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A review by sydsnot71
Invasion: The Inside Story of Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival by Luke Harding
5.0
This is an excellent journalistic account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's obviously a tiny bit out of date so some of the more recent events aren't covered, although I expect an updated version at some point in 2023.
Harding is a Guardian journalist with extensive experience of covering Russia - from where he was unceremoniously banned as Putin's grip became increasingly dictatorial. It doesn't just cover events of the war itself but the events leading up to it and tries to explain some of Putin's motivations. It emphasises that Putin and his comrades expected the invasion to be a walk in the park and when it wasn't they found themselves totally unable to deal with it in any ways except increasing violence.
The best thing about the book though is that Harding uses lets people talk about their experiences. Not just Ukrainians but Russians who have opposed Putin. You get to hear the voices of people on the ground. On the receiving end of Russian occupation.
I really recommend it. It's a well-researched and sharply written account that I'm sure will be followed up with not just by Harding but other journalists. There's a lot to be said for journalistic training being a valuable tool for explaining complicated events in clear ways - when they want to. But then I always loved AJP Taylor whose history writing was influenced by his journalistic writing.
Harding is a Guardian journalist with extensive experience of covering Russia - from where he was unceremoniously banned as Putin's grip became increasingly dictatorial. It doesn't just cover events of the war itself but the events leading up to it and tries to explain some of Putin's motivations. It emphasises that Putin and his comrades expected the invasion to be a walk in the park and when it wasn't they found themselves totally unable to deal with it in any ways except increasing violence.
The best thing about the book though is that Harding uses lets people talk about their experiences. Not just Ukrainians but Russians who have opposed Putin. You get to hear the voices of people on the ground. On the receiving end of Russian occupation.
I really recommend it. It's a well-researched and sharply written account that I'm sure will be followed up with not just by Harding but other journalists. There's a lot to be said for journalistic training being a valuable tool for explaining complicated events in clear ways - when they want to. But then I always loved AJP Taylor whose history writing was influenced by his journalistic writing.