The War Came To Us: Life and Death in Ukraine

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From the coal-dusted, sunflower-covered steppe of the Donbas where authoritarian leader Viktor Yanukovych rose to prominence to the heart of the Euromaidan revolution camp in Kyiv that overthrew him; from the Black Sea shores of Crimea where Russian troops stealthily annexed Ukraines peninsula and reshaped the geography of Europe to the bloody battlefields of the east where Russian warlords ruled with iron fists; from the frontline of the war against corruption in the capital to the hipster cocktail bars and underground raves that give the country its quickened pulse; and from the beginnings of the new Ukraine to the destruction and terror wrought by Russian bombs in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and beyond that threaten to wreck it. This is the story of modern Ukraine and its transformation, as told through the lives of Ukrainians, their fears and struggles. And the savage beauty of a country ravaged by war seen through the eyes of one of the regions best reporters. Its Ukraine in all its glory: vast, weird, exhilarating, defiant, resilient, trying to escape the long shadow of its former imperial ruler while fighting to build a new future. And the story of the Ukraine we knew, the Ukraine we have lost, the Ukraine that has been changed forever. The book will cover four periods, with some history and context woven in: Ukraine before the latest revolution and first Russian invasion (pre-2014); Ukraine during the revolution, annexation, and hottest part of the first war; Ukraine struggling to reform and evolve and peel itself away from Moscows sphere of influence amid the simmering war in the east; and then the run-up to and inside Russias full-scale invasion. There will be several chapters within each section that delve deep into key events and moments. Woven throughout will be very insightful human stories and personal accounts that help the reader understand Ukraine. You will meet the oligarchs, the revolutionaries, the warlords, the gangsters, the journalists, the activists shaping Ukraine. Youll get inside the smoke-filled rooms where they plot and toil, drink and dance, and be transported to the frontlines where they fight and die. This is not a dry political book but a work of narrative non-fiction filled with vivid and surreal characters, a narrative and evocative exploration of what the country of Ukraine was and is really like.

Reviews

Vivid Shocking [Miller] brings a seasoned, personal perspective to his account of both the 16-month conflict and its wider roots. * Daily Telegraph *
An eye-opening and deeply touching inside story of the country's long fight for freedom against Russian aggression. * Waterstones *
Christopher Miller has been an indispensable guide to what's been really happening in Ukraine for a decade or more, and his writing has helped show the world the true face of a country that is too often lied about. * Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Butler to the World, Moneyland and The Last Man in Russia *
When I want to know what is happening in Ukraine, I turn first to Chris Miller's reporting. Whether it's the latest information from the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine, insightful analysis on political manoeuvrings in Kyiv, or understanding into what the average Ukrainian is thinking about current events, Miller always has the inside track. Now in his riveting book The War Came to Us, this foremost expert on the region takes us back over the last 12 years, providing the history, the culture and the context to help us understand where Ukraine is today and what might come next. A must-read for those who want to get beyond the headlines. * Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and author of The New York Times bestseller Lessons From The Edge: A Memoir *
Christopher Miller knows Ukraine with unmatchable depth and a fierce intimacy way before it became the eye of the global storm he was living and studying in this critical country. There isnt a village he hasnt visited and a front line he hasnt crossed. The world is belatedly waking up to the importance of Ukraine. And Miller is the ultimate guide. * Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda and Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible *
A penetrating account of the reality of Putins war on Ukraine... With powerful stories and insightful background, Miller provides a human dimension to a bloody conflict. * Kirkus - starred review *
War correspondent Millers heart-pounding debut describes in gritty detail the frontline fighting and key events preceding Russias full-scale invasion of Ukrainethis is frontline reporting at its finest. * Publishers Weekly *
Written with love, respect, and the critical eye of a reporter, the book evinces deep dedication to an adopted homeland... The War Came to Us is a detailed, personal, and engaging account of recent transformative events in Ukraines history. * Foreword *
Fascinating. * Timothy Garton Ash *
Its Chris capacity for both narrative restraint and warm-hearted, unpretentious observations of his surroundings that make him stand out among many chroniclers of modern Ukraine in both its horror and its glory. * Natalia Antonova website *

Author Bio

Christopher Miller is a writer and journalist based in Brooklyn, New York and Kyiv, Ukraine. He appears frequently on major US television news programmes, including those on CNN and MSNBC. He was interviewed for MSNBCs documentary film Headliners: Paul Manafort, and HBOs The Perfect Weapon. Chris also appears regularly on podcasts and radio programmes on the BBC, NPR, CBC, Monocle, Crooked Media and elsewhere. Since 2019 he has been lead correspondent in Ukraine for Buzzfeed News, where he has been covering the current conflict. Before that he spent five years as a correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Kyiv. His writing and journalism has been published in POLITICO Europe, The Times, the Guardian, The Atlantic, CNN, Vice News, the Telegraph, the Independent, The Outline and GlobalPost. His coverage of Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 was Missouri Honor Medal Winner for Distinguished Service in Journalism.