Few books help us understand Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what may come next as Second-Hand Time, authored by the Ukrainian-born Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich (London, Fitzcarraldo Editions 2016). Based on hundreds of interviews, it collects the voices of many individuals on the impact of the Soviet Union’s collapse on multiple segments of Russian society, from the powerful to the anonymous, in Moscow and in the periphery of the Union, for the old and the young, from generals to civilians. The book was published in 2013; months before Russia occupied Crimea. Readers will find Second-Hand Time transformative in understanding Russia’s dynamic behind its past and ongoing violations of international law, the prospects and challenges of any peace negotiations, and what may happen in the aftermath.