A riveting account of courageous resistance from the bestselling author of Balcony Over Jerusalem
Longlisted for the 2025 Walkley Award
On 24 February 2022, residents of Kyiv, Ukraine, woke to the sound of explosions and gunfire as Russian forces attempted to seize Hostomel Airport. It marked the beginning of the first land war in Europe since World War II. Under the leadership of the charismatic Volodymyr Zelensky, a militarized resistance and a civilian army of volunteers combined to defy Vladimir Putin.
By day, visitors to Kyiv might mistake it for any other charming European city. But when night falls, sirens wail and citizens sleep in bathrooms and bunkers to escape the persistent dangers of incoming missiles. This war is fought daily on both the front lines and the home front. Resourceful civilians - from old punk rockers and bikers to university professors and corporate brand managers - provide every bit of help they can, outwitting and outmanoeuvring the Russian army with drones, cyber tech, and sheer ingenuity.
As Ukraine's long-term future captures the focus of global leaders in Russia, Europe and the US, veteran journalist and ABC Global Affairs Editor John Lyons takes readers into the heart of a nation under siege. He interviews Ukrainians who stand tall in the face of an increasingly brutal conflict and an uncertain future. These are the stories of ordinary civilians making extraordinary contributions, determined to fight back in every way possible to ensure the survival of themselves, their families, and the soul of their nation.
Pages: 320
Genre: Biography - Ukraine History
Published - April 2025
Our review in brief:
| 1. Rating out of 10: 6.9 - Scores ranged from 6 -7.5 |
| 2. Recommended: Some members may recommend the book, depending on the person, but it was not a "must read". |
| 3. Audience: It would suit people interested in current affairs. On member said the reader would need a strong stomach |
| 4. Type of Read: It was an easy read in terms of language, but it was depressing. |
| 5. Strengths: It gave a broad view of how the Ukrainians were supporting the war effort and how the war impacted everyone's lives. It also touched on areas that were unfamiliar and surprising. This included the story of how large the surrogacy industry was in Ukraine. The last section of the book, which covered the role of the politicians highlighted some interesting facts. |
| 6. Weaknesses: It was a very one sided view of the war between Ukraine and Russia. The views of Russian people were not considered. It only reported on Ukrainians that were positively supporting the war effort. It failed to cover significant areas such as the inherent corruption, how the economy was functioning and whether there were shortages of food and everyday products. The book was too general. In only just over 300 pages, it was impossible to cover everything about life in war torn Ukraine. The start of the book read like a newspaper report, but this style changed as the book progressed. |
| 7. Quality of Author: Members said they might read another book by the authors, depending on the subject matter. The group discussed the possibility of looking at his book about Jerusalem . |
| 8. Other Observations: It was a great choice for book club as it led to lots of discussion. |