Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West
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- Author：Catherine Belton
- ISBN：0007578814
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Summary
A chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB’s renaissance， Putin’s rise to power， and how Russian black cash is subverting the world。
In Putin’s People， former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs。
Through exclusive interviews with key inside players， Belton tells how Putin’s people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies， took over the economy， siphoned billions， blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers， shut down opponents， and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West。
In a story that ranges from Moscow to London， Switzerland and Trump’s America， Putin’s People is a gripping and terrifying account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray， with stark consequences for its inhabitants and， increasingly， the world。
In Putin’s People， former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs。
Through exclusive interviews with key inside players， Belton tells how Putin’s people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies， took over the economy， siphoned billions， blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers， shut down opponents， and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West。
In a story that ranges from Moscow to London， Switzerland and Trump’s America， Putin’s People is a gripping and terrifying account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray， with stark consequences for its inhabitants and， increasingly， the world。
Reviews
Kyle Wheeler
，
If you want an understanding of how Putin rose to power， this is a good place to start。 The author， a writer for the Financial Times， includes a lot of detail and footnotes， and the book is peopled by many， many corrupt characters with names so similar I couldn't keep them straight。 Are most Russian men named Vladimir or Viktor and women Lyudmila or Tatiana？ This is not a book I could read straight through; I had to put it down frequently to read other things so I might have lost the thread but If you want an understanding of how Putin rose to power， this is a good place to start。 The author， a writer for the Financial Times， includes a lot of detail and footnotes， and the book is peopled by many， many corrupt characters with names so similar I couldn't keep them straight。 Are most Russian men named Vladimir or Viktor and women Lyudmila or Tatiana？ This is not a book I could read straight through; I had to put it down frequently to read other things so I might have lost the thread but it affirms what I already knew: Putin is an evil man capable of doing terrible things and getting away with it。 He will continue to do that because it works for him。 I cannot say that this is an important book to read， but it interested me when I started and I did end up reading it all。 。。。more
Mr R
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Interesting read。 Possibly a little sensationalist
Crystal
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Non-fic pub 2020 3 starsBelton clearly did A LOT of research and talked to A LOT of people to accomplish the writing of this book。 The text is well-documented and contains many direct quotes and figures/facts。 She would painstakingly prove some details and set up an argument but then try to make a conclusion that wasn't necessarily supported and doesn't logically follow from the premises IMHO。 I was impressed by the thoroughness of her reporting。 She hides the 'very well could be true' theories Non-fic pub 2020 3 starsBelton clearly did A LOT of research and talked to A LOT of people to accomplish the writing of this book。 The text is well-documented and contains many direct quotes and figures/facts。 She would painstakingly prove some details and set up an argument but then try to make a conclusion that wasn't necessarily supported and doesn't logically follow from the premises IMHO。 I was impressed by the thoroughness of her reporting。 She hides the 'very well could be true' theories among hard facts and direct quotes as if the reader isn't smart enough to see the difference。 She should have done a better job of defining the jumps she made because there is room for them as theories。Part I- I enjoyed learning more about the end of USSR and transition to Russian Federation as it's something I've read just enough about to know that I need to know more。 Putin's 'early days' are discussed here， but I enjoyed the broader background more than the specifics about him here。Part II- This is about his rise to power。 Belton continuously describing every position he had as not impressive or important got a little repetitive。 Most politicians start somewhere and aren't necessarily known nation-wide or world-wide from a young age。 She was pressing a point that he came out of 'nowhere' and then weilded so much power all of a sudden and this should be suspicious in and of itself。 Part III- This is probably the section most readers are interested in。 After getting used to her style during Part I and Part II this was the best section IMO。 