Goodbye to Russia

Goodbye to Russia is a harrowing and haunting, heartbreaking and humbling testament to lives torn and blown apart by the evil that men do, and the fear and complicity that makes others do nothing, and quite simply the best and most powerful book I've read this year -- David Peace An astonishing book. Elegiac, personal, passionate. A unique eye-witness account, spanning decades and capturing the hopes and despair of families grappling with the brutal realities of Putinism. If you want to understand how Russia lost its way and invaded Ukraine, read this heartfelt, heart-breaking tale of ordinary people caught up in the madness of the Kremlin’s thuggery -- Andrew Harding This is an extraordinary book, one of the most evocative portraits of Vladimir Putin’s Russia I have ever read. It’s the story of how the hopes of the early 1990s rotted and died, and how intimidation and deception triumphed over truth and freedom. Rooted in the lives of the brave men and women who dared to defy Putin’s regime, it’s beautifully written and passionately argued – and all the more powerful because Sarah Rainsford so clearly loves Russia’s people and culture. A magnificent book -- Dominic Sandbrook A compelling and moving read; it is a lament for a lost Russia, and a poignant look at the suffering inflicted on Ukraine. It’s also a personal take on a country and a war that has profoundly affected Europe. I can’t recommend it highly enough -- Reeta Chakrabarti Sarah Rainsford has crafted a masterwork of feet-on-the-ground journalism. She boldly explores the reality of Putin’s Russia up close so that we don’t have to. Future generations should be grateful for this unflinching account of a dictatorship drunk on its own diabolical myth-making, misinformation and machismo -- Benjamin Myers Sarah Rainsford’s long association with Russia gives a special intimacy to her stories of those who have suffered from the country’s descent into autocracy. Being forced to leave the country caused her great pain, but enabled her to write this affecting and honest account for which we are all the richer. -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News Goodbye to Russia is a powerful personal memoir woven with stories of remarkable individuals of uncommon courage. Sarah Rainsford chronicles major moments of our time through extraordinary encounters, and inspiring individuals - stories from Russia and Ukraine that will stay with you. A poignant elegy to a lost Russia written with great authority and deep affection -- Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent A poignant personal farewell to a country lost to dictatorship and a vivid testimony to the bravery of those who tried to stand in the way. Sarah Rainsford’s book is a remarkable eye-witness account of Russia’s descent into authoritarianism and war, as well as a wonderful feat of storytelling threaded with quiet humour and grit -- Catherine Belton, author of PUTIN'S PEOPLE Epic and yet intimate: a definitive portrait of hopes, fears and a changing Russia, as observed over three decades -- Mishal Husain