Overreach
The Inside Story of Putin’s War Against Ukraine
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Overreach
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Narrated by:
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Saul Reichlin
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By:
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Owen Matthews
About this listen
Winner of the Pushkin House Book Prize 2023
*A Telegraph Book of the Year*
A Times Best Book of Summer 2023
*Shortlisted for the Parliamentary Book Awards*
An astonishing investigation into the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war – from the corridors of the Kremlin to the trenches of Mariupol.
The Russo-Ukrainian War is the most serious geopolitical crisis since the Second World War – and yet at the heart of the conflict is a mystery. Vladimir Putin apparently lurched from a calculating, subtle master of opportunity to a reckless gambler, putting his regime – and Russia itself – at risk of destruction. Why?
Drawing on over 25 years’ experience as a correspondent in Moscow, as well as his own family ties to Russia and Ukraine, journalist Owen Matthews takes us through the poisoned historical roots of the conflict, into the Covid bubble where Putin conceived his invasion plans in a fog of paranoia about Western threats, and finally into the inner circle around Ukrainian president and unexpected war hero Volodimir Zelensky.
Using the accounts of current and former insiders from the Kremlin and its propaganda machine, the testimony of captured Russian soldiers and on-the-ground reporting from Russia and Ukraine, Overreach tells the story not only of the war’s causes but how the first six months unfolded.
With its panoramic view, Overreach is an authoritative, unmissable record of a conflict that shocked Europe to its core.
©2022 Owen Matthews (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic Reviews
"Not merely the first full account of the war in Ukraine, but may set the standard for some time to come…a remarkable achievement, with Matthews’s expert eye like an all-seeing drone, buzzing from one side of the conflict to the other." (Telegraph)
"Superb…a true page-turner." (Andrew Roberts, BBC History)
What listeners say about Overreach
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-06-2023
A detailed record of a state under a cruel and oppressive autocracy who chose war.
Well read and researched. A detailed record of a state under a cruel and oppressive autocracy who chose war.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C Cotsonis
- 23-06-2023
Incredible amount of detail
An excellent vehicle to put together all the 30 second news grabs for the past year and a half.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 10-07-2023
Clarity is the Father of Communication.
Matthew’s book is a masterful exposition of clearly communicated facts, themes, explanations and perspectives. For both those who, like myself, have closely followed the “Ukraine Situation” from even before 2014, or those who have somehow failed to notice this titanic struggle in Eastern Europe, the whole story is laid out in an easily understood way.
I’ve learned much, had much food for thought and simply cannot recommend this book highly enough. As an audiobook I really enjoyed the narration, too, not something I can always say.
Read, listen, be enlightened.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-02-2023
Get the full picture.
The book follows a very logical piece by piece construction of a very complex puzzle. Insightful.
The author claims that some his information , comes from sources he can’t , for obvious reason , identity. This requires the reader to trust he author. Despite this, the book relies minimally on those facts , instead, it brings to the discussion many analysis and quotes of past and present historians and journalists. This book is really valuable in putting into a more clear historical and cultural context the daily barrage of news that , sadly , are received daily about the ongoing conflict .
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew
- 04-01-2023
Reads like fantasy
This could easily be the most detailed fantasy novel ever written, if it weren’t so horrifically real.
Witty and factual. It surprisingly held my attention the whole way through and I’m not much of a non-fiction reader.
This is the definitive guide to the Ukraine war and I highly recommend the series to anyone.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mon
- 18-03-2024
Interesting information Poor Narration
I've tried several times to finish this book but the narrator has stopped me to the point I can no longer listen to it. I feel it is a poor choice of narrator, rather than an incompetent one. I feels he's not really interested in the material and he carries on in the same tone throughout. This vital material which is so pertinent to our times needs to be delivered by someone who is as passionate as the author. I'm afraid I'm going to have to find another source for similar material.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adam
- 01-05-2023
Very informative and powerful
As someone who has been watching the Russian war in Ukraine closely, I found the audiobook to dive deep into the context of the way, how it happened. Really enjoyed the depth and writing style.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bob
- 10-01-2023
Interesting and current
Great insight into how it began, why it continues, and how it can be resolved.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-06-2023
A great book, with great delivery.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book well delivered and written it gives some important insight into the most critical issue of our time.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Stuart Churchill
- 01-11-2024
Interesting.
This is an interesting and well researched book, revealing the interests and world views behind key decisions. However, to claim with 'absolute certainty' that Russia was behind the nord-stream bombings, and the authors decision to characterize national-socialist militias such as Azov, as merely 'nationalists whose members come from all over the ideological spectrum'. Comes across as wilful ignorance, and lacks objectiveness.
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