Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West
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- Author：Catherine Belton
- ISBN：1250787327
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Summary
A Sunday Times bestseller | A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Named a best book of the year by The Economist | Financial Times | New Statesman | The Telegraph
"[Putin's People] will surely now become the definitive account of the rise of Putin and Putinism。" —Anne Applebaum， The Atlantic
"This riveting， immaculately researched book is arguably the best single volume written about Putin， the people around him and perhaps even about contemporary Russia itself in the past three decades。" —Peter Frankopan， Financial Times
Interference in American elections。 The sponsorship of extremist politics in Europe。 War in Ukraine。 In recent years， Vladimir Putin’s Russia has waged a concerted campaign to expand its influence and undermine Western institutions。 But how and why did all this come about， and who has orchestrated it？
In Putin’s People， the investigative journalist and former Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and the small group of KGB men surrounding him rose to power and looted their country。 Delving deep into the workings of Putin’s Kremlin， Belton accesses key inside players to reveal how Putin replaced the freewheeling tycoons of the Yeltsin era with a new generation of loyal oligarchs， who in turn subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States and Europe。 The result is a chilling and revelatory exposé of the KGB’s revanche—a story that begins in the murk of the Soviet collapse， when networks of operatives were able to siphon billions of dollars out of state enterprises and move their spoils into the West。 Putin and his allies subsequently completed the agenda， reasserting Russian power while taking control of the economy for themselves， suppressing independent voices， and launching covert influence operations abroad。
Ranging from Moscow and London to Switzerland and Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach—and assembling a colorful cast of characters to match—Putin’s People is the definitive account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray， with stark consequences for its inhabitants and， increasingly， the world。
Named a best book of the year by The Economist | Financial Times | New Statesman | The Telegraph
"[Putin's People] will surely now become the definitive account of the rise of Putin and Putinism。" —Anne Applebaum， The Atlantic
"This riveting， immaculately researched book is arguably the best single volume written about Putin， the people around him and perhaps even about contemporary Russia itself in the past three decades。" —Peter Frankopan， Financial Times
Interference in American elections。 The sponsorship of extremist politics in Europe。 War in Ukraine。 In recent years， Vladimir Putin’s Russia has waged a concerted campaign to expand its influence and undermine Western institutions。 But how and why did all this come about， and who has orchestrated it？
In Putin’s People， the investigative journalist and former Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and the small group of KGB men surrounding him rose to power and looted their country。 Delving deep into the workings of Putin’s Kremlin， Belton accesses key inside players to reveal how Putin replaced the freewheeling tycoons of the Yeltsin era with a new generation of loyal oligarchs， who in turn subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States and Europe。 The result is a chilling and revelatory exposé of the KGB’s revanche—a story that begins in the murk of the Soviet collapse， when networks of operatives were able to siphon billions of dollars out of state enterprises and move their spoils into the West。 Putin and his allies subsequently completed the agenda， reasserting Russian power while taking control of the economy for themselves， suppressing independent voices， and launching covert influence operations abroad。
Ranging from Moscow and London to Switzerland and Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach—and assembling a colorful cast of characters to match—Putin’s People is the definitive account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray， with stark consequences for its inhabitants and， increasingly， the world。
Reviews
Kirsten
，
https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 。。。more
Glen Pettifer
，
Found this very boring。 Not my kind of book and I should’ve never started it。
arkadi cloud
