Overview

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Kateryna hung up her dresses, Oksana and Stanislav put down their lawyers' briefs and Oksen slammed shut his philosophy textbooks. Alongside thousands of their fellow citizens, they strapped on armour, picked up weapons and chose to risk their lives for the freedom and independence of their homeland. Many would never return. Covering the invasion first-hand, journalist Tom Mutch witnessed the forging of an 'iron generation' of young Ukrainians. With eyewitness reporting from all the major battlegrounds and front lines, The Dogs of Mariupol recounts the war's notorious encounters, such as the Siege of Mariupol, but also uncovers untold stories, like the civilian guerrilla army fighting overwhelming odds in Sumy. This is not a triumphalist account of Ukraine's fight, however. Powerful and uncompromising, it painstakingly documents the immense human catastrophe wrought on Ukrainian society and the divisions between those who fought and those who fled. It also delves deeper to answer important questions: could the Russian plan to capture Kyiv have succeeded? Did Ukraine make a fatal error by committing for so long to the defence of Bakhmut? And with more western support, could Ukraine have won the war outright? 'Brilliant and moving and important and without hyperbole deserves to take a place in the pantheon of great war reportages alongside Dispatches...An extraordinary, essential and unforgettable book.' - Owen Matthews, The Spectator 'Perceptive, excellent and vividly written. A powerful reminder of the value of embedded journalism.' - Mark Galeotti 'Really enjoyed it...It deals with the conflict's major strategic issues without ever losing sight of its human dimensions.' - Sir Lawrence Freedman 'Brilliant and insightful.' - The House

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9781837360635

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Reviews

“Tom Mutch’s vivid portrayal of the battle for Mariupol pulls you in, making you feel as if you’re reliving those intense days yourself. I recommend this account to policymakers, veterans and anyone who wants to know what the war in Ukraine is really like.” Shaun Pinner, former British Army soldier, Ukrainian Marine and Mariupol defender and author of Live. Fight. Survive. “Even as someone who has reported on the conflict in Ukraine for three years, I found The Dogs of Mariupol an extraordinary read. This superbly crafted account of the author’s experiences travelling the length and breadth of Ukraine captures in granular detail the extreme highs and lows of modern warfare in 21st-century Europe.” Paul Conroy, war photographer and bestselling author of Under the Wire “This book is an honest reflection on the contradictions of conflict journalism as well as the beauty and flaws of Ukraine and its people during their struggle for survival. I recommend it to analysts, historians and anyone else who wants to understand how the war is experienced on the ground in Ukraine.” John Helin, Ukraine analyst with the Black Bird Group “The Dogs of Mariupol is a powerful ground-level account of Ukraine’s fight for survival and identity amid Russia’s brutal invasion. Tom Mutch captures resilience, tragedy and defiance alongside personal reflection and humanity with which we can all relate.” Girish Gupta, former Reuters senior correspondent

Author Information

Tom Mutch is a New Zealand journalist who has covered Ukraine since the start of the invasion as a correspondent for the New Zealand Herald and appears as a regular guest on the Daily Telegraph's podcast Ukraine: The Latest. Tom's reporting has been widely cited in international media as well as on Ukraine's official social channels and President Zelensky's accounts. He likewise has been recognised by the Kremlin, which banned him from Russia for reporting human rights abuses (he snuck into Kursk with the Ukrainian Army anyway). He read modern history at Christ Church, Oxford, and is an incoming scholar in the international politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

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