book to read。I always knew in the abstract that millions of people had been killed by Stalin and Hitler。 Yet this book really lays out what that really means。 By giving voice to the individual victims， it solidifies what happened into concrete knowledge。 History as normally told in the United States and west Europe falls so short of being honest about the reality of what happened。 To be fair， some of that is because it was hidden behind the Iron Curtain for so long。 But there is no excuse in this day and age for us to continue to downplay the tragedies of the bloodlands。 An absolute must-read。 。。。more
Megan
，
Obviously， this was slow going， and a painful read。 I had to read one chapter， or part of one， and then pause to let it all settle。 It made me realize how little I knew about Stalin’s regime and the incomprehensible suffering that Ukraine， and other former republics， endured during WWII。 It’s very much worth reading now。 Caution though that there are details about events that I wish I didn’t know about。 That is how disturbing they are。
Mylove4book
，
2017年的夏季在德國旅行團的小巴上，杳無人煙的道路兩旁盡是瘦瘦長長的路樹。整車團員吃飽了上車，昏昏沉沉的時候，阿北導遊突然說：「各位，多送你們一個景點：奧地利！」於是小巴隨興的公路上彎了一彎，就從德國領土駛進了奧地利，再回到德國的公路上，幾分鐘的德奧跨國之旅平靜無波，連路樹都看不出來有甚麼差異。身為一個島民，提到國境就隱隱約約想到海。但對歐洲大陸來說，經過了一戰二戰與民族遷徙，地圖上的虛線擦了重畫無數次，不斷發生的重塑與再造，讓這塊大地上的民族一直在各種意識形態中掙扎或死亡。＜血色大地：夾在希特勒與史達林之間的東歐＞裡描述的是很少見的跨國史，講述「納粹與蘇聯兩大政權為禍最深的地方」，時間上在1933到1945，地理上約是在「如今的聖彼得堡與俄羅斯聯邦西部的邊緣地帶，還有波蘭的大多數地區、波羅的海三國、白俄羅斯與烏克蘭。」在血色大地上的子民先是遭受史達林糧食政策錯誤而餓死，納粹和蘇聯從結盟到翻臉之後，為了各自的政治利益又再陸續屠殺了數百萬人，手法各異。兇手是複數的，但在德國戰敗後，人民漸漸只記得被希特勒憎恨的猶太人，而且每個國家都想維持自己「受害者」的形象。作者揭露了這段錯綜複雜的殺戮 2017年的夏季在德國旅行團的小巴上，杳無人煙的道路兩旁盡是瘦瘦長長的路樹。整車團員吃飽了上車，昏昏沉沉的時候，阿北導遊突然說：「各位，多送你們一個景點：奧地利！」於是小巴隨興的公路上彎了一彎，就從德國領土駛進了奧地利，再回到德國的公路上，幾分鐘的德奧跨國之旅平靜無波，連路樹都看不出來有甚麼差異。身為一個島民，提到國境就隱隱約約想到海。但對歐洲大陸來說，經過了一戰二戰與民族遷徙，地圖上的虛線擦了重畫無數次，不斷發生的重塑與再造，讓這塊大地上的民族一直在各種意識形態中掙扎或死亡。＜血色大地：夾在希特勒與史達林之間的東歐＞裡描述的是很少見的跨國史，講述「納粹與蘇聯兩大政權為禍最深的地方」，時間上在1933到1945，地理上約是在「如今的聖彼得堡與俄羅斯聯邦西部的邊緣地帶，還有波蘭的大多數地區、波羅的海三國、白俄羅斯與烏克蘭。」在血色大地上的子民先是遭受史達林糧食政策錯誤而餓死，納粹和蘇聯從結盟到翻臉之後，為了各自的政治利益又再陸續屠殺了數百萬人，手法各異。兇手是複數的，但在德國戰敗後，人民漸漸只記得被希特勒憎恨的猶太人，而且每個國家都想維持自己「受害者」的形象。作者揭露了這段錯綜複雜的殺戮史，其中多少有令人尷尬的部分，但血色大地的歷史不應該就此被「微調」，畢竟統計數字上的每個1，都是一個個活生生的人。歷史記憶真的是很微妙的東西，意外的很好操縱。就像是1945年的台北大空襲，台灣被炸死了5582人，現在有些地點尚保留當年的斷垣殘壁。有時候會聽到別人講日軍以前空襲台灣怎樣怎樣，但事實上當時空襲台灣的是美軍第五航空隊啦，因為那時還是日治時期，美軍陸陸續續轟炸了台灣好幾次，範圍從北到南、市區到鄉鎮通通都有中，維基百科列好列滿。這還不是最微妙的，1938年蘇聯還和「中華民國」一起空襲松山機場。可憐的台灣，被割讓了還要被打好幾頓，嗚嗚。 。。。more
Jake Goretzki
，
One of a number of titles that's come again to prominence in the wake of Russia's relapse into Russianness。 'Bloodlands' being the Baltics across to Poland and centring on Ukraine， where to be Polish， Jewish， Ukrainian or Belrussian meant: you're going to be murdered in extraordinary numbers by Germans or Russians。 If forced starvation and the NKVD don't get you， the Nazis will - and if the Nazis don't， the Soviets will on their return。 Death or deportation。 It's a useful reminder than Soviet Ru One of a number of titles that's come again to prominence in the wake of Russia's relapse into Russianness。 'Bloodlands' being the Baltics across to Poland and centring on Ukraine， where to be Polish， Jewish， Ukrainian or Belrussian meant: you're going to be murdered in extraordinary numbers by Germans or Russians。 If forced starvation and the NKVD don't get you， the Nazis will - and if the Nazis don't， the Soviets will on their return。 Death or deportation。 It's a useful reminder than Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany are barely distinguishable at times - and， by the way， the fabled Russian sacrifice wasn't *anything*， anything compared to that of the Jews， Poles and Ukrainians。 Tl;dr: shove your St George ribbons up your tohas， you awful people。 。。。more
Vidur Kapur
，
I had this on my bookshelf for almost three years， and decided to read it now given the war in Ukraine。 Poignant， detailed account of the atrocities of Hitler and Stalin in Poland， Ukraine， Belarus， Lithuania and Russia in the 1930s and 1940s。 The parts on the Ukrainian famine in the early 1930s and Stalin’s Great Terror in the late 1930s were particularly enlightening， emphasising the sometimes ethnic and national （as opposed to political） nature of some of the Soviet crimes。
Aberdeen
，
