Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin and Russia’s War Against Ukraine

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The story of Ukraine from independence is concisely told, but with some impressive insights and details. McVicar, “American Heretics: Democracy, the Limits of Religion, and the End of Reconstruction”, in Christian Reconstruction: R. A good 50% of the book consists of the historical background of the war, so if you know about Russian and Ukrainian history, there might be some repetition.

overreach - Wiktionary, the free dictionary overreach - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Susan Shirk's book, "Overreach," provides a deeply insightful and timely analysis of the complexities and potential consequences of overreach in international relations. The war crimes at Bucha are covered in more detail including the story of the young Russian soldier that committed war crimes and was subsequently captured and sentenced to life in prison. S. foreign policy, Shirk presents a thought-provoking examination of the ways in which the United States has, at times, exceeded its limits, leading to unintended consequences and negative outcomes. Very detailed information not only about Xi Jinping but also Hu Jintao which helps to understand the shifts in Chinese policy and its relation to the US, EU, Russia, other Asian countries, etc. Chapters 4 and 5 are the core of the book, because they most clearly address Matthews’ original question about why Putin decided to go to war.Another implication of Matthews’ thematic approach is that readers who have not been following events in Ukraine closely may find themselves disoriented. Yet the risk of a military clash between the US and China has grown markedly over the past two decades.

Overreach by Owen Matthews review — the inside story of Putin Overreach by Owen Matthews review — the inside story of Putin

Each of them had responsibility for one policy area—and allowed the others to pursue his own policy goals. Some of his confidantes were scared to speak, others fled abroad or reverted to Cold War style meetings in public parks. In recounting how Kremlin troops were woefully ill-prepared, for example, he draws on testimony to a Ukrainian war crimes court by a young Russian squaddie who pleaded guilty to shooting a civilian after his armoured convoy was ambushed. He humanises the stories of soldiers (from both sides) as well as civilians caught up in the onslaught.

While I had some issues with this book, I found it overall an informative and insightful look into modern China. Were a reader unfamiliar with history or only read this book, they would be left with the impression that a lot of mystery remains around his death. As the conflict is sadly very much continuing, this book will no doubt be reviewed and revised but for anyone wishing to have a clear and concise background view of the conflict, this is the English-language book for you. The regime of Xi Jinping is much more authoritarian and insecure than we generally understand, leading us to both underestimate the Chinese Communist Party’s ambition and overestimate its capabilities for world domination. Internally, circumstances have enabled Xi Jinping to consolidate more power than any leader since Mao Zedong.