I got through this part about 2x as quickly。 The premises for the arguments didn't seem as diconnected/distant from one another and I was more familiar with the global background and context of this time than the earlier decades。If you're looking for the most interesting read on this topic or a 'light read' to expand your understanding， this is NOT for you。 If you appreciate thoroughness and an investigative journalism/scholarly pursusit hybrid then this IS for you。Don't misunderstand my frustrations as signs of the author's lacking authority or not 'doing the work' to discover the truth。 She really does pack a lot of info in there。 There is a lot to be learned from this。 I really feel this would be 5 stars for me if she did a more honest job of differentiating her theories from the actual facts and pared down some of the superfluous data， or perhaps had organized the book differently。 I read this with Non-Fiction Book Club BotM April/May 2021。Some quotes:Description of Communist USSR: "There was no private ownership， or even any understanding of what profit was。 In stead， the government handed down production quotas to each and every enterprise， controlled all earnings and fixed prices for everything。 There was no motivation for anyone， and the system just didn't wor。 Consumer goods prices were fixed at incredibly low levels， but because of this there were acute shortages of everything - freom bread， sausages and other foodstuffs， to cars， televisions， refrigerators and even apartments。 The shortages meant queues and rationing， sometimes for months on end。"Putin becoming president: "Never before had there been such splendour at a Kremlin inauguration - it was the first time the newly restored palace halls had been opened for a state even - and never before in the history of the country had there been a peaceful handover of power from one presdient to another。"Orthodoxy， Autocracy and Nationality" was Nicholas I themes being repeated。 On Putin after rising to power: "When he came to power， he started out saying he was no more than the hired manager。 But then he became the controlling shareholder of all of Russia。 First， they gave him a stake and then he took control。 It's a shareholder company of the closed type。"On modern Russia populace: "It was， they said， the tragedy of Russia that its people did not want to participate in politics - indeed， they didn't know how to。"On international meddling: "。。。there was widespread disbelief in the West that Putin's Russia could penetrate its political and economic institutions。 Despite its apparent success in splitting Ukraine， this was largely seen by the West as a Pyrrhic victory。" 。。。more
Woman Reading
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4 ☆ "I want to warn Americans。 As a people， you are very naive about Russia and its intentions。 You believe because the Soviet Union no longer exists， Russia now is your friend。 It isn't， and I can show you how the SVR is trying to destroy the US even today and even more than the KGB did during the Cold War。" - Sergei Tretyakov， former colonel in Russian Foreign Intelligence， the SVRIn Putin’s People， foreign correspondent Belton has written a sweeping narrative that began with the 1991 dual col 4 ☆ "I want to warn Americans。 As a people， you are very naive about Russia and its intentions。 You believe because the Soviet Union no longer exists， Russia now is your friend。 It isn't， and I can show you how the SVR is trying to destroy the US even today and even more than the KGB did during the Cold War。" - Sergei Tretyakov， former colonel in Russian Foreign Intelligence， the SVRIn Putin’s People， foreign correspondent Belton has written a sweeping narrative that began with the 1991 dual collapse of both the Soviet Communist Party and then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics （the USSR）。 Insider Sergei Pugachev orchestrated the placement of a little-known former KGB officer， Vladimir Putin， first as Boris Yeltsin's Prime Minister and then as his successor / "malleable figurehead。" Putin was initially reluctant to serve as President and had intended to step down in 2008 after one term。 Not unexpectedly， the appeal and perks of power Putin has received since 1999 were highly persuasive。 In 2019， Putin proposed Constitutional reforms in order to subvert the term limits placed on the President。 [A White Russian émigré] described the philosophy of Putin’s rule as being "like a knot with three elements。 The first is autocracy - strong government， a strong man， a papa， an uncle， a boss。 It is an autocratic regime。 The second element is territory， the fatherland， love of country and so on。 The third element is the Church。 。。。 It does not matter whether this is the Church or this is the Communist Party。 If you look at the history of Russia， you always had these elements put together。"Putin’s Kremlin had taken over the media and eradicated all political competition。 。。。 in what one analyst， Masha Lipman， later called the Russians' "Non-Participation Pact，" they were content to let the Kremlin monopolize political and economic decision-making， as long as it didn't intrude into their own lives。 。。。 It was， Lipman wrote， "the perennial Russian order - the dominant state and a powerless， fragmented society。"