ReviewsI’ve wanted to read this book for a while， and now felt like an appropriate time。 I didn’t absorb as much of it as I wanted to because I was busy traveling but this was my main take away: The Soviets and the Nazis were experts at manipulating and distorting the narrative in order to justify often increasing violence against those they considered subhuman。 Policies that directly contradicted their original stated ideologies and goals， policies that were strategically detrimental to their a ReviewsI’ve wanted to read this book for a while， and now felt like an appropriate time。 I didn’t absorb as much of it as I wanted to because I was busy traveling but this was my main take away: The Soviets and the Nazis were experts at manipulating and distorting the narrative in order to justify often increasing violence against those they considered subhuman。 Policies that directly contradicted their original stated ideologies and goals， policies that were strategically detrimental to their actual military operations， could all be justified as long as they could rewrite the story a little bit。 This was so chilling to me is because we’re hearing exactly such distortions now。 What is happening in Ukraine， and the reasons Putin is giving for his actions， are not new。 They stand in a long and horrifying line of lies。 It reminds me of the brilliant and haunting miniseries Chernobyl， which ends with this quote:”What is the cost of lies？ It’s not that we will mistake them for the truth。 The real danger is that if we hear enough lies， then we no longer recognize the truth at all。Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth。 Sooner or later that debt is paid。”And it is almost never paid by the one who told the lie in the first place。（Also， his prose is incredible。 It’s gripping but at the same time I had to read in small chunks because it’s so depressing。） 。。。more
Steven
，
Amazing and horrifying book。 Snyder conveys the collected， documented narrative of the horror that happened to the peoples trapped between Hitler's National Socialist ideology， and Stalin's Communist despotism。 The result was， according to Snyder's counting， 14 million murders（not counting war dead）。 From the purposeful starvation of millions of Ukranians in the Holodomor， the shooting of millions of men， women， children， and babies because of race， ideology， or just convenience， and the targete Amazing and horrifying book。 Snyder conveys the collected， documented narrative of the horror that happened to the peoples trapped between Hitler's National Socialist ideology， and Stalin's Communist despotism。 The result was， according to Snyder's counting， 14 million murders（not counting war dead）。 From the purposeful starvation of millions of Ukranians in the Holodomor， the shooting of millions of men， women， children， and babies because of race， ideology， or just convenience， and the targeted Jewish Holocaust that spaned over several countries of eastern Europe in purpose-built death facilities。 Snyder does an excellent job of telling specific stories from many individuals who experienced the hellish cauldron these people were trapped in or participated in。 It is a complex story with perspectives and details that the culturewide memory of the 21st century has either forgotten or never knew until the fall of the Soviet Union and archives became available for research。 If you want to know the depths of the horror to which humanity will go to when unrestrained， then read this book。 It brought me to tears multiple times reading， for example， of the cannibalism in Ukraine， families eating their children or groups of children eating one another to survive。 It is truely the stuff of hellish nightmares。 It serves to jolt the modern mindset out of it's cushy， western reverie， and to bring harsh realism into focus that these events actually happened， and will happen again if humanity lets it。 Snyder concludes well with the acknowledgements of the difficulty counting numbers of deaths， language and cultural barriers in researching this， and most of all conveying that the huge numbers of dead are beyond our comprehension， and that the number is not just 14 million， but really "14 million x 1"。 Every life had a tragic story， every one was a personal being with stories， families， and relations。 I give this a 5 star rating， not because the joy of the subject matter， obviously， but because the service Snyder performs by bringing the stories of these circumstances jarringly into the modern， complacent western mind。 。。。more
Cecil
，