Our Enemies Will Vanish

The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence

By: Yaroslav Trofimov

Narrated by: David Furr

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

“Our Enemies Will Vanish achieves the highest level of war reporting: a tough, detailed account that nevertheless reads like a great novel. One is reminded of Michael Herr's Dispatches . . . Frankly, it's what we have all aspired to. I did not really understand Ukraine until I read Trofimov's account.” —Sebastian Junger

A revelatory eyewitness account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and heroism of the Ukrainian people in their resistance by Yaroslav Trofimov, the Ukrainian chief foreign-affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Yaroslav Trofimov has spent months on end at the heart of the conflict, very often on its front lines. In this authoritative account, he traces the war’s decisive moments—from the battle for Kyiv to more recently the gruelling and bloody arm wrestle involving the Wagner group over Bakhmut—to show how Ukraine and its allies have turned the tide against Russia, one of the world’s great military powers, in a modern-day battle of David and Goliath. Putin had intended to conquer and annex Ukraine with a vicious blitzkrieg, redrawing the map of Europe in a few short weeks with seismic geopolitical consequences. But in the face of this existential threat, the Ukrainian people fought back, turning what looked like certain defeat into a great moral victory, even as the territorial battle continues to seesaw to this day. This is the story of the epic bravery of the Ukrainian people—people Trofimov knows very well.

For Trofimov, this war is deeply personal. He grew up in Kyiv and his family has lived there for generations. With deep empathy and local understanding, Trofimov tells the story of how everyday Ukrainian citizens—doctors, computer programmers, businesspeople, and schoolteachers—risked their lives and lost loved ones. He blends their brave and tragic stories with expert military analysis, providing unique insight into the thinking of Ukrainian leadership and mapping out the decisive stages of what has become a perilous war for Ukraine, the Putin regime, and indeed, the world.

This brutal, catastrophic struggle is unfolding on another continent, but the United States and its NATO allies have become deeply implicated. As the war drags on, it threatens to engulf the world. We cannot look away. At once heart-breaking and inspiring, Our Enemies Will Vanish is a riveting, vivid, and first-hand account of the Ukrainian refusal to surrender. It is the story of ordinary people fighting not just for their homes and their families but for justice and democracy itself.

©2024 Yaroslav Trofimov (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“This tour de force covers the first year of war in Ukraine and a solid second draft of history, as the author intended. We can hope for a second volume that will be the last, chronicling a truly independent Ukraine." —Booklist (starred review)

“[A] comprehensive and harrowing eyewitness report on the war in Ukraine that focuses on the heroism of the country’s civilians and soldiers. . . . Readers seeking a blow-by-blow account of the war will want to take a look.” —Publisher's Weekly

“Terrific on-the-ground reportage.” —Kirkus (starred review)

Compelling First-Person Account

Phenomenal first-person account and compelling perspective on the first year of the Russo-Ukrainian War. A must-read for those with an interest in this conflict and the future of Ukraine.

Fantastic book

Perfect combination of personal experiences during the war’s first year as well as an accurate overview of the geopolitical situation and implications. Should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Vital and necessary history marred by a terrible narrator

Trofimov’s work is the best work of journalism on our century’s largest conflict. It is gripping, infuriating, sad, and inspiring by turns. However, you would think that the producers of a book about Ukraine would have chosen a narrator who had at least rudimentary experience with Slavic names. This is not the case here. The narrator’s pronunciation of Ukrainian personal and place names is abysmal and does not do justice to the importance of the narrative.

Ground-level reporting on the war

This book gives a sense of what life is like at the front lines and in the towns that have been impacted by artillery fire and aerial bombing. It lends a voice to the many Ukrainian civilians and soldiers who were interviewed and have their personal stories recounted. The narration is good too. Well worth picking up.

Detailed and enthralling if not a little one sided

I liked the personal interviews and anecdotes woven I. With the historical timeline. Good performance

good account of the events

Great good and narration. One note is that many proper names are mispronounced but I guess it is of a lesser importance to largeer audiance.

Riveting

Factual. Engaging from beginning to end. Well worth the time. Wished for more to "read." Narration was excellent.

Love it or not, endure it, my beauty

Trofimov has a gift for picking details and anecdotes that capture what we saw unfold in news reports the past two years, making the reader feel present. The book is terrific, and David Furr's narration is clear and compelling.

Gripping and stark

This was an emotional walkthrough of the first year of war following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The account ranges in scope from the personal and touching to international and clinical. There is a frankness that avoids glorification and propagandizing. Highly recommended.

Book Synopsis: Heroic Ukraine is winning; amoral Russia is weak

This is the same what you normally hear from or read in major media outlets for the last 2 years. Despite the fact that the author is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist writing for Washington Post, his book provides zero insights into the causes of this war and, as it appears, intentionally distorts the reality of the conflict.