Synopses & Reviews
Until his death in 2000, Artyom Borovik was considered one of the preeminent journalists in Russia. With The Hidden War he provided the world its first glimpse inside the Soviet military machine, capturing the soldiers' terror, helplessness, and despair at waging war in a foreign land against an unseen enemy for unclear purposes. When first published, Borovik's groundbreaking revelations exposed the weaknesses beneath the Soviet Union's aura of military might, creating an enormous controversy both in Russia and around the world. A vital and fascinating portrait of the Soviet empire at the twilight of its power, this is a book that still resonates today. "An honest and graphic account of individual and general disillusionment during the very worst kind of war." -Christopher Hitchens, New York Newsday; "Alternately fascinating and horrific.... A fascinating look at the life and death of Soviet soldiers." -- Bill Wallace, San Francisco Chronicle; "I have read no other account of the war in Afghanistan equal to this ... this is literature." -- Graham Greene
Review
"I have read no other account of the war in Afghanistan equal to this....This is literature, not journalism." Graham Greene
Review
"Alternately fascinating and horrific....A fascinating look at the life and death of Soviet soldiers." Bill Wallace, San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Borovik, foreign editor of the Soviet weekly Ogonyok, spent a month with Soviet troops in Afghanistan near the end of the 1979-1988 war....Although in its raw candor the book stands as a manifestation of glasnost, the writing is uneven, often jarring: 'Oh, how harsh is my fate!' cries one veteran." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The Hidden War catches the human drama in what was clearly the Soviet Union's Vietnam. The book will appeal to a general audience as a fresh reminder of the universally grim reality of war." Library Journal
Review
"Borovik visited isolated posts, accompanied troops into action, and interviewed deserters in the United States....He is generous with glimpses of the varied views of soldiers and even of ethnic conflicts within the Red Army....[He cannot] quite resist the temptation to colour his narrative: scenes are described and thoughts expressed which it is impossible that the author could have known; and the reader's confidence in the honesty of the book is by so much reduced. One is left with a better picture of the Soviet side of the war (although not of the role of Soviet forces) and an improved understanding of the war's impact, but not even Borovik rises above good journalism; he is a Remarque not a Blunden." Malcolm Yapp, The Times Literary Supplement (London)
Synopsis
Artyom Borovik, who died last year, was considered one of the preeminent journalists in Russia. The first glimpse inside the Soviet military machine, The Hidden War captured the soldiers' terror, helplessness, and despair at waging war in a foreign land against an unseen enemy for unclear purposes. When first published, Borovik's groundbreaking revelations exposed the weaknesses beneath the Soviet Union's aura of military might, creating an enormous controversy both in Russia and around the world. The Hidden War is a vital and fascinating portrait of the Soviet empire at the twilight of its power.