Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin and Russia’s War Against Ukraine

This is well worth reading giving a brief but very informative history of Ukraine along with more detail on Ukraine since independence and the current war. It was well written, so easy to read without being too simplistic, and I learned some new facts from it, which makes a non-fiction book worth reading for me. Its weak points are the lack of an index (possibly because it covers right up till the end of September 2022 so has been rushed out) ; the lack of sources for some major claims while providing sources for relatively trivial ones (e.g provides a source on what Putin said about a US vs Russia hockey match, but not on claims that Russian forces were fighting in the Donbas long before the 2022 invasion) ; sometimes it is too credulous (e.g reporting "mobile crematoria" having been "used by both sides" despite a lack of evidence of their existence and echoes of the "mobile bio-weapons lab" propaganda before the Iraq war) ; and it sometimes wastes time on not very relevant details (e.g how Zelensky or Putin were dressed while making particular speeches)

Before this book, the author was predicting that Russia will never invade Ukraine. Clearly, he was very wrong. He is still wrong and often even clueless on many aspects of Russian politics, Ukrainian politics, and Russia-Ukraine relations. The book might have some moderately interesting journalistic accounts of certain events (which can also be found in press), but it does not show a deep understanding of the topic. The book also shows that the author reads quite a bit of Russian propaganda (and most public Russian sources are propaganda), thinking that this gives him an insight into the minds of the Russian political elite or that it allows him to understand the grand picture. But unfortunately it never does. His perspective is often rather one-sided, he often follows Russian colonial narrative, and does not do justice to the long struggle of Ukrainian people against colonialism, and to their past and current achievements. The author is clearly clueless about the history of Ukraine, the aspects and making of Ukrainian identity over the centuries, the actual public opinions and moods among Ukrainians (including, for example, native people of Crimea), and about overall Ukrainian side of the story. These gaps cannot be filled with short interviews with random Ukrainians, in the way the author tries to fill them. Some quotes, just from the first pages: "Therefore this war will eventually end – as all wars that do not result in total victory end – with a negotiated peace." It is amusing that the author still wants to make blunt (and likely wrong, given the recent success of Ukrainian Army) predictions even after all his previous predictions turned out to be wrong. Another quote: "Putin’s invasion also precisely created the very things it was intended to avert. It united Ukraine and gave the country a true sense of nationhood." Never mind the fact that Ukrainian nation, identity, language and culture existed for many centuries prior to the current war, and that Ukrainians united many times in history fighting for their statehood and independence in the past. There are many more similarly blunt and unacademic statements following Russian colonial narrative. I also would like to mention some history behind his sources and heroes of the book. The introduction starts with describing author's "old friend" Zakhar Prilepin. He is portrayed affectionately, with adverbs like "smart" and "one of the greatest Russian novelist". The truth is that Prilepin is one of Russia's ultra-right (as in fascist right) ideologists, writers, and public figures, and has been collaborating with Russian FSB for very long time. Prilepin is well-known to be an accused war criminal and terrorist outside of Russia. In his public interviews, for example, Prilepin has boasted about the number of Ukrainian he killed himself. Before participating in Russian genocide of Ukrainians, ...

A thorough analysis of multiple aspects of the Ukrain-Russian relationship with an excellent historic background.

In "Overreach," Owen Matthews provides a poignant and informative perspective on the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian war. With his unique background as a foreigner with strong ties to Russia, Matthews is able to offer a thought-provoking examination of the events that unfolded up to the fall of 2022. The author's personal connection to the conflict - having lived in Russia for over 25 years, having Russian roots and children who consider themselves Russian - adds depth and emotional resonance to the narrative. His family was, as many others, uprooted by the war, if not impacted in the most tragic ways that other families, mostly Ukrainian, were. Through vivid storytelling, Matthews delves into the details of the war's early days, painting a picture of tragedy for the Ukrainian people and senseless acts of violence by Russian soldiers. The reader is also given a glimpse into the frightening atmosphere that pervaded Moscow, where the “acrid smoke” of paranoia and a “blanket of fear” shrouded the city almost instantly. Matthews traces the gradual descent of Russian President Vladimir Putin into isolation and paranoia, ultimately culminating in his disastrous decision to try and conquer Ukraine. He resists the temptation to label Putin insane and instead portrays him (and to some degree his opponents from NATO) as figures from an ancient Greek tragedy who, through their actions, bring about the very outcome they are trying to avoid. He cuts surprisingly little slack to Ukrainian President Zelensky as well. He portrays Zelensky's decision to eradicate Russian influence in Ukraine through internal sanctions and his rejection of Steinmeier's formula for Donbass as fateful, if perhaps unavoidable, steps that ultimately led to an escalation of the conflict. With focus on the motivations and constraints of the key players involved, Matthews believes that NATO cannot afford to let Ukraine lose the war, while Putin's regime and potentially his life depend on avoiding a catastrophic loss (although, with his control of the Russian media intact, Putin will be well-positioned to declare just about any outcome that doesn’t involve the loss of Crimea a victory). Matthews suggests that at best, Putin's failed invasion of Ukraine could mark the end of expansive imperialism in European history. At worst?.. Putin tried nuclear blackmail and failed, but it doesn’t mean such an escalation is impossible for an erratic leader who already brought about the largest possible threat to his regime for an illusory and utterly unachievable goal. Anyway, Putin has poisoned Russia's future in the root and his self-declared victory will be one of the uneducated over the educated and of the past over the future, Matthews writes. Unfortunately, this book suffers from issues with editing and fact-checking. The author makes several inaccuracies, such as claimi...

This Book includes insights not only from Zelenskyy’s Office and the White House, but also from the Kremlin. It is a detailed and matured analysis of what was happening in 2022 on political and real battlefield. Truly enjoyed!