I’ve ordered! This needs to be read by ALL! I will be buying multiple copies and passing them out. I did that with “On Tyranny” and kept them in my car, my purse, and gave them to not only friends and family, but folks in the grocery line.
Thank you Professor Snyder for inspiring all to be involved and encouraging me to be a voice for freedom.
Is anyone else worried about how the events in Gaza reflect on the idea of freedom? What does freedom mean, when its self-identified defenders let thousands of children be shot, shelled, bombed and starved to death? I'm asking as a pediatrician, who grieves equally for every single child killed by Hamas, and for *all* children whose parents or grandparents were killed or are in peril.
Oh Julia, of course, we are worried about Gaza and Israel. One needs not have to pick sides all of the time. I hate what is happening there, and I am a Jew. I have seen the war porn, I hear the protests, and I know as well as one can from a distance and over decades.
If we could change the world by addressing the children it would have all stopped long since.
In 2017 Trump's first military operation, an air strike and brutal firefight killed at least 15 women and children, one of whom was an 8-year-old American girl, Nawar Al-Awlaki. You might remember her photo; big grin, big red bow in her hair. She took two hours to bleed out and die. I don’t know why I cannot forget her when I do my best to ignore the war porn. I suppose she got all the press because she was American.
My point is we all know. We all worry. And not just about these 2 conflicts overlapping in many complicated ways.
I too have preordered my copy of Tim’s book. And I know that the lessons within will apply and resonate with anyone who takes the time to read and listen. But when have autocrats listened to anyone but themselves and their favourites? Netanyahu, Putin, Hamas, Iranian and Yemeni leaders (and all those currently bit players in Georgia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Belarus and the MAGAts) all know what they are doing and they do not care what any of us think. They don’t care about people. It’s got to be the power or maybe the legacy or ideology. I don’t know.
There is no true freedom for those who instigated the horrific scenes we see daily. They never once sat down and tallied up how many children would die or be orphaned should they survive or what shape their lives would take when the killing stops. You are a pediatrician, one who has made healthy children your goal. I admire you.
All I know is there is nothing new under the sun. All we can do is pay attention and do our very best where and when we can.
I pre-ordered several weeks ago! Have appreciated conversations on YouTube in which you've lifted out some of the themes that of course usually include pesky contradictions as well as complex nuances.
As you add more topics, your new book is looking interestinger and interestinger. Just started my 5th year of reading history, and lately have been concentrating on more recent history, though after I finish Timothy Garton Ash's 'Homelands' which, though easy, is fascinating, I'm thinking about going back to 14th-c. Lithuania. My main area of interest during the first years was c. Bismarck's wars of unification through 1933. But when I listened to your lectures on the early history of the lands of Belarus', Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland, and started reading the material on your list, I was drawn to it like a powerful magnet. I can't explain it. I never thought I would be interested in early history. Here is my reading list before beginning a more detailed study of 14th-c. Lithuania. Prof. Snyder has already listed some of these books on a bibliography from a few months back.
1. Christian Raffensperger, 'The Kingdom of Rus' (2017). For those of you out there who are interested in this period, this is a helpful little book for both undergraduates, as well as graduate students who are unfamiliar with the new historiography, that argues for a wider understanding of Medieval Europe, which is part of the current project on which Prof. Snyder and others are working. Provides a timeline of events plus bibliography. You should probably read this before reading his 'Reimagining Europe.'
2. Serhii Plokhy, 'The Origins of the Slavic Nations' (2010).
3. Simon Franklin and Jonathan Shepard, 'The Emergence of Rus, 750-1200' (2013).
4. Robert O. Crummey, 'The Formation of Muscovy, 1304-1613' (2016), which I think is on Prof. Snyder's reading list for his Ukraine course.
5. Christian Raffensperger and Donald Ostrowski, 'The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family, and Kingdom' (2023).
6. Christian Raffensperger, 'Reimagining Europe: Kievan Rus' in the Medieval World' (2012).
Being self-taught, I made lots of stupid mistakes during the first years of reading history, such as reading books in the wrong order. Now I've learned to start with books that treat a region/subject more generally, before going on to books/papers that are more specific in nature.
Anyone out there who hasn't read Yaroslav Hrytslak's 'Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation' (2022/transl. 2023), should. I found it immensely helpful, especially the chapter on how the Ukrainian language became both an administrative and a literary language (p.375-97).
Pre-ordered. I had to look up Glass Canes. Functional as a cane it would appear to be something false to lean on. Used to make other objects ‘art’ opens up possibilities. Looking forward to the arrival of “On Freedom” this September. Thank you!
🧐👀🤔So what is not "content" about this? The whole basis for reading Prof Snyder's "content" on Substack is his bona fides which came to me at least via his writings & lectures, and his book "On TRANNY" almost universally seen as one of the most important books in recent US history on the subject. Therefore his subscribers HERE are interested (usually!) in his opinion pieces in newspapers, magazines etc. his interviews on TV, his lectures shared on YouTube, and absolutely if he has a new book and what it is about. Just sayin' 🤷
I’ve ordered! This needs to be read by ALL! I will be buying multiple copies and passing them out. I did that with “On Tyranny” and kept them in my car, my purse, and gave them to not only friends and family, but folks in the grocery line.