They didn't particularly care about the economic well-being of their country's people， as long as the economy was secure enough to allow them to hold on to power - and to project power globally。 The Russian economy has grown tremendously since 1991， but it had a far from smooth progression during the 1990s。 During the collapse， organized crime and politicians had quickly taken advantage of the chaos to loot Russia's wealth of natural resources。 But as Putin solidified his powerbase and status， the kleptocracy shifted in composition and included more oligarchs who were extensions of Putin’s rule， in essence the moneyed nobility in service to their tsar in Russia's 21st century feudalism。 The system Putin’s men created was a hybrid KGB capitalism that sought to accumulate cash to buy off and corrupt officials in the West， whose politicians， complacent after the end of the Cold War， had long forgotten about the Soviet tactics of the not too distant past。 The KGB playbook of the Cold War era， when the Soviet Union deployed ‘active measures’ to sow division and discord in the West， to fund allied political parties and undermine its ‘imperial’ foe， has now been fully reactivated。 What’s different now is that these tactics are funded by a much deeper well of cash， by a Kremlin that has become adept in the ways of the markets and has sunk its tentacles deep into the institutions of the West。Western markets embraced the new wealth coming from Russia， and paid little heed to the criminal and KGB forces behind it。 Belton described the wide-ranging campaigns of Putin’s Kremlin。 Journalists and politicians who had believed in Yeltsin's pro-democracy reforms were imprisoned or died。 The initial crop of 1990s oligarchs who resisted the Kremlin's perspectives were not spared the fate of the other dissidents。 Putin has sought the return of Ukraine with its strategic location and justified the military action as recovering the fatherland。 Russian black cash has been funneled into plots to destabilize the societies of America， Britain， and additional European nations。 Belton had conducted interviews with primary sources and additional research。 As a massive tome， Putin’s People felt at times redundant （there was a long parade of oligarchs） and elliptical。 I would have found a summary timeline and maps of the USSR and current Russia helpful。 Putin’s People was my first nonfiction book about Russia。 I concede that my knowledge of Russia is limited and has come from news headlines。 Nonetheless， I don't have to accept every one of Belton's conclusions in order to acknowledge that a benign political view of Russia would be in error。 There were reasons as to why the US forced the closure and expulsion of Russian diplomats from the San Francisco and Seattle Consulates in 2017 and 2018。 Russia retaliated， and by the end of 2021， the US' official presence in Russia will be consolidated to only its Moscow Embassy。 。。。more
Oleksandr Zholud
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This is a non-fic by the Financial Times journalist about Putin and his regime。 I read is as a part of monthly reading for April 2021 at Non Fiction Book Club group。The book gives a lot of facts about Putin and his circle， as well as some hypotheses about possible twists in Putin’s career。 Audioversion has more than half of surnames with wrong stress。 It is a good summary of what kind of state capitalism and a kind of Russian messianism the world faces now， but I guess its meticulously gathered This is a non-fic by the Financial Times journalist about Putin and his regime。 I read is as a part of monthly reading for April 2021 at Non Fiction Book Club group。The book gives a lot of facts about Putin and his circle， as well as some hypotheses about possible twists in Putin’s career。 Audioversion has more than half of surnames with wrong stress。 It is a good summary of what kind of state capitalism and a kind of Russian messianism the world faces now， but I guess its meticulously gathered details will be soon forgotten by most readers and therefore it could have been much shorter。Main points:1。tPutin work in Germany – most likely a usual paper pusher but maybe more， like a link to far-left terrorists or overseer of getting western tech to the USSR。 I don’t see the need for these hypotheses2。tPutin work as a deputy to st。 Petersburg mayor Sobchak in the 1990s， cooperation with organized crime that held ports， channeling money outside Russia under humanitarian programs， Dacha consumer cooperative "Ozero" and Putin’s circle3。tComing to state power， PM term， terrorist attack and explosion of several buildings in Moscow （possibly a fake flag attack by KGB/FSB）4。tCreating state / crony capitalism， were oligarch are set by Kremlin， giving them right to plunder Russia in return using their companies to fund operations in the country and outside。Weak parts – attempts to seasonalize， like linking Trump to KGB， Brexit， etc。 Definitely， KGB/FSB actively works against the west， but it is more a death by thousand cuts strategy than brilliant decade-long plans perfectly executed。 。。。more
Bartek Węglarczyk
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Najlepsza książka o tym， kto i jak rządzi teraz Rosją。
