In our own small way, the bookshop would like to help the humanitarian effort for Ukraine by giving away – in exchange for a donation – some of the review copies of books we have at present.

These are publishers' proof copies of new titles, printed exclusively for reviewers, booksellers and the like to read before publication. They represent a sneak preview at the bestsellers of the future and range from fiction, crime, non-fiction to young adult.

Please pop into the shop from Friday, May 18, choose a book from the selection of 25 and leave a donation for the Red Cross – Disasters Emergency Committee.

There are many books to help understand how the current conflict has erupted and many that have predicted the invasion of Ukraine, these are a few of our recent bestsellers:

Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West by Catherine Belton


A former Times financial correspondent to Moscow, Belton begins with an almost cinematic depiction of Putin’s last days in Dresden as a KGB officer, stationed there during the fall of the Berlin Wall. The political revolution of 1989 marked the end of empire and the beginning of an era of self-perceived humiliation for Russia.

Through interviews with key inside players, she reveals the story of how Putin and his entourage of thugs seized power and built a new league of oligarchs.

The story ranges from the Trump Whitehouse to Swiss banks and to the mansions of London, although reading like a spy thriller this is a sobering account of how the line between politics and organised crime came to be so blurred.

Butler to The World: How Britain became the servant of tycoons, tax dodgers, kleptocrats and criminals by Oliver Bulloch
A seasoned reporter on Russia and the author of the bestselling financial expose Moneyland, Bulloch investigates how Britain took up its role servicing the cash of the world’s worst people, oligarchs included.

He argues compellingly that in a dash for foreign cash our financial services have been reorganised to frustrate the anti-corruption efforts of law enforcers and our politicians have allowed themselves to be compromised in shocking ways.

This goes some way to explaining why our sanctions on Russia have been slow to be applied compared to those of our European neighbours.

Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine by Anna Reid
A book that is very perceptive about the character of Ukraine as well as its history, Borderland was updated in 2014 as Russia invaded Crimea and began to sponsor civil war in the Donbas region, home to many of the nation’s Russian speakers.

Reid travelled widely through the country and based the chapters on the cities she visited and the wide variety of people she met and interviewed.

We Need to Talk About Putin: How the West Gets Him Wrong by Mark Galeotti

The slimmest book of the lot is this 150-page primer, Galeotti uncovers the man behind the myth and headlines, addressing key misperceptions of Putin and explaining how we can decipher his motivations and maybe his next moves. From Putin's early life in the KGB and his real relationship with the USA to his vision for the future of Russia – and the world.

Fiction can also help to illuminate history and I must recommend the superlative White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov and Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov, both give a dry satirical take on life in Kyiv in 1295 and 1996 respectively.

Finally in another appeal can anyone interested in lending their skills to the Sidmouth Literary festival get in touch with the organisers, please? To ensure this event continues after the difficulties of the pandemic, volunteers are needed from chair-movers, ticket collectors to those who have fundraising skills. The committee can be reached at sidmouthlitfest1@gmail.com, or pop into the bookshop.