Author Guide · Reportage
Books Written by
Anna Politkovskaya travelled to Chechnya dozens of times for the Moscow newspaper Novaya Gazeta, reporting on the civilians caught in the second Chechen war, on torture, disappearances and refugee camps. She negotiated with the hostage-takers at a Moscow theatre in 2002, and wrote about Russia under Vladimir Putin. On 7 October 2006 she was shot dead in the lift of her apartment building in Moscow. This guide covers her four books in English, in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 4 books · Reportage · 2001–2007 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Anna Politkovskaya published four books in English: A Dirty War (2001) and A Small Corner of Hell (2003), about the war in Chechnya; Putin's Russia (2004); and A Russian Diary (2007), published after her murder. A collection of her journalism followed in 2010.
Where to Start with Anna Politkovskaya
If you want Chechnya
→ A Small Corner of Hell (2003).
If you want Russia
→ Putin's Russia (2004).
If you want her last book
→ A Russian Diary (2007).
All 4 Anna Politkovskaya Books, in Order
A Dirty War
Her dispatches from the second Chechen war in 1999 and 2000.
A Small Corner of Hell
Reports from Chechnya on the civilians, soldiers and refugees of the war, and on the Moscow theatre siege of 2002.
Putin's Russia
Ordinary Russians, soldiers, judges and businessmen, and the system of power under Vladimir Putin.
A Russian Diary
Her notebooks from 2003 to 2005, from parliamentary elections to the Beslan school siege, published after her death.
How Many Books Did Anna Politkovskaya Write?
Four books between 2001 and 2007, plus a posthumous collection.
- Chechnya — A Dirty War and A Small Corner of Hell. Read the entries →
- Russia — Putin's Russia and A Russian Diary. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Anna Politkovskaya
Her books follow her reporting chronologically and read best in order.
A reading path
1. A Small Corner of Hell (2003)
2. Putin's Russia (2004)
3. A Russian Diary (2007)
Everything Else Anna Politkovskaya Wrote: The Full List
A collection published after her death.
Open a form with the + to see every book in it.
Posthumous collection
1
1 book · 2010
- 2010Nothing But the Truthselected journalism; published in the US as Is Journalism Worth Dying For?
Quick facts about Anna Politkovskaya
- Born
- 30 August 1958, New York City
- Died
- 7 October 2006, Moscow
- Newspaper
- Novaya Gazeta
- Honours
- Golden Pen of Freedom and other international press freedom awards
- Books
- 4, from 2001 to 2007
How Anna Politkovskaya Worked: Bearing Witness
Politkovskaya returned to Chechnya again and again, talking to civilians, soldiers and officials, and wrote about the individual victims of the war in direct, unadorned prose.
She saw her work as bearing witness: recording what happened to ordinary people, whatever the personal risk.
Frequently asked questions about Anna Politkovskaya's books
How many books did Anna Politkovskaya write?
Anna Politkovskaya published four books in English: A Dirty War (2001), A Small Corner of Hell (2003), Putin's Russia (2004) and A Russian Diary (2007).
What happened to Anna Politkovskaya?
She was shot dead in Moscow on 7 October 2006. Several men were later convicted of the killing.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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