Don't Trust, Don't Fear, Don't Beg

February 16, 2015
Greenpeace activist Stewart uses the recollections and diaries of the “Arctic 30,” as well as his involvement in the struggle to free them, to piece together a stirring narrative of protest and government oppression. In September 2013, Greenpeace carried out a protest against Russian oil drilling in the Arctic. The action was peaceful in nature but disruptive to Russian oil conglomerate Gazprom, which has close ties to president Vladimir Putin. As a result, the 30 protesters involved were arrested by Spetnaz (Russian commandos), taken to the high-security prison Murmansk SIZO-1, and charged with piracy. While incarcerated, they developed an intricate understanding of the ways fellow prisoners circumvent the system. Meanwhile, an international movement arose demanding their release and calling attention to the problems of climate change. Readers will quickly empathize with both the dedicated Greenpeace veterans and the less experienced activists who did not realize what they were getting into. Anyone curious about the contemporary state of environmental resistance or the Russian state will feel amply rewarded by this tale, as well as chastened about where we’re taking the planet. Agent: David Godwin, David Godwin Associates.

March 15, 2015
A detailed account of a headline-making Arctic oil protest. In September 2013, 30 Greenpeace activists attempted to scale a Russian oil platform to peacefully protest drilling 180 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The plan was to unfurl a banner calling global attention to the ecological dangers of pumping oil from the pristine region. The protesters were quickly arrested by masked commandos and imprisoned on charges of piracy, facing a possible 15 years in prison. The incident sparked protests in cities worldwide. Stewart, who led the Greenpeace media team seeking release of the Arctic 30, conveys the passion and idealism of the activists-men and women from more than a dozen countries, including sailors and climbers, who spent months in prisons in Murmansk and St. Petersburg-and the determination of Vladimir Putin to make an example of them for attempting to disrupt the operation of his state-run oil company's prized platform. For the Russians, the protesters were simply foreign agents "determined to undermine Russian economic development." The book has revealing moments, as when one judge, in a hearing, accidentally started reading his predetermined judgment instead of the indictment. In time, the imprisoned activists were mired in uncertainty and squabbling; some questioned whether they were naive to take on Putin in the Arctic. Perhaps in an effort to enliven his often lackluster, blow-by-blow narrative of imprisonment and court hearings, Stewart invents long stretches of dialogue among the key players, saying "it doesn't much matter" that he has done so, since the quoted words convey the essence of situations he learned about in interviews. But it does matter. His many liberties undermine the credibility of his reporting and become a constant irritant to readers. The activists were eventually set free after paying fines. An uneven account of an intriguing environmental story.

May 1, 2015

It starts like a spy novel, or maybe a James Bond film--a civilian crew of environmental activists is preparing to kick off an intense physical protest against a Russian oil-drilling operation in the Arctic and lots of violence and suspense ensues. Unfortunately, for the 30 crew members of the ship Arctic Sunrise, this was not a novel, and though Stewart's book reads with the heart-racing pace of a sensational action-adventure story, it is a vitally true account of Greenpeace activists who were arrested in 2013 and detained for months in one of Russia's most isolated prisons. Stewart, himself an activist and part of the campaign to free the Arctic 30, paints a vivid picture of the plight of each activist, thrusting readers directly into the action and keeping them there with first-person narrative. This gripping, passionate title is not only a chronicle of a global campaign to free a multinational group of peaceful protestors but also a subtle call to arms against the (as portrayed in the book) perpetrators of climate change and natural destruction. This riveting account will excite and inspire and provides a thrilling read regardless of the reader's sympathies with environmentalism. VERDICT A well-written, faced-paced narrative with real human spark--essential.--Kathleen Dupre, Edmond, OK

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2015
In 2013, the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise was boarded by Russian commandos after a protest at a state-owned oil platform in the arctic. The 30 crew members were arrested and, along with their ship, taken to Murmansk, where, after cursory court appearances, they were promptly remanded for two months while facing piracy charges carrying 15-year sentences. Stewart was part of the international group that mobilized to get the Arctic 30 released, and he has crafted not only a gripping narrative about their capture and jail experiences but also an invaluable look at the Russian prison system and the country's political and economic dependence on oil. The personal stories that Stewart recounts are appealing enough, but the crew was deeply affected by their time in prison and the people they met there, and the author wisely imparts that immensely interesting aspect of the story as well. This broadens the book's appeal to far beyond its obvious environmentalist audience, and, indeed, anyone seeking to understand modern Russia will find it enlightening. Enormously compelling and important, Stewart's account commands attention on each and every powerful page.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)