，
https://blog。arkadi。one/p/putins-peop。。。 https://blog。arkadi。one/p/putins-peop。。。 。。。more
Candice Farnsworth
，
It was a very thorough book with tons and tons of research and interviews that shed light on Putin and Russia。 The author did an excellent job， but it was just a little too heavy for my liking。 I learned a lot， though！ It’s scary how much corruption is happening in Russia， how they have been using propaganda for over two decades to keep their citizens in the dark， how much Putin disdains the West， and how he will always seek to attain more power。Oh also， just at the very end， she went way into t It was a very thorough book with tons and tons of research and interviews that shed light on Putin and Russia。 The author did an excellent job， but it was just a little too heavy for my liking。 I learned a lot， though！ It’s scary how much corruption is happening in Russia， how they have been using propaganda for over two decades to keep their citizens in the dark， how much Putin disdains the West， and how he will always seek to attain more power。Oh also， just at the very end， she went way into the ties Russia has with Donald Trump。 But she only quickly mentioned Joe and Hunter Biden without giving equal research into how deeply they’re also affiliated with Russia。 She kind of just brushed them under the rug。 Felt way too biased。 。。。more
AndyL
，
I have read about 1/5 of the book - 100 pages - and am finding it frustrating and unsatisfying so far。 The author posits a lot of conclusions about the KGB and Putin but doesn’t really explain how the looting etc。 actually occurred。 She jumps around a lot with a lot of names and alleged associations but not real facts。 The KBB and organized crime took control of the port？ Ok。 How did they do so？ What did control of the port actually mean？ How did Putin and his cronies actually and personally ben I have read about 1/5 of the book - 100 pages - and am finding it frustrating and unsatisfying so far。 The author posits a lot of conclusions about the KGB and Putin but doesn’t really explain how the looting etc。 actually occurred。 She jumps around a lot with a lot of names and alleged associations but not real facts。 The KBB and organized crime took control of the port？ Ok。 How did they do so？ What did control of the port actually mean？ How did Putin and his cronies actually and personally benefit？ And her sourcing is vague。 I hope it gets better。 。。。more
Ken
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Reading this book as an audiobook。 Should be read by everyone interested in Russia and the present war in Ukraine。 As a person interested in Medieval History this is like reading a book about the robber barons。 At the head is the King Putin and all his barons dependent on his largess upset him and you are doomed。
Diana Cheal
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A deeply researched book with incredible information。 This is a must-read for everyone， especially right now。 Terrifyingly gripping。
Mark Taurone
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Very repetitious， and a lot of unsupported statements， but given the view history is giving us， a part is at least bearing truth。
Ocsanna
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An exhaustively-researched book about how homo sovieticus operates。 One of the best analyses of Putin's power。 An exhaustively-researched book about how homo sovieticus operates。 One of the best analyses of Putin's power。 。。。more
Matthew Rose
，
This wouldn't be my usual read but my Dad lent it to me and given the current crisis in the Ukraine I thought I'd give it a go。 It's interesting， eye-opening and， in many ways， unsurprising。 Putin is a terrifying， awful human being but that wasn't news to me but the extent of his influence and corruption is a a lot to take in。 And it can become a bit of a slog at times。 Must admit I fell asleep trying to get through it at points！ It's one that I think I would dip in and out of rather than read c This wouldn't be my usual read but my Dad lent it to me and given the current crisis in the Ukraine I thought I'd give it a go。 It's interesting， eye-opening and， in many ways， unsurprising。 Putin is a terrifying， awful human being but that wasn't news to me but the extent of his influence and corruption is a a lot to take in。 And it can become a bit of a slog at times。 Must admit I fell asleep trying to get through it at points！ It's one that I think I would dip in and out of rather than read cover-to-cover if I wanted to learn more about this modern-day dictator。 。。。more
Laura
