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

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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. Arkady Ostrovsky (Journalist and podcaster - “Next Year in Moscow): “A captivating tale of one Ukrainian town, a microcosm of war and a heartening story of people’s defiance, ingenuity and spirit. How do the "little people" make sense of what's happening when their leaders feed them a very different narrative to their experiences on the ground. The Russians believed the “propaganda” and “lies” they had been fed: that their Ukrainian “Slav brothers” wanted to be “liberated from fascism”. Their weapons were a box of grenades, AK-47s and NLAW anti-armour missiles, supplied by the British.

If the advancing Russian army crosses the bridge in their town fast, it might then cut off the main route from Kyiv to Odesa, which Won't Be Good (an understatement). Looking at different perspectives, we see how grandmas, young alcoholics, Russian soldiers, and Ukrainian defenders all respond. The dignity of very ordinary people looking around, shrugging, saying essentially "well, I guess that'll have to be me" and making a stand. Earlier this month, its troops blew up the Kakhovka dam, flooding settlements and towns on either side of the Dnipro River. This short punchy account of a few days in the now interminable invasion by Putin of Ukraine is fascinating on many levels.A bunch of pot-bellied, tracksuit-wearing, down-on-their-luck guys, aka territorial defense volunteers in the full-scale war, stand over a makeshift trench at the outskirts of their tiny town.

It was praised by the New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post and chosen as one of NPR's books of 2016. 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. Luke Harding in The Observer: “This gripping story is the literary equivalent of a superb miniature painting. Its people are indomitable and unyielding, brave and determined, savvy and funny when the chips are down. But at the core of it, it's a very gentle and kind book in a panorama of events that are decidedly short on gentleness and kindness, and you got to appreciate that.Superb writing and poetic storytelling sheds light on the heroic spirit and immense bravery of ordinary people determined to defend their homeland. In March 2022, one week after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a small farming town in the south of the country became the unlikely focus of the Kremlin’s attention. A short but brilliant book, Harding tells the story of Voznesensk, the small, southern Ukrainian farm that fought off the Russian Army's invasion in March 2022, facing down unbelievable odds, and winning. Valentin, a quick-talking lawyer, joins the town's 'Dads Army' defenders, crouching in a trench with an AK47. One of them shouted to the Ukrainian volunteers sitting in it and out of ammunition: “Guys, we’re with you.

Very sad and terrifying at times - it doesn't hold too many punches when it comes to the realities of war. This is an improbable but true story of incredible courage, heartbreaking loss (Voznesensk's defence wasn't a bloodless one) and sheer bloody-mindedness. On the morning of Wednesday 2 March 2022, an armoured personnel carrier clattered into her yard, knocking over her favourite pear tree. Photograph: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine/Reuters View image in fullscreen A building in Voznesensk destroyed by a Russian missile. But the Russian had not reckoned on a motley collection of soldiers, farmers and volunteers who would inflict one of the most decisive defeats of the war (so far) on the Kremlin.After the shootout, Voznesensk’s funeral director drove his van around the surrounding hills and woods, picking up the bodies of Russians and stuffing them into transparent bags. Andrey Kurkov (Ukrainian author of “Grey Bees”): It would be wonderful if the story told in this beautiful little book were the author's invention. If Russian troops could capture Voznesensk, and its small, strategic bridge, then they might be able to seize the whole Black Sea Coast and end the war in days.

One day soon when the war is over, I look forward to watching the movie based on the events depicted in this book!Eventually the Russians pulled out, abandoning many armoured vehicles, “supplies spilling out of them like the guts of gored animals”.