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Andrew Harding

A Small, Stubborn Town: Life, death and defiance in Ukraine – ‘The mesmerising story of how in the face of a mighty army, ordinary people can say "No."' Mail on Sunday Kindle Edition

by Andrew Harding (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 60 ratings

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Soon to be a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation.

'Extraordinary.' Philippe Sands

'We are touched by the courage and dignity of Andrew Harding's characters - qualities that the author must surely possess in equal measure.' - Andrey Kurkov

'A story of extraordinary heroism by ordinary people. - James Meek

'This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm.' - Lindsey Hilsum

It's March 2022 and Russian tanks are roaring across the vast, snow-dusted fields of Ukraine. Their destination: Voznesensk, a town with a small bridge that could change the course of the war.

The heavily-armed Russians are expecting an easy fight - or no fight at all. After all, Voznesensk is a quiet farming town, full of pensioners. But the locals appear to have other ideas.

Svetlana, a grandmother with arthritis, reacts in fury when Russian troops turn her cottage into their blood-soaked headquarters. Valentin, a quick-talking lawyer, joins the town's 'Dads Army' defenders, crouching in a trench with an AK47. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Sergei grabs a Molotov cocktail and lies in wait for Russian tanks as they push towards Dead Water Bridge.

The odds are terrible. But a plan is emerging, and there's a chance it could save not just Voznesensk, but the rest of southern Ukraine. Meanwhile, inside the tanks, an inner battle rages. As Russian officer Igor Rudenko prepares to invade, he has a secret. He is Ukrainian himself.

A gripping work of reportage that tells the story of a pivotal moment in Ukraine's war, this is a real-life thriller about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with resilience, humour and ingenuity.

'[Andrew Harding is] one of our most gifted and sensitive journalists' - Jon Snow

Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Ithaka
Publication date

6 July 2023
File size

1539 KB
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Product description

Book Description

The Russians are invading. But the locals have a plan. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Andrew Harding is a British journalist and author of two internationally acclaimed non-fiction books, The Mayor of Mogadishu, and These Are Not Gentle People, which won South Africa's top literary prize. Andrew has been a foreign correspondent for BBC News for three decades, reporting from the former Soviet Union, Asia and Africa. He has covered many of the world's conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, and has won numerous awards, including an Emmy. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

'A short, brilliant book... Its characters could have walked out of a novel' ― Financial Times

'A cracking story ... that never loses sight of the "murderous absurdity" of Russia's war' -- Justin Marozzi ― The Spectator

'[A] remarkable story ... propulsive' ― The Irish Times

'Riveting and vividly written ... this gripping story is the literary equivalent of a superb miniature painting' ― The Observer

'The story of Ukraine in perfect microcosm - ordinary people doing absolutely extraordinary things - beautifully told' -- Christina Lamb

'A short, brilliant book on the battle for Voznesensk. Harding captures the mixture of courage, bewilderment and mania of Ukrainians who decide to fight the invasion' -- Gideon Rachman ― Financial Times

'Harding has told a mesmerising story of how in the face of a mighty army, ordinary people can sometimes turn and simply say, "No."' -- Sinclair McKay ― Mail on Sunday

'Elegantly told ... a deceptively simple narrative that explains a great deal about the dynamics of this war and many others' -- Roger Boyes ― The Times

'Harding recreates the fighting blow by-blow ... [and] the personalities of his interviewees come to life' ― The Telegraph

'Extraordinary; filled with a deep sense of enduring humanity. Immensely powerful, timely and real.' -- Philippe Sands, author of East West Street

'It would be wonderful if the story told in this beautiful little book were the author's invention. But alas, the story itself is pure truth. Andrew Harding's characters invite the reader into their daily struggle which we witness with awe and empathy. We are touched by their courage and dignity - qualities that the author must surely have possessed in equal measure to record these extraordinary events.' -- Andrey Kurkov

'A piercing book: the story of extraordinary heroism by ordinary people, and an accessible, limpid account of what battle is actually like. -- James Meek

'This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm.' -- Lindsey Hilsum

'Fascinating, vivid, often harrowing, and deeply moving. A must-read for anyone trying to grasp both the human dimension and larger dynamics of this brutal contemporary war.' -- Fiona Hill, author of There Is Nothing for You Here

'A captivating tale of one Ukrainian town and a heartening story of people's defiance, ingenuity and spirit. Originally reported and beautifully written.' -- Arkady Ostrovsky, author of The Invention of Russia --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C7R42C7L
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ithaka (6 July 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1539 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe

Best Sellers Rank: 54,007 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 29 in History of Russia eBooks
- 177 in History of Russia
- 714 in Travel & Tourism eBooks

Customer reviews:
4.7 60 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Harding

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I'm the BBC's Africa Correspondent, based in Johannesburg. I'm the author of "These Are Not Gentle People," a true-crime novel set in South Africa and published in South Africa, the UK and the Netherlands. (The book has been turned into a BBC Radio 4 series and podcast, "Blood Lands.") Alexander McCall Smith described the book as "a masterpiece." Philippe Sands called it "utterly gripping, timely and shocking. "This is In Cold Blood meets Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil. Believe me, Andrew Harding has given us an instant classic," said Justice Malala.

I also wrote the internationally acclaimed non-fiction book, "The Mayor of Mogadishu" - the tale of a nomad, turned street brawler, turned refugee who left his family in London to return to take charge of the war-ravaged ruins of Somalia's capital. It was praised by the New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post and chosen as one of NPR's books of 2016.

I've been a foreign correspondent since 1991 when I moved to the crumbling Soviet Union as a freelancer. I've lived and worked abroad ever since, in Moscow, Tbilisi, Nairobi, Singapore, Bangkok, and for the past 12 years, in Johannesburg. I'm married with 3 sons. I began working for a variety of outlets including The Guardian and The Economist, but since 1994, I've been a BBC foreign correspondent.

I'm not keen on the phrase "war correspondent" but I seem to have spent an awful lot of the past 25 years covering conflicts, from the parliamentary rebellion in Moscow in 1993, to Chechnya, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Burma, Sudan, DRCongo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Cote D'Ivoire, CAR, Burundi, Uganda, Libya and elsewhere. I won an Emmy for my reporting from CAR, along with many other international awards.

www.andrew-harding.com

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

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Amazon Customer

Excellent read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2023

Verified Purchase

Can not state enough how good this book is truely has to be read to put everything into perspective and the strength of will of the Ukrainians!

One person found this helpful

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Geoff Crocker

A compelling human narrative of Ukrainian resistance and independence

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2023

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This short powerful account of the human reality of the war in Ukraine shows its obscenity, its uncertainties and dilemmas, and the determination and capability of Ukrainian resistance, a strength which self-defines Ukraine’s independence.

One person found this helpful

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RMN

Vivid and intimate

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2023

Verified Purchase

I do like Andrew Harding's style of reporting and, for the same reason, I do like his books. As with his previous [2] books, this is an intimate account of what makes the newspaper front pages, but what otherwise remains distant. This short books shows us what war looks and feels like up close and personal, giving a sense that this could happen to any of us, normal people.

We don't yet know whether the wider context of this short story will have an happy ending but, in the meantime, this is a highly recommended read .

One person found this helpful

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Jamie L. Harding

Read it all in one day - superb

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 July 2023

Verified Purchase

This is a fantastic book.

The story is so incredible it reads like fiction, but it isn’t - it’s true, making it all the more remarkable.

I read the entire thing in one sitting. The short chapters make for easy reading and also keep you thinking ‘Just one more.’

Harding (great surname by the way - no relation) has captured a riveting piece of history here. Very well written. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Ukraine, the illegal invasion, storytelling, the relationships between people etc

Buy it. You won’t regret it!

2 people found this helpful

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Bredon House

A quick read and interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 July 2023

Verified Purchase

Thin book easily read in one or two sittings. Written in journalese and needing more description of settings and people. However, I'm glad I read it but wish it went into more depth.

There are many interesting YouTube videos showing the people mentioned in the book.

One person found this helpful

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STEVE

Such an important book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2023

Verified Purchase

If journalism is the first draft of history, this is what happens when a first-rate journo has the time to dig a little deeper.

Andrew Harding manages to condense all the horrors of war, the bravery of the Ukrainians and the uncertainties of the future into 140 un-putdownable pages.

There are plenty of ghosts from the Soviet era too.

A small, stubborn town with so much to be proud of. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Slava Ukraini!

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A story well worth telling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2023

Verified Purchase

The chaos and the mundane combine to tell a tale of life and death in the extreme mess that is Ukraine at the moment.

Helpful

Jon England

The Ukrainian's total rejection of the Russian invasion of their country.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2023

Verified Purchase

To obtain an insight into how the Ukrainian population, at different levels, react to the illegal Russian invasion.

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A Small, Stubborn Town: Life, death and defiance in Ukraine – ‘The mesmerising story of how in the face of a mighty army, ordinary people can say "No."' Mail on Sunday Kindle Edition

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