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Thoroughly appalling how the west has allowed Kremlin money to cause so much rot in our democracies and finance the criminal enterprise that is the current Russian state。 Greed once again explains so much。
Dominykas
，
Pernai tokiu metu sakiu， kad nėra geresnio laiko mūsų istorijoje perskaityti Kamiu Marą。 Šiandien tą patį galiu pasakyt apie šitą knygą。 Putino ir KGB panetkių raida nuo Dresdeno iki Trumpo。 Paskaitykit - gal pavyks suprasti， kodėl Putinas gyvena kitokioj realybėj ir dėl to nesupranta savo kariuomenės ir Ukrainos
Chaz Darling
，
I started this book at the end of 2021 out of curiosity of what was going on in Russia and wanted to better understand Russia/Putin's view of the world as I felt we kept looking at Russia through the rose-colored lenses of the fall of the former Soviet Union。 After a brief hiatus， I decided to pick it back up in light of the Russian invasion and current war in Ukraine。As fate would have it， the point at which I paused the book was right before Belton began unpacking Putin's view of Ukraine and t I started this book at the end of 2021 out of curiosity of what was going on in Russia and wanted to better understand Russia/Putin's view of the world as I felt we kept looking at Russia through the rose-colored lenses of the fall of the former Soviet Union。 After a brief hiatus， I decided to pick it back up in light of the Russian invasion and current war in Ukraine。As fate would have it， the point at which I paused the book was right before Belton began unpacking Putin's view of Ukraine and the significance of it in the eyes of Russia's new Czar （Putin）。 It's chilling now knowing the consequences of his view of the region and his disdain for The West and it's values。Ukraine aside， there's a lot of great historical information in this book that can help Westerners understand Putin's view of the world， the long-game consolidation and manipulation of the oligarchs， the people， and the government。 Putin runs Russia， according to Belton， is more like a crime syndicate than a "democratically" elected official。 If you're at all interested in this subject， this is a great book in understanding Russia's POV of itself， the West and the rest of the world。 。。。more
Candi
，
Być może w dalszej części książka się rozwinie， ale po 80 stronach mam dość （zostało jeszcze 650 stron！）。。。 Byłam i jestem ciekawa tej historii， ale książka jest nudna i rozwleczona。 Dziwią mnie tak wysokie oceny。
Alisa
，
I will preface my review with this: I was born， and spent part of my childhood， in post-Soviet Russia。 My grandmother lived under Stalin; my mom recalls having a KGB office in her college building。 When I was a child， most commodities had to be bought on the black market。 Food shortages made chocolate and oranges seem exotic。 Yet despite all the stories I heard from my family， and my own recollections of living in Russia， this still managed to fascinate and frighten me。This book is very extensiv I will preface my review with this: I was born， and spent part of my childhood， in post-Soviet Russia。 My grandmother lived under Stalin; my mom recalls having a KGB office in her college building。 When I was a child， most commodities had to be bought on the black market。 Food shortages made chocolate and oranges seem exotic。 Yet despite all the stories I heard from my family， and my own recollections of living in Russia， this still managed to fascinate and frighten me。This book is very extensive in detailing Putin's rise from a rather unremarkable KGB spy to president （tsar？） of Russia。 I learned many things， from oil for food schemes that Putin helped orchestrate， to myriad examples of his relentless （and， in the case of the apartment bombings， coldhearted） ambition for control。 Plainly put， Putin and his men - oligarchs and former KGB - transformed the Russian government into a criminal state for their personal profits， amassing boggling sums of money in the process。 Isolation is another recurring theme that the author goes over in detail。 While Putin steadily worked to infiltrate western economic and oil markets， his paranoia regarding western influence on eastern Europe only grew， culminating in the invasion and annexation of Crimea。The glimpses into Putin's character were very interesting。 According to most accounts， he does not take well to perceived slights and works through deceit: When he said "congratulations" to someone it actually meant he wanted to shoot him。 It is no wonder， then， that those who pose a threat to his rule end up imprisoned or die under mysterious circumstances。I came away from this book with a mixture of emotions - sadness， anger， and disgust - but also with an appreciation for the author's extensive research and detailing of Russia's political state。 。。。more
