Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Bloodlands are a region of Eastern Europe that suffered more in the 20th century than anywhere else on Earth. These lands were conquered by Stalin, then Hitler, and then Stalin again. Snyder compares and contrasts the atrocities committed by these infamous world leaders who were very different in their tactics even if their desired outcomes were the same.

Within the Bloodlands Ukrainians suffered more than any other population. Details are shared in this book about their plight that will haunt me forever. We've all heard about the Holocaust...much of what Stalin did to the Ukraine didn't come to light until the fall of the USSR. Much of what we know about the Holocaust is based upon experiences Aushwitz because facilities like Treblinka were so efficient that there were no survivors. Hitler and Stalin both represent the depths of human depravity and books like this will keep us from ever forgetting.

Much has been written about the crimes of the WWII era and Snyder would argue that many accepted facts are based on pure conjecture. Snyder extensively researched his work and provides an extensive bibliography and explanation of how he arrived at his conclusions.



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