Wainer history is Ukraine history. Both ‘original’ Wainer’s came from a portion of Eastern Austria that is now part of Ukraine. The history of Ukraine is complicated and honestly requires quite a bit of reading. I’ve selected a few of the books that have helped me understand this history.
For general Ukraine history the following two books are the best. The first one is, i think, easier to read as it’s not filled with dates and mind-bending names ( mind-bending to me anyway). The second is more ‘academic’ in its presentation.
If you were to read one book about Ukraine, it should probably be this one( it’s also a very recent release): “A Brief History of Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation” by Yaroslav Hrytsak
Another wonderful book, but slightly more academic in nature is: “The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine” by Serial Plokhy
One of the hard parts about Ukraine history is how Ukraine is so interrelated to the other countries that are its neighbors. Having a good understanding of Polish history, as well as the history of Lithuania, Russia, and the Austrian-Hungarian empire are helpful in understanding the history of Ukraine. The book I recommended in an earlier post about a general history of Europe is a good place to begin(https://stumbleback.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/genealogy-as-history-europe/), but I’ve found these two books to be very helpful:
“The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999” by Timothy Snyder
“God’s Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 1: The Origins to 1795” by Norman Davies
The atrocities that both Hitler and Stalin subjected the people of Ukraine ( and elsewhere) are covered in these two books:
“Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin ” by Timothy Snyder
“Red Famine” by Anne Applebaum
Another way to get some Ukraine history is to watch Yale Professor Dr. Timothy Snyder’s undergraduate lectures on “The Making of Modern Ukraine” on YouTube. The link to the first lecture is: Here
Stephen Wainer's Genealogy Weblog 