Myles
，
Yesterday it snowed。 By the time I managed to work a walk into my daily routine it was dusk。 I took my usual route through Scarborough Bluff’s Park overlooking Lake Ontario。There were few people in the park。 Just a few of us and the whiteness all around。Walking along the fenced cliff toward the meadow at the eastern boundary of the park virtually the entire vista of Lake Ontario was shrouded by a white mist。 I could barely make out the marina at the base of the cliff。Everything else was hidden。T Yesterday it snowed。 By the time I managed to work a walk into my daily routine it was dusk。 I took my usual route through Scarborough Bluff’s Park overlooking Lake Ontario。There were few people in the park。 Just a few of us and the whiteness all around。Walking along the fenced cliff toward the meadow at the eastern boundary of the park virtually the entire vista of Lake Ontario was shrouded by a white mist。 I could barely make out the marina at the base of the cliff。Everything else was hidden。That feeling， that so much was hidden beneath the surface， reminded me of Catherine Belton’s dogged study of corruption in the Putin regime。You could only see glimpses of the enormous graft that runs deep in the Russian state。 My reading stopped as in shock I read that experts estimate the stolen assets leaving Russia since Boris Yeltsin’s revolution at $800 billion， roughly the equivalent of all the other wealth in the country。This includes the proceeds of share sales in state enterprises， stolen oil and gas royalties， stolen loans from western governments and from lenders in the west。Belton’s key thesis is that the guardians to the wealth of Russia — and hence the conspirators — derive their authority from connections to Russia’s security services， once called the KGB， now called the FSB， GRU and other agencies。 Vladimir Putin’s top advisors worked in the security organs。Belton shows us how KGB alumnae like Vladimir Putin stepped into the power void after the demise of the Soviet Union and continued to funnel resources to their covert offshore activities， and most spectacularly to themselves。“Putin’s People” are the ex-spies and the organized crime figures who frequently coordinated their activities with KGB。 Then there are the willing policemen， bureaucrats， and politicians who take their cut right down the line。In this way everybody is compromised and there’s really nobody to tattle to。The theft didn’t begin with “Putin’s People。” Yeltsin’s extended “family” also made their killings on the loans-for-shares programs， and assorted thugs made off with proceeds from the “food-for-oil” programs in a hungry St。 Petersburg。As the incursion into Ukraine rages we have to ask ourselves to what purpose has Putin engaged in this war if the leadership has already enriched themselves beyond their wildest dreams。 If they have more power than they what to do with and virtually silenced critics with threats of jail， poisoning， or being pushed out of their apartment windows。Belton and other critics say Putin is driven to rebuild the glory of the Russian people/Slavic race that was squandered by the czars and ultimately inept communists。 On the surface of it， I would ask: “Russia bet against the west in the 20th century and lost。 What makes them think the shelling of Ukraine is going to end up any differently？”Much that Putin’s People have done is supposedly to shore up power in the East even as their methods have remained suspect throughout。 When are they really working for themselves， and when for the betterment of their people？It’s pretty hard to say when they are working for the State， especially when those mega-yachts pull up in Antibes。Putin’s own wealth some people estimate at $200 billion。 Not roubles。 US dollars。The great exodus of money from Russia has undoubtedly dirtied the business and political elites of other countries， and nobody after reading this book could say with a straight face that Donald Trump hasn’t cashed in big time。A lot of that money went into the Brexit campaign， the 2016 US election， and continuing dirty tricks and alliances with ultra right wing groups around the globe。 And it unsurprisingly smells like a lot of the money undermining cooperation in USD government by the Koch family and their ilk。On one level I as a businessman can empathize with people who want to cut corners to make a living。 