Svetlana, a grandmother with arthritis, reacts in fury when Russian troops turn her cottage into their blood-soaked headquarters.

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. Superb writing and poetic storytelling sheds light on the heroic spirit and immense bravery of ordinary people determined to defend their homeland. 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. Harding’s fine book points to why Ukraine has outperformed expectations in Washington and London, continues to fight on, and may just win this 21st-century David v Goliath struggle. Valentin, a quick-talking lawyer, joins the town's 'Dads Army' defenders, crouching in a trench with an AK47.

This short punchy account of a few days in the now interminable invasion by Putin of Ukraine is fascinating on many levels.

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. Fiona Hill (Russia expert and author of “There Is Nothing For You Here): “Fascinating, vivid, often harrowing, and also deeply moving. 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. But also, people sinking low, pulled into the grey zone of the past Soviet and current Russian occupation.Lindsey HIlsum (Channel Four News): “This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm. Eventually the Russians pulled out, abandoning many armoured vehicles, “supplies spilling out of them like the guts of gored animals”. 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. Luke Harding in The Observer: “This gripping story is the literary equivalent of a superb miniature painting.

A brilliant insight into the early days of the war in Ukraine through the story of one incredible town. This short book gives helpful insights to a war that can feel a little abstract for those of us on the other side of the globe! Mail on Sunday: “A mesmerising story of how in the face of a might army, ordinary people can sometimes turn and simply say, ‘No. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Sergei grabs a Molotov cocktail and lies in wait for Russian tanks as they push towards Dead Water Bridge.

Earlier this month, its troops blew up the Kakhovka dam, flooding settlements and towns on either side of the Dnipro River. It was praised by the New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post and chosen as one of NPR's books of 2016. Its people are indomitable and unyielding, brave and determined, savvy and funny when the chips are down.