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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Svetlana, a grandmother with arthritis, reacts in fury when Russian troops turn her cottage into their blood-soaked headquarters. 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. Earlier this month, its troops blew up the Kakhovka dam, flooding settlements and towns on either side of the Dnipro River. Eventually the Russians pulled out, abandoning many armoured vehicles, “supplies spilling out of them like the guts of gored animals”.

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. 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. Cinematic and gripping - a must read for anyone trying to grasp both the human dimension and larger dynamics of events in this brutal contemporary war. This short punchy account of a few days in the now interminable invasion by Putin of Ukraine is fascinating on many levels.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. 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.

Superb writing and poetic storytelling sheds light on the heroic spirit and immense bravery of ordinary people determined to defend their homeland. Anyway, if you are a fan of underdog narratives and want a portrait of a small provincial town in the south of Ukraine taking a valiant, against-all-odds stand against the Russian army in the early days of the full-scale invasion, this is the book for you.Lindsey HIlsum (Channel Four News): “This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm. But also, people sinking low, pulled into the grey zone of the past Soviet and current Russian occupation. The dignity of very ordinary people looking around, shrugging, saying essentially "well, I guess that'll have to be me" and making a stand. Looking at different perspectives, we see how grandmas, young alcoholics, Russian soldiers, and Ukrainian defenders all respond.

James Meek (author and journalist): “Harding’s terse, piercing book is a gripping description of a turning point in Russia’s assault on Ukraine, a story of extraordinary heroism by ordinary people in a small town, and an accessible, limpid account of what battle is actually like in this war, in all its tragic, absurd detail. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Sergei grabs a Molotov cocktail and lies in wait for Russian tanks as they push towards Dead Water Bridge. Its people are indomitable and unyielding, brave and determined, savvy and funny when the chips are down. 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. A brilliant insight into the early days of the war in Ukraine through the story of one incredible town.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. Each street-level detail illuminates a bigger truth: why Ukraine succeeded in resisting Russia’s shock and awe onslaught last year, and how Moscow’s brazen attempt to subjugate an independent nation failed. 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. Valentin, a quick-talking lawyer, joins the town's 'Dads Army' defenders, crouching in a trench with an AK47. The Russians believed the “propaganda” and “lies” they had been fed: that their Ukrainian “Slav brothers” wanted to be “liberated from fascism”.