This is a gripping chronicle of the epochal scale assault that occurred in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Harding, reporting on the ground during the build-up and aftermath of the conflict, shares unheard human stories and explores the motivations of the two leaders involved. He delves into the ideological and personal reasons driving Putin's strategy and raises important questions about the endgame of this unprecedented invasion. The book provides a stark and urgent account of the largest armed conflict in Europe since 1945, spanning various battlefields and highlighting the ripple effects beyond Ukraine and Russia's borders. As someone who accurately predicted Putin's ambitions in his previous books, Harding's analysis of the war's consequences for Kyiv, Moscow, and the world is essential reading.