Thank you Professor Snyder for inspiring all to be involved and encouraging me to be a voice for freedom.
Is anyone else worried about how the events in Gaza reflect on the idea of freedom? What does freedom mean, when its self-identified defenders let thousands of children be shot, shelled, bombed and starved to death? I'm asking as a pediatrician, who grieves equally for every single child killed by Hamas, and for *all* children whose parents or grandparents were killed or are in peril.
Oh Julia, of course, we are worried about Gaza and Israel. One needs not have to pick sides all of the time. I hate what is happening there, and I am a Jew. I have seen the war porn, I hear the protests, and I know as well as one can from a distance and over decades.
If we could change the world by addressing the children it would have all stopped long since.
In 2017 Trump's first military operation, an air strike and brutal firefight killed at least 15 women and children, one of whom was an 8-year-old American girl, Nawar Al-Awlaki. You might remember her photo; big grin, big red bow in her hair. She took two hours to bleed out and die. I don’t know why I cannot forget her when I do my best to ignore the war porn. I suppose she got all the press because she was American.
My point is we all know. We all worry. And not just about these 2 conflicts overlapping in many complicated ways.
I too have preordered my copy of Tim’s book. And I know that the lessons within will apply and resonate with anyone who takes the time to read and listen. But when have autocrats listened to anyone but themselves and their favourites? Netanyahu, Putin, Hamas, Iranian and Yemeni leaders (and all those currently bit players in Georgia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Belarus and the MAGAts) all know what they are doing and they do not care what any of us think. They don’t care about people. It’s got to be the power or maybe the legacy or ideology. I don’t know.
There is no true freedom for those who instigated the horrific scenes we see daily. They never once sat down and tallied up how many children would die or be orphaned should they survive or what shape their lives would take when the killing stops. You are a pediatrician, one who has made healthy children your goal. I admire you.
All I know is there is nothing new under the sun. All we can do is pay attention and do our very best where and when we can.
Pre-ordered!
Pre-ordered! Thanks, Professor and I sure hope the powers that be are listening to you!
I just pre-ordered from our local independent bookstore.
I pre-ordered several weeks ago! Have appreciated conversations on YouTube in which you've lifted out some of the themes that of course usually include pesky contradictions as well as complex nuances.
As you add more topics, your new book is looking interestinger and interestinger. Just started my 5th year of reading history, and lately have been concentrating on more recent history, though after I finish Timothy Garton Ash's 'Homelands' which, though easy, is fascinating, I'm thinking about going back to 14th-c. Lithuania. My main area of interest during the first years was c. Bismarck's wars of unification through 1933. But when I listened to your lectures on the early history of the lands of Belarus', Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland, and started reading the material on your list, I was drawn to it like a powerful magnet. I can't explain it. I never thought I would be interested in early history. Here is my reading list before beginning a more detailed study of 14th-c. Lithuania. Prof. Snyder has already listed some of these books on a bibliography from a few months back.
1. Christian Raffensperger, 'The Kingdom of Rus' (2017). For those of you out there who are interested in this period, this is a helpful little book for both undergraduates, as well as graduate students who are unfamiliar with the new historiography, that argues for a wider understanding of Medieval Europe, which is part of the current project on which Prof. Snyder and others are working. Provides a timeline of events plus bibliography. You should probably read this before reading his 'Reimagining Europe.'
2. Serhii Plokhy, 'The Origins of the Slavic Nations' (2010).
3. Simon Franklin and Jonathan Shepard, 'The Emergence of Rus, 750-1200' (2013).
4. Robert O. Crummey, 'The Formation of Muscovy, 1304-1613' (2016), which I think is on Prof. Snyder's reading list for his Ukraine course.
5. Christian Raffensperger and Donald Ostrowski, 'The Ruling Families of Rus: Clan, Family, and Kingdom' (2023).
6. Christian Raffensperger, 'Reimagining Europe: Kievan Rus' in the Medieval World' (2012).
Being self-taught, I made lots of stupid mistakes during the first years of reading history, such as reading books in the wrong order. Now I've learned to start with books that treat a region/subject more generally, before going on to books/papers that are more specific in nature.
Anyone out there who hasn't read Yaroslav Hrytslak's 'Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation' (2022/transl. 2023), should. I found it immensely helpful, especially the chapter on how the Ukrainian language became both an administrative and a literary language (p.375-97).
Pre- ordered
Thank you so much for all that you do.
Pre-ordered. I had to look up Glass Canes. Functional as a cane it would appear to be something false to lean on. Used to make other objects ‘art’ opens up possibilities. Looking forward to the arrival of “On Freedom” this September. Thank you!
Pre-ordered your audiobook!
Pre-ordered as soon as you announced the book!
Pre-ordered audiobook.
Is On Freedom going to be released in Australia?
A date to really look forward to!
Hans G Wesslau, Sweden
I thought I was subscribing to content not advertising.
🧐👀🤔So what is not "content" about this? The whole basis for reading Prof Snyder's "content" on Substack is his bona fides which came to me at least via his writings & lectures, and his book "On TRANNY" almost universally seen as one of the most important books in recent US history on the subject. Therefore his subscribers HERE are interested (usually!) in his opinion pieces in newspapers, magazines etc. his interviews on TV, his lectures shared on YouTube, and absolutely if he has a new book and what it is about. Just sayin' 🤷