#AusReadingMonth25 John Lyons

by John Lyons (no photo)

Finish date: 18.10.2025
Genre: Australian non-fiction
Rating: B
#NonFicNov

Good News: The last 5 chapters (6-10) were the most revealing:
Cyber fighters, Drone Busters and portraits of Zelensky, Putin, Trump.
The rest of the book was a description of Ukrainian life (anecdotes of various Ukrainians) in wartime.
If you have been following the news there was not much new information.

Bad News: The Ukranian political and military battlefields have changed since J. Lyons finished his book one years ago. There is so much more that WE know that is not in the book. It lessened the impact this book had on me.

Personal: The book was good….but not great. We know of Trump’s smack down of Zelensky at the White House (February 2025) and Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska (August 2025)…and perhaps Trump’s permission to use long range Tomahawk missiles by Ukranine. That would be a game-changer!
Ukraine has not yet received official permission from the United States to use long-range Tomahawk missiles, but active discussions are underway between U.S. and Ukrainian officials, with President Donald Trump indicating he has “sort of made a decision” but has set clear conditions regarding their intended use. No final approval or public delivery has been announced as of October 2025.
Will this book win Walkley Award Best Book 2025? No.