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mollyofearth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
hcryan89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.5
gothicgunslinger's review against another edition
5.0
I don't have the proper words to describe this book. Eye-opening and tragic doesn't begin to cover it. Anna Politkovskaya's bravery, tenacity, intelligence and compassion seeps from every word. I had to stop several times and weep, knowing what happened to her. Journalists who tell the truth are a threat in Russia, and she had nothing but scathing criticism for the government.
I hoped I would better understand the nature of the recent Chechen conflicts by reading this. And if this book is any indication, what it comes down to was not a matter of separatism vs. nationalism, nor any kind of political ideology at all. It was all about war profiteering, under the guise of "fighting terrorism," with each side just as corrupt as the other. Those who suffered the most were civilians who wanted nothing to do with the fighting in the first place. As Politkovskaya says several times herself, "cynical" and "senseless" don't even begin to describe it. And, sadly, we have only seen this type of conflict repeat in recent years, in Ukraine as well as Syria.
I only hope one day we learn from lessons like this one. Politkovskaya died to bring these abuses and atrocities to light. I don't want her sacrifice to have been in vain.
I hoped I would better understand the nature of the recent Chechen conflicts by reading this. And if this book is any indication, what it comes down to was not a matter of separatism vs. nationalism, nor any kind of political ideology at all. It was all about war profiteering, under the guise of "fighting terrorism," with each side just as corrupt as the other. Those who suffered the most were civilians who wanted nothing to do with the fighting in the first place. As Politkovskaya says several times herself, "cynical" and "senseless" don't even begin to describe it. And, sadly, we have only seen this type of conflict repeat in recent years, in Ukraine as well as Syria.
I only hope one day we learn from lessons like this one. Politkovskaya died to bring these abuses and atrocities to light. I don't want her sacrifice to have been in vain.
doel7's review against another edition
4.0
Really good book for anyone interested in the Second Chechen War. It documents all of Anna Politkovskaya's articles she wrote for a Russian newspaper in the late 90's and early 2000's. This isn't really a historical book and doesn't go through the tedious list of dates and names that a history book would (although I sort of prefer that) It gives you events on the ground from the viewpoint of this journalist reporting on the war. She interviews Chechen fighters, Ingush refugees, Russian soldiers and their mothers and various government officials. The writing is very interesting because it is written for the Russian public to know what is going on inside Chechnya and how brutal the war is. There are some very graphic and heart wrenching articles especially the entry that records Chechen children, 8 to 9 years old, writing about their "homeland". Here is one of the excerpts:
"Bislan Dombaev:
My homeland is the most beautiful and richest country. I was born in Grozny. We lived in Chernoreche. Our village was very beautiful. But now when you look at our homeland you don't even want to cry even, you no longer want to live. All had been bombed into the ground and destroyed. My kind, quite innocent little homeland.
Our country is being bombed. Its young people are tormented Grown-ups and little children are being killed, one after another. What kind of lawlessness is this? What did our people ever do wrong? Why are we suffering?"
"Bislan Dombaev:
My homeland is the most beautiful and richest country. I was born in Grozny. We lived in Chernoreche. Our village was very beautiful. But now when you look at our homeland you don't even want to cry even, you no longer want to live. All had been bombed into the ground and destroyed. My kind, quite innocent little homeland.
Our country is being bombed. Its young people are tormented Grown-ups and little children are being killed, one after another. What kind of lawlessness is this? What did our people ever do wrong? Why are we suffering?"
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