In this environment it’s very hard to make a consistent living。 That’s probably why three-quarters of the economies on the planet are driven by corruption， including Russia， India， China， part of Italy， many African and other Asian states。The reliance we in the west place on the sanctity of property， the rule of law， the peaceful transfer of power， well， is not really the rule but the exception。 Even in big democracies there is big corruption。So how much are Putin and his “people” really outliers。 Aren’t people like them more the rule than the exception？I think this is what gives Putin the confidence to invade sovereign countries with impunity， because he sees the West as so easily corrupted by wealth that they will simply avert their eyes。 This being why Europe has tied its energy security to Russia。 This being why the US barely squeaked when Russia invaded Georgia， the Crimea， and the eastern sectors of Ukraine。And yet the years of massive corruption clearly showed up in the weakness of the Russian war machine。 In this case as in so many before it， the authoritarian regime is creaking under its own inertia。Even if Putin were toppled by this mess， there are others behind him， many others。 It probably would take another civil war to clean out the rot。If there’s one thing we can all agree on about corruption it is that it sucks the vitality out of the artist， the entrepreneur， and the innovator。 Russians and slavs outside of Russia aren’t stupid。 If Putin bred a culture of openness， and accountability， if innovators weren’t afraid that a gang of goons would steal the fruit of their work， slavs and quite frankly everyone else would be clamoring to get in， not run from their bullets。 。。。more
RFChilcott
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Started it before Putin invaded Ukraine， ended it as his horrifying assault grinds on… am now less surprised than I would like to be。This is a fabulous piece of journalism。 It puts together fragments and different aspects of a long story in order to make the essential narrative clear。 Even more impressive because the money trails in so many of the stories are so hard to follow。
Rebecca
，
Wow， was this ever a timely read。 From Putin's bombing of his own people in Moscow so that he could blame it on Chechnyan rebels and rise to become a popular war president， to the pillaging of Russian resources and wealth in order to feed it to businessman and former KGB buddies， making them wealthy beyond belief， while also ensuring their loyalty， funds， and complicity。 All while regular Russians once again lose out。 It was a trip to read it as some of the events play out in real time for the o Wow， was this ever a timely read。 From Putin's bombing of his own people in Moscow so that he could blame it on Chechnyan rebels and rise to become a popular war president， to the pillaging of Russian resources and wealth in order to feed it to businessman and former KGB buddies， making them wealthy beyond belief， while also ensuring their loyalty， funds， and complicity。 All while regular Russians once again lose out。 It was a trip to read it as some of the events play out in real time for the oligarchs。 What a gross and evil history is in the making， and it builds on such a long history of exploiting Russians， most of whom have little to show for any of the seismic changes in government or their own life-long work。 One kind of fun benefit was recognizing the names of the oligarchs who are now losing their boats。 。。。more
Shay Hoffman
，
This beast of a book is dense but masterfully written and absolutely essential reading for anyone who wants a chillingly clear picture of the man currently plunging the world into war and chaos and the men who enabled his rise。 Incredibly prescient reading， particularly right now。 Charting Putin’s course from his unglamorous （and obviously duplicitous） start in the KGB， this book details damn near literally everything that has happened/been perpetrated by him and his cronies since。 Packed almost This beast of a book is dense but masterfully written and absolutely essential reading for anyone who wants a chillingly clear picture of the man currently plunging the world into war and chaos and the men who enabled his rise。 Incredibly prescient reading， particularly right now。 Charting Putin’s course from his unglamorous （and obviously duplicitous） start in the KGB， this book details damn near literally everything that has happened/been perpetrated by him and his cronies since。 Packed almost to bursting with information， tales of almost unbelievable wealth， sharp insight， and extensive research， this is an intense， frightening must-read for everyone paying attention to politics right now。 。。。more
