A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya

When asked why I would want to read such a sad book, the reason above and beyond the obvious - for historic background on a war that Americans know so little about and for the human perspective on the ongoing war machine - was that the author was unstoppable. Even after her assassination, her words remain. It is enough to read this book to honor Anna Politkovskaya, a force that scared the powers in Russia so much that they had to kill her. The truth is greater than fear, theirs and our own. So, I urge you to read this book. The first half is a matter of fact account of conversations with ordinary people in Chechnya, everyday citizens now just trying to get by. In the latter part of this remarkable book, the author explains who is responsible for the devastation, the recurring and habitual murders, tortures, rapes, and destruction of the land and culture. She names names.

This book was a real eye-opener. Russia is up to it's old tricks and the rest of the world isn't hearing much about it. This is a very sobering, very human, perspective on the atrocities happening in and around Chechnya. I highly recommend this book. Given that Russia went in to Cechnya before the U.S. went into Iraq, you'll wonder what the hell we were thinking and why hasn't anyone learned from this?

This review applies to Small Corner of Hell and Putin's Russia. I read almost all of Anna's books and reports for Novaya Gazeta. It always struck me how dedicated and fearless (sadly she paid the ultimate price) she was to helping regular civilians living in Chechnya, and not just Chechens but Russians too. Her critics acuse her of being pro-chechen, but she also did plenty of reporting about Russian families who got stuck in the basements of Grozny during Russian carpet bombing campaign and for whom nobody in Russia really cared. She also wrote about regular Russian soldiers who are basically used as modern day slaves (Russian army is not voluntary). If you are a Western reader trying to understand the roots of this conflict, Politkovskaya's books are probably a wrong choice. For that you have to read some history books addressing Russian history of the last 200 - 300 years. Start with Richard Pipes or something similar. Her books are reports of what's going on there now. As such they are great examples of what the REAL journalism should be. They also serve as a good source on what's really going on in Russia today. They would make a good foundation for a War Crimes Tribunal for both Russian and Chechen sides (or are they really just the same Gang), which hopefully will take place some day. Finally, as others pointed out here the Publisher Weekly reviewer frankly does not know what he is talking about. He probably thinks Kim Jon Il is a legitimate ruler because 98% of North Koreans "vote" for him, too.

Yes, it is a shock therapy book. It is filled with some of the most cruel and bloody imagery. But this shock therapy is needed, both in Russia and in the West. Because that imagery is not a figment of somebody's imagination nor is it some particularly violent page of the world history book long turned over and forgotten. It's reality. It's happening right now, right at this moment. Even now, 3 years since the book's last interview with Akhmed Zakaev took place. And virtually nobody outside of Chechnya has a good idea what is going on there. Yes, the author sympathizes with the Chechen CIVILIANS, and the word 'civilians' should always be emphasized. She has nothing good to say about the separatists/terrorists (which do you prefer, by the way?). Except the fact that she - and, upon reading this book, me too, by the way - can understand the ever-increasing number of people who are willing to fight the federal forces 'till the last drop of blood. Yes, the author is somewhat biased. But, then again, who isn't. And it's hard to be unbiased when you see a 6-year-old boy helping gather the remains of a man who stepped on a landmine into a plastic bag that was bought from those same people who put the landmines there in the first place. Disregard the (so obviously Russian) naysayers - if someone's brainwashed, it's them. Putin's puppet media does wonders, trust me. Read this book, read something that presents an alternative point of view, and form your own opinion.

If nothing else, this book brings a new awareness of the struggles that the Chechen people have faced over the last decade or more with Russia. I do not claim to know anything about Putin, but this book does not paint a very flattering picture of the man behind the war. A lot of food for thought and insights into the plight of the oppressed Chechens. An excellent book but not the best one on the market about Chechnya.