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Biteback snaps up 'gripping and accessible' account of lead-up to Ukraine war by Puri
Biteback Publishing has snapped up a “gripping and accessible” account of the key moments leading to the Ukraine war by former diplomat Samir Puri.
Olivia Beattie, editorial director, acquired world rights to Russia’s Road to War with Ukraine: Invasion Amidst the Ashes of Empires from Darryl Samaraweera at Artellus. It will publish 25th August 2022.
The synopsis says: “Russia has brought bloodshed and suffering to Ukraine at the behest of Putin’s vision of a greater Russian sphere of influence. For their part, however, some of the Western countries that dominate the EU and NATO have over several years unrealistically raised Ukraine’s expectations of joining these bodies, while others have dashed them, leaving Ukraine without formal allies and fatally exposed to Russian aggression.
“Russia’s Road to War with Ukraine is a gripping and accessible exploration, peppered with eye-witness accounts, of the key moments of drama leading to the 2022 invasion, offering insights into the missed opportunities to avert the war.”
Puri served as an international observer at five Ukrainian elections, including the Orange Revolution in 2004. Soon after the first Donbas war began in 2014, he spent a year in east Ukraine working along both sides of the frontline as part of an international ceasefire monitoring mission. During Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine, his analysis of the war has been featured by the BBC, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets. He is a visiting lecturer in war studies at King’s College London.
He said: “It has been devastating to see Ukraine suffer the evils of invasion, not least since my connection to Ukraine is a personal one. Having witnessed the wars and revolutions of Ukraine’s recent past first-hand, I feel compelled to tell the story of how these events have contributed to the current situation. If Ukraine is to have an independent and secure future, it is imperative that we learn from what has gone so wrong in its immediate past.”
Beattie added: “It’s not often you find an author who combines Samir’s analytical skill with his gift for communicating complex history and foreign affairs in a lively and accessible style. For anyone who feels adrift amid the devastating news from Ukraine, wondering how we got here and how the conflict might end, this will be an invaluable guide.”
