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
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
The Russians are invading. But the locals have a plan.
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.
'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'
*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'
*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."'
*Mail on Sunday*
'Elegantly told ... a deceptively simple narrative that explains a
great deal about the dynamics of this war and many others'
*The Times*
'Harding recreates the fighting blow by-blow ... [and] the
personalities of his interviewees come to life'
*The Telegraph*
'Reads like a daring tale from WW2'
*Tortoise Media*
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