A timely, well-researched case for the necessity of Ukrainian victory.
Chowdhury, an analyst at the Global Policy Institute,surveys the geopolitical implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
During a 2004 visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv,the author notes, he was struck by the number of citizens who believed that their nation’s “future lay with the West and not Russia.” Yet, as he traveled into the countryside, he found a more nuanced story, encountering a minority Russian-speaking population who supported Russia; some even had family members working in Moscow. The author draws on his intimate familiarity with Ukrainian and Russian perspectives to make a convincing case for the strategic value of a Ukrainian victory to global stability. He argues that Ukraine represents a “bulwark against potential Russian escalations” as far west as Poland and Germany, and also addresses the humanitarian crisis spawned by the ongoing war in which Ukrainian civilians “face the daily realities of Russian aggression,” including bombings and abductions. The book notes the advantages of sustained Ukrainian support from Western nations, but also asserts that mere financial and military aid may not be enough, noting how the Russian government has navigated sanctions to find “new life” by undercutting oil prices. Chowdhury is pragmatic in his approach; for example, he recognizes the impact of the recent U.S. presidential election and offers an astute analysis of how the European Union could leverage a Russian victory to strengthen economic, military, and political ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As the author of multiple books on geopolitical history and contemporary world affairs, Chowdhury offers a scholarly evaluation of the conflict, backed by more than two dozen pages of research endnotes. His learned analysis is enhanced by an engaging writing style that will appeal to general audiences; in addition, the book’s narrative overview of Ukrainian-Russian relations provides important historical context for readers unfamiliar with the region. If the war represents, as the author compellingly suggests, “the deepest crisis in Russian-Western relations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis,” then this is a solid introductory book on its history and implications.
A timely, well-researched case for the necessity of Ukrainian victory.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2024
ISBN: 9798894805092
Page Count: 370
Publisher: Fabrezan & Phillipe
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.
Words that made a nation.
Isaacson is known for expansive biographies of great thinkers (and Elon Musk), but here he pens a succinct, stimulating commentary on the Founding Fathers’ ode to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His close reading of the Declaration of Independence’s second sentence, published to mark the 250th anniversary of the document’s adoption, doesn’t downplay its “moral contradiction.” Thomas Jefferson enslaved hundreds of people yet called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” in his first draft of the Declaration. All but 15 of the document’s 56 signers owned enslaved people. While the sentence in question asserted “all men are created equal” and possess “unalienable rights,” the Founders “consciously and intentionally” excluded women, Native Americans, and enslaved people. And yet the sentence is powerful, Isaacson writes, because it names a young nation’s “aspirations.” He mounts a solid defense of what ought to be shared goals, among them economic fairness, “moral compassion,” and a willingness to compromise. “Democracy depends on this,” he writes. Isaacson is excellent when explaining how Enlightenment intellectuals abroad influenced the founders. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Declaration’s “five-person drafting committee,” stayed in David Hume’s home for a month in the early 1770s, “discussing ideas of natural rights” with the Scottish philosopher. Also strong is Isaacson’s discussion of the “edits and tweaks” made to Jefferson’s draft. As recommended by Franklin and others, the changes were substantial, leaving Jefferson “distraught.” Franklin, who emerges as the book’s hero, helped establish municipal services, founded a library, and encouraged religious diversity—the kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of today, Isaacson reminds us.
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781982181314
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections include Humans of New York (2013), Humans of New York: Stories (2015), and Humans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250277589
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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