MRS MH LESTER
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Fascinating and insightful
Raven
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A really impressive work of book-length investigative journalism。 Very well reported by the FT's Moscow bureau chief （similar to Mcgregor's The Party）。 Also quite timely and alarming。 Had I read this before the invasion of Ukraine I would have thought it was much more likely to happen than I did。 A really impressive work of book-length investigative journalism。 Very well reported by the FT's Moscow bureau chief （similar to Mcgregor's The Party）。 Also quite timely and alarming。 Had I read this before the invasion of Ukraine I would have thought it was much more likely to happen than I did。 。。。more
Joe Wilson
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3。5 Stars
Jasper Van Der Schaaf
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Dit is een van de beste financieel-economisch-politieke boeken die ik heb gelezen。 Het is zeer uitgebreid geresearch， duidelijk gestructureerd in drie delen （opkomst - eerste termijnen - tweede termijnen） in de beste traditie van de Britse （financële） onderzoeksjournalistiek。 Belton heeft zeer veel bronnen geïnterviewd， en schriftelijke bronnen geraadpleegd， maar die laatste zijn er om begrijpelijk redenen allerminst in overvloed。 Het is ook een zeer moedig boek omdat de belangen enorm zijn bij Dit is een van de beste financieel-economisch-politieke boeken die ik heb gelezen。 Het is zeer uitgebreid geresearch， duidelijk gestructureerd in drie delen （opkomst - eerste termijnen - tweede termijnen） in de beste traditie van de Britse （financële） onderzoeksjournalistiek。 Belton heeft zeer veel bronnen geïnterviewd， en schriftelijke bronnen geraadpleegd， maar die laatste zijn er om begrijpelijk redenen allerminst in overvloed。 Het is ook een zeer moedig boek omdat de belangen enorm zijn bij de bronnen， maar ook omdat zo'n boek ook voor journalisten niet ongevaarlijk is om te schrijven。 Zeer opvallend daarbij is dat ze de in 2006 door het Poetin regime vermoorde journaliste Anna Politkovskaja alleen noemt in haar rol als onderhandelaar bij de gijzeling in het Dubrovka theater in 2002。 Daarbij wordt duidelijk dat Belton duidelijk geen politiek boek heeft willen schrijven， mede voor haar eigen veiligheid？Belton is ook duidelijk van de "show， don't tell" school en heeft ongelooflijk veel voorbeelden van corruptie， mintransparantie， machtsmisbruik en dergelijk。 Slechts zeer spaarzaam is ze met het inbedden van die voorbeelden in een meer theoretische context， mogelijk ook om het boek zo veel mogelijk te "de-politiseren"。 Sun Tzu komt wel voor in een citaat "Warfare is based on deception" uit zijn 2600 jaar oude The art of war （p。 151） 。 Dat de eerste filosoof/denker die in dit boek wordt genoemd een Chinese is kan geen toeval zijn。 De vraag of Rusland zich nu meer op Oost of op West zou moeten oriënteren is niet nieuw en komt veelvuldig voor in de Russische literatuur van de 19e eeuw， in allerlei variaties。 Belton kiest ervoor om dit thema uit de weg te gaan en noemt hoegenaamd geen van de beroemde Russische literatoren， of het moest Boelgakov zijn。 De kleptocraten rond Poetin hebben pseudoniemen voor elkaar， waarvan er eentje （"professor"） blijkt te zijn ontleend aan diens novelle Hondehart （1925）。 Russische humor om te lachen。Het is jammer dat het boek niet in het Nederlands is vertaald en voorzien van een introductie / inleiding / nawoord van de vertaler om het nog iets meer in de Nederlandse context te plaatsen。 Twee bedrijven springen eruit: ABN Amro， dat in 2004 nog een wereldwijde bancaire speler was en zonder spijt een belangrijke en bijdrage heeft geleverd aan de financiële ontmanteling van Chodorkovsky （“hij was zelf ook niet altijd even zuiver met belasting betalen”）。 En natuurlijk “good old” Royal Dutch Shell die zich bij de hele geheime economische stoelendans rond de enorme Russische olie- en gassector een aantal malen op de plek heeft laten zetten， om vervolgens gewoon weer met een blij gemoed terug te keren op het Russische toneel。 Voormalige captains of industry Rijkman Groenink （Abn Amro） en Van der Veer （Shell） kunnen zich daarmee rekenen tot de directe Machers van Poetin。 Een zeer twijfelachtige eer， voorwaar。Al met al dus geen verwijzingen naar kunst， literatuur of muziek zoals in het prachtige Natasja’s Dans van Orlando Figes （2003） of een politieke biografie zoals De nieuwe Tsaar van Steven Lee Myers （2017） schijnt te zijn （dat ik niet heb gelezen）， maar een goed aangesneden， scherp en beangstigend boek。 Helaas een standaardwerk voor de komende 10 jaar。 Spasibo， Katarina！ 。。。more
