When the world becomes turbulent and stressful, many of us turn to books.
Reading can help us understand current affairs, different cultures and the series of events which can lead to conflict.
Not only this, as we watch harrowing events unfold in the news, books can make us feel a little bit less helpless. But this way of coping isn't new.
Activist Nelson Mandela once said "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" while author and rights advocate Helen Keller said "education is tolerance".
If you'd like to learn about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and why Putin decided to invade, this is a small selection of books to get you started.
Best books on Ukraine and Russia
Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West by Catherine Belton
This meticulously researched book by Catherine Belton is a fast-paced, definitive account of Vladimir Putin's rise to power, the KGB, Russian oligarchs and broken promises to the Russian people.
The former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist reveals the story of Putin's rise to power, the small group of KGB men, the workings of Putin's Kremlin and much more.
You can order the book for £9.99 via Waterstones as a paperback.
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy
Serhii Plokhy takes readers back in time as he recalls the history of Ukraine from the Viking era to present day.
The Harvard Professor provides the essential guide to understanding not just Ukraine's past but also its future.
You can order the book for £10.99 via Waterstones as a paperback.
Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna Reid
With a well-blended mix of history and travel writing, Anna Reid's chronicle of Ukraine features testimony from both pro-democracy activists and pro-Russian militiamen.
Readers will come away with a better understanding of Ukraine's complexities and wider history - as told by peasants, miners, survivors of Hitler's Holocaust and Stalin's famine and many more individuals.
You can order the book for £10.99 via Waterstones.
Butler to the World: How Britain became the servant of tycoons, tax dodgers, kleptocrats and criminals by Oliver Bullough
This best-selling author offers an eye-opening analysis of the UK’s economic history as the "financial butler to the world’s oligarchs, kleptocrats, tax dodgers and criminals".
You can buy a hardback copy of the book for £17.99 via the Waterstones website here.
In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine by Tim Judah
Veteran war reporter Tim Judah offers an insight into life in Ukraine following the 2014 revolution.
Featuring interviews with a diverse range of citizens, hear from mothers, soldiers, businessmen, poets and politicians as they share stories of war and hope.
You can order the book via Waterstones for £9.99.
Red Notice: A True Story of Corruption, Murder and how I became Putin's no. 1 enemy by Bill Browden
This is the shocking story of the murder of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in Russian police custody as Bill Browden examines the lengths Putin will go to silence critics and exert control.
The author takes you from the world of finance in New York and London in the 1990s to battles with ruthless oligarchs in post-Soviet Union Moscow and the heart of the Kremlin.
You can buy the book for £9.99 via Waterstones.
You can view Waterstones' full collection of history books on Russia and Ukraine via the website here.
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