A Telegraph Book of the Year, 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

• We started tracking this book on July 15, 2023.
• This book was £9.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 8 times in the past 423 days.
• The current price of this book is £5.99 last checked one day ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £0.99.
• The lowest price to date was £0.99 last reached on June 30, 2024.
• This book has been £0.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £9.99 last reached on July 15, 2023.
• This book has been £9.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• HistoryMilitary
• Politics & Social Sciences

• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 140 Pages
• File Size: 1,570 KB