Asne Seierstad began her writing career as a Moscow correspondent; the conflict in Chechnya was the first war she covered. Now ten years later, she returns to Chechnya and discovers that though the world’s attention has moved on, the tragedy has continued, killing 10 to 15 per cent of the population and leaving a brutalised society - with a particular toll on its children - in its wake. Combining the violent history of the Caucasus and the battle between freedom fighters and the empire, with the story of the journeys Seierstad undertook in secrecy and disguise over the last two years, this will be another landmark book from this brave and brilliant writer.

Reviews

• ‘Extraordinary and deeply harrowing . . . a tenacious and compassionate reporter, she finds her way into the homes of Chechens and tells their stories. These are so full of tragedy and despair I was, on a number of occasions, reduced to tears’ Scotland on Sunday
• ‘As a crash course on recent Chechen and Russian history, Seierstad’s account is invaluable . . . an extraordinarily brave endeavour . . . moving and troubling’ Observer
• ‘She presents all the confusing contradictions of the conflict in a straightforward, accessible way, which is no mean feat . . . she has a real eye for detail and the human heart of a story’ Observer
• ‘One can only admire the incredible dedication and bravery of a reporter . . . in going undercover in Chechnya . . . she has produced the best book in English about one of the world’s most brutal and under-reported conflicts . . . fascinating, if often horrifying’ Sunday Times
• ‘Anyone wanting to understand the Russia of today should read this compelling, shocking book about the forgotten suffering of Chechnya . . . a powerful book of heartbreaking yet flamboyant reportage from a forgotten hell’ Evening Standard
• ‘If Kapuscinski was the modern master of literary reportage, then Asne Seierstad’s The Angel of Grozny proves her a worthy follower with this bleak but beautiful book’ Sunday Herald
• ‘Touching stories of loss, survival and bravery . . . an invaluable account of the stormy conflicts that have blighted the area for centuries’ Time Out
• '[Asne Seierstad] tells their stories with poignancy and compassion. The Angel of Grozny reads at times almost like a novel
• the pity is that Seierstad isn't making it up' Independent

Hardback

Published 06/03/2008