A Small, Stubborn Town
Description
"A short, brilliant book on the battle for Voznesensk . . . captures the mixture of courage, bewilderment and mania of Ukrainians who decide to fight." -Gideon Rachman, Financial Times
It's March 2022 and Russian tanks are roaring across the vast, snow-dusted fields of southern Ukraine. Their destination, Voznesensk, home of the small Dead Water 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 have other ideas. Ukrainian troops, supported by an eclectic army of local volunteers, deliver a crushing blow to Russian plans.
In his book, British journalist Andrew Harding unfolds a microcosm of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, painting a raw, palpable picture of resilience, ingenuity, and unfettered defiance. Harding, a seasoned BBC correspondent, takes you on an extraordinary journey, navigating the landscapes of war-torn Ukraine with astute professionalism and an incisive eye for detail. Drawing from his first-hand experience and intimate reporting, he crafts a narrative that resonates with heroism, humor, and a deep sense of humanity.
Inside find:
- A detailed account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Personal stories of resilience and defiance from ordinary people in Voznesensk
- Insightful reporting from Andrew Harding, a trusted BBC correspondent
"A story of extraordinary heroism by ordinary people." -James Meek
"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
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Andrew Harding is the BBCAfrica Correspondent, based in Johannesburg. He is 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.
Andrew Harding 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.
Harding has been a foreign correspondent since 1991 when he moved to the crumbling Soviet Union as a freelancer. He lived and worked abroad ever since, in Moscow, Tbilisi, Nairobi, Singapore, Bangkok, and for the past 12 years, in Johannesburg. He is married with 3 sons. Harding began working for a variety of outlets including The Guardian and The Economist, but since 1994, has been a BBC foreign correspondent.
Harding is not keen on the phrase "war correspondent" but seems 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, DR Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Cote D'Ivoire, CAR, Burundi, Uganda, Libya and elsewhere. He won an Emmy for his reporting from CAR, along with many other international awards.
