September 25, 2017
Polish journalist Pieniazek’s expertise in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, garnered from over two years of investigative journalism in the country beginning in April 2014, results in an interesting, yet confusing, glimpse into daily life during war. His recollections range from the mundane act of extracting the last currency from ATMs near the front line to the most explosive moments of the conflict. Pieniazek provides an excellent rendition of the intense, strange atmosphere that prevailed in 2014 Ukraine, complete with descriptions of trains full of corpses from the downed Malaysian airliner, the corrupt political circus in the people’s republics, and the infiltration of the country by the now-familiar phenomenon of “fake news.” Like the war itself, Pieniazek’s lively and detailed account can be difficult to follow and may not provide Western readers with a clearer picture of what happened. Because of the many actors involved in the conflict, a general audience may find it difficult to follow who sides with whom, where, and when—a difficulty also encountered by the residents who experienced the conflict firsthand. 52 color illus.