Hinterlands (Hardback)

Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers: A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER

Hannah Lucinda Smith

A timely eyewitness account of the overlooked territories where the new Cold War is playing out

'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Europe of today and tomorrow' PETER FRANKOPAN

'Brilliantly reported and sharply analysed' GIDEON RACHMAN

Long before Putin's invasion of Ukraine, conflict was simmering on Europe's borders. In overlooked territories in eastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus - from the Balkans and Cyprus to Abkhazia on the fringes of Georgia - local disputes spiral into regional crises, global alliances are forged and broken, and power is brokered while the West looks elsewhere.

In Hinterlands, acclaimed correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith draws on vivid first-hand encounters with politicians, spies and ordinary people caught in the crosshairs to paint a gripping portrait of Europe at its edges - and the struggles that will define its future.

Publication date: June 4, 2026

£22.00

ISBN: 9781805225416

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Current Affairs, Politics & Economics

Hinterlands (Ebook)

Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers: A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER

Hannah Lucinda Smith

A timely eyewitness account of the overlooked territories where the new Cold War is playing out

'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Europe of today and tomorrow' PETER FRANKOPAN

'Brilliantly reported and sharply analysed' GIDEON RACHMAN

Long before Putin's invasion of Ukraine, conflict was simmering on Europe's borders. In overlooked territories in eastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus - from the Balkans and Cyprus to Abkhazia on the fringes of Georgia - local disputes spiral into regional crises, global alliances are forged and broken, and power is brokered while the West looks elsewhere.

In Hinterlands, acclaimed correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith draws on vivid first-hand encounters with politicians, spies and ordinary people caught in the crosshairs to paint a gripping portrait of Europe at its edges - and the struggles that will define its future.

Publication date: June 4, 2026

£16.99

ISBN: 9781805225430

ISBN 10 / ASIN: B0FPYYL5RH

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Current Affairs, Politics & Economics

Hinterlands (Audiobook)

Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers: A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER

Hannah Lucinda Smith

A timely eyewitness account of the overlooked territories where the new Cold War is playing out

'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Europe of today and tomorrow' PETER FRANKOPAN

'Brilliantly reported and sharply analysed' GIDEON RACHMAN

Long before Putin's invasion of Ukraine, conflict was simmering on Europe's borders. In overlooked territories in eastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus – from the Balkans and Cyprus to Abkhazia on the fringes of Georgia – local disputes spiral into regional crises, global alliances are forged and broken, and power is brokered while the West looks elsewhere.

In Hinterlands, acclaimed correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith draws on vivid first-hand encounters with politicians, spies and ordinary people caught in the crosshairs to paint a gripping portrait of Europe at its edges – and the struggles that will define its future.

Publication date: June 4, 2026

£24.99

ISBN: 9781805228271

ISBN 10 / ASIN: B0G2YMFL33

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Current Affairs, Politics & Economics

Read by: Hannah Lucinda Smith

Reviews for Hinterlands

'Smith revels in the journalist's art of telling good stories paired with incisive analysis'

 Sunday Times

'An entertaining mix of colourful reporting and sharp analysis'

 Financial Times

'Smith has an excellent eye for overlooked stories and is attuned to some of the absurdities of soft power'

 Spectator

'Deftly drawn vignettes and sharp insights make Hinterlands a gripping and thought-provoking read ... Her characters leap from the page: poignant stories, memorably told'

EDWARD LUCAS, author of The New Cold War 

'Brilliantly reported and sharply analysed, Hinterlands shines a light on the disputed regions that are on the frontline of great power conflicts'

Gideon Rachman, author of THE AGE OF THE STRONGMAN 

'A gripping and elegantly written exploration of Europe's little-understood frontiers. Hannah Lucinda Smith reveals why the continent's borderlands matter - and how they are quietly reshaping the future of the continent. Authoritative and compelling, this is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Europe of today and tomorrow'

Peter Frankopan, author of THE SILK ROADS 

'Original and evocative narrative journalism that wanders the jagged edges of empire... Here is a vivid first-hand portrait of war-shattered communities and an elegant thumbnail sketch of the imperial collisions that produced them'

 Literary Review

'An important book which provides a compelling reminder of Europe's half-forgotten border conflicts, each of them capable of erupting once again into war'

Sam Miller, author of MIGRANTS 

'A fascinating journey into the greyer, murkier corners of Europe's political geography'

JON LEE ANDERSON, author of The Fall of Baghdad 

'PRAISE FOR ERDOGAN RISING'

 -

'Empathetic and engaging... full of dazzling cameos and incidental delights'

 Financial Times

'Comprehensive and nuanced'

 The Times

'One should begin by applauding Smith's courage and determination in remaining in both Syria and Turkey during their upheavals and keeping her cool as a journalist ... Could not be timelier'

 New Statesman

Hannah Lucinda Smith

Hannah Lucinda Smith

Hannah Lucinda Smith is a writer, consultant and reporter for The Times and The Economist who has spent over 14 years covering the Middle East and the Balkans. A consistent Pulitzer grantee, she has also contributed to the Atlantic, Monocle, Spectator, Wired and TLS, among others, and has featured on BBC TV and radio. She is the author of Erdogan Rising and the co-writer of Zarifa. She is based in Istanbul.