Alma
，
Aiemmin en ymmärtänyt， mitä ihmiset tarkoittivat， kun puhuivat Venäjästä kleptokratiana。 Nyt tiedän。 Perusteellinen ja kattava kuvaus verkostoista ja suurista rahasummista， joilla pieni eliitti pönkittää vaikutusvaltaansa maailmalla。
Tyler Ressler
，
Incredibly well researched and laid out history of Putin and Russia from the fall of the Soviet Union to today。 Certainly provides important context to the attacks on Ukraine。 The writing style is interesting and the author frequently reminds you of who’s who and why they’re relevant across stories and interactions
Jonny
，
If you’re wondering which of many books about Putin’s rise to power and time in office you should read， I’d recommend this one。 Belton covers a *huge* amount of ground - including the deeply confusing period of time he was in St Petersburg during the 1990s - in a way that is narratively coherent but has revelations fizzing off the pages。 Even if you think you understand what a Mafia state looks like， and why the media industry trying to assess Putin’s real level of wealth is doomed， you will lea If you’re wondering which of many books about Putin’s rise to power and time in office you should read， I’d recommend this one。 Belton covers a *huge* amount of ground - including the deeply confusing period of time he was in St Petersburg during the 1990s - in a way that is narratively coherent but has revelations fizzing off the pages。 Even if you think you understand what a Mafia state looks like， and why the media industry trying to assess Putin’s real level of wealth is doomed， you will learn a huge amount from all of her research。 The book is also deeply sad。 Its central thesis is that Russia was effectively doomed to something like its current state even while the USSR was falling: the only people with a plan worked in the permanent security apparatus， who relentlessly pursued a stranglehold over political， economic and civic life from then on。 Given events over the last few weeks， her argument feels like it is standing up。 。。。more
SaschaBookOwl
，
As Russia is currently invading Ukraine （once again）， it is very timely to read about the criminal behind it all: Putin。 This book is absolutely terrifying in that it shows reality: how Putin and his cronies bought their way into so many political and economic crucial relationships of the world。 I will say no more on it， since people have written excellent detailed reviews of this book on Goodreads and I could never do those justice。 But I will say the author did her research well and wrote a de As Russia is currently invading Ukraine （once again）， it is very timely to read about the criminal behind it all: Putin。 This book is absolutely terrifying in that it shows reality: how Putin and his cronies bought their way into so many political and economic crucial relationships of the world。 I will say no more on it， since people have written excellent detailed reviews of this book on Goodreads and I could never do those justice。 But I will say the author did her research well and wrote a dense account that is still very readable， interesting， compelling and terrifying。 。。。more
Eva
，
Got 22% into this， but I am too overwhelmed with the level of detail on Russian oligarchs， KGB agents， and all the economic and corrupt deals between them。 I think I'll have to find myself a big-picture portrait first。 Got 22% into this， but I am too overwhelmed with the level of detail on Russian oligarchs， KGB agents， and all the economic and corrupt deals between them。 I think I'll have to find myself a big-picture portrait first。 。。。more
Dorota
，
Reading it now， during Russia's war against Ukraine， the book seems prescient。 But it's not really， it's simply an excellent in-depth analysis of the system Putin and his people have built and of ideology that supports it。 A reality that only now starts getting into mainstream media。 A chilling book that shows black on white why Putin and his Russia must be stopped。 Now。 At all cost。 Reading it now， during Russia's war against Ukraine， the book seems prescient。 But it's not really， it's simply an excellent in-depth analysis of the system Putin and his people have built and of ideology that supports it。 A reality that only now starts getting into mainstream media。 A chilling book that shows black on white why Putin and his Russia must be stopped。 Now。 At all cost。 。。。more
Pia
，