A Nasty Little War

“A bracing account…[Reid] is a skillful narrator with an eye for the telling anecdote.”

“A vivid and sparkling account, full of colour and dark drama.”

“One of the most complicated and oft-forgot foreign-policy failures of the 20th century, captivatingly retold in technicolor detail…excellent.”

“A thoroughly researched, stylish and entertaining account.”

“A lively narrative.”

“A rich, engaging narrative."

“Superbly researched…Reid’s prose is vivid and colourful…this hugely impressive but emotionally grueling book is essential reading.”

“Reid cogently unspools the narrative of the intervention…with a heap of creative imagery.”

“Well-written and accessible.”

“Readers of A Nasty Little War will love the page-by-page experience…thanks to the clarity of Reid’s account, [readers will] feel the failure of the Intervention coming almost from the first page.”

“An excellent history…well-written narrative and mastery of complex material.”

“A stellar account of a long-ago, still resonant slice of 20th century history…Reid demonstrates her superior archival research by masterfully painting a picture of the domestic political realities facing the Western powers at the time.”

“A well-researched deep dive into military and political actions set against post–Russian Revolution.”

“An elucidating work of research that resonates amid another ongoing intervention involving Russia.”

“A vivid critical assessment of Western meddling in foreign affairs.”

“Brilliantly depicts the disastrous failure of our intervention in the ‘Russian’ civil war. The atmosphere, the characters, the absurdity are all there.”

“In witty, elegant prose, Reid uncovers the true story of the West’s failed and forgotten attempt to reverse the Bolshevik revolution. Excellent.”

“A compelling and meticulously researched account. Through its pages strut arrogant warlords, tsarist generals, Bolshevik revolutionaries and British and American military commanders; at stake, the future fate of Russia. With Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine—and the West’s determination to see him defeated—A Nasty Little War is chillingly topical.”

“Combining exemplary research, arresting anecdotes and elegant prose, Anna Reid’s history of the Allied attempt to strangle the Bolshevik revolution in its cradle is that rare beast—an academically impeccable history book that is a pleasure to read.”

“A vivid and remarkably timely account of a Western intervention that we have largely forgotten, but the Kremlin has brooded on for more than a century.”