Amazon.com: A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya: Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Burry, Tatiana Tulchinsky, Georgi M. Derluguian: Books

Review
"[A Small Corner of Hell] skips harrowingly from year to year and place to place. The arch-villains are the Russian death squads, venal and brutal, and the complacent, lying politicians and generals who profit from the illegal trade in booty, oil, and captives. Her heroes are not the Chechen resistance - a gangsterish and ill-fed lot - but the long-suffering civilian population, whose natural grit and solidarity has gradually dissolved under the relentless brutality of daily life." - Economist "A personal, unblinking stare at the casualties of war." - Jonathan Kaplan, Los Angeles Times "The silencing of a voice so commonsensical and so courageous should make the new.... Her work mattered worldwide because it was true democracy in action: because, unlike so many politicians in her own country and elsewhere, she genuinely put her life at risk to speak for the little people whose interests are all too often ignored." - Evening Standard (UK) "Anna Politkovskaya... dedicated her career to covering what other parts of the Russian media either ignored or misreported. She told the stories of people, in Chechnya and the Caucasus, who had experienced the horrors and privations of two brutal wars, and a 'peace' that was just as cruel." - Times (UK)"

Product Description

The recent murder of Anna Politkovskaya is grim evidence of the danger faced by journalists passionately committed to writing the truth about wars and politics. A longtime critic of the Russian government, particularly with regard to its policies in Chechnya, Politkovskaya was a special correspondent for the liberal Moscow newspaper Novaya gazeta. Beginning in 1999, Politkovskaya authored numerous articles about the war in Chechnya, and she was the only journalist to have constant access to the region.

Politkovskaya's second book on the Chechen War, A Small Corner of Hell, offers an insider's view of this ongoing conflict. In this book, Politkovskaya focuses her attention on those caught in the crossfire. She recounts the everyday horrors of living in the midst of war, examines how the Chechen war has damaged Russian society, and takes a hard look at the ways people on both sides profited from it. Now available in paperback, A Small Corner of Hell ensures that Politkovskaya's words will not be erased.

"[A Small Corner of Hell] skips harrowingly from year to year and place to place. The arch-villains are the Russian death squads, venal and brutal, and the complacent, lying politicians and generals who profit from the illegal trade in booty, oil, and captives. Her heroes are not the Chechen resistance—a gangsterish and ill-fed lot—but the long-suffering civilian population, whose natural grit and solidarity has gradually dissolved under the relentless brutality of daily life."

—Economist

"A personal, unblinking stare at the casualties of war."

—Jonathan Kaplan, Los Angeles Times

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Product Details

Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (April 15, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226674339
ISBN-13: 978-0226674339
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#38 in Books > History > Europe > Eastern
#57 in Books > History > Historical Study > Revolutionary

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!

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First Sentence:
The first question to be addressed inevitably is, why read this book? Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
filtration point, antiterrorist operation, military prosecutor

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ministry of the Interior, Starye Atagi, Ministry of Defense, New Year, North Caucasus, Chechen Republic, New York, Pyotr Grigorevich, Saint Petersburg, World War, Colonel General Kosovan, Aslan Maskhadov, Caucasus Center, Kofi Annan, Akhmad-Khaji Kadyrov, Anna Politkovskaya, Chechen Islam, Grozny Worker, Nagornaya Street, Ruslan Aushev, Saudi Arabia, Supreme Court of Ingushetia, Akhmed Zakayev, Anna Stepanovna, European Union

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 5 books:

Dynamics of Contention (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics) by Doug McAdam on page 4
Money Unmade: Barter and the Fate of Russian Capitalism by David M. Woodruff on page 8
The Servant of Two Masters (Plays for Performance) by Dorothy Louise on page 124
Sale of the Century: The Inside Story of the Second Russian Revolution by Chrystia Freeland on page 8
Stealing the State: Control and Collapse in Soviet Institutions (Russian Research Center Studies) by Steven L. Solnick on page 8

3 books cite this book:

Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution by Peter Baker in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy by Anna Politkovskaya in Front Matter
Chechens: A Handbook (Causasus World, Peoples of the Caucasus) by A. Jaimoukha in Back Matter

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Putin's Russia by Anna Politkovskaya

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The Chechen Wars by Matthew Evangelista

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	78% buy the item featured on this page: A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya 3.9 out of 5 stars (11) $10.20
	7% buy Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy 3.8 out of 5 stars (24) $10.88
	6% buy My War Gone By, I Miss It So 4.4 out of 5 stars (68) $10.88
	5% buy A Russian Diary 4.9 out of 5 stars (8)

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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3.9 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Journalism!, December 9, 2006

By	Sergei (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya (Hardcover)

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.

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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biased?!!!, May 25, 2005

By	Anton Gorbounov (London, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya (Hardcover)

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.

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More of the same in Russia these days, January 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya (Hardcover)

I bought this book and "Chechnya Diary" by Thomas Goltz. I read this one first, which is backwards. If you are going to read both, read "Diary" first. It is more about the first chechen war, and this is more about the second. "Diary" is also good, but is more of an emphasis on the reporters events. This book is more a documentary of the war. If you are only going to read one, I recommend this one.

This is mostly a book about atmosphere. The book has a little history of the conflict, but it is mostly insight into the daily life of the war. To me, that is a plus. There aren't really any battle strategies to discuss, and the actual history is muddled by lack of reporters, and Russian propoganda.

It is obvious that the author is no fan of Putin, and reviewers of her other book have criticized the political bias of her writing, but I didn't see it as a problem. While having little good to say about Putin or the Russian Federal Forces, she does point out that there misdeads on both sides, and the citizens are caught in the middle.

My biggest complaint is lack of pictures.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Devastating
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... Read more

Published 20 months ago by Joanna Raczynska

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
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. Read more

Published on May 14, 2007 by J. Janes

4.0 out of 5 stars Dispatch from Chechnya Review
Hard to read -- conditions/events so horrendous -- not for kids (obviously)...

Published on April 4, 2007 by Allen S. Root

3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed But Few Alternatives
In looking for substantive reporting on the Chechnya conlict, one quickly finds that there is simply not much out there of note. Read more

Published on April 16, 2005 by J. Philo

1.0 out of 5 stars Propoganda
Expecting to learn the truth about the Chechen War from Anna Politkovskaya is like expecting to learn the truth about the Iraq War from Michael Moore. Read more

Published on March 17, 2005 by Not Known

2.0 out of 5 stars Lost in Translation?
This book is a compilation of insights and reflections on the daily life of the war amidst the author's obvious resentment toward the Putin administration. Read more

Published on December 13, 2004 by Robert F. Laronde

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings Awareness to the plight of the Chechen people...
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. Read more

Published on July 20, 2004 by Christiana Washington

4.0 out of 5 stars America is more interested in Martha Stewart and Britney
This book was an easy read, but a sad one. The plight of the Chechen people is virtually unknown in the U.S. Read more

Published on May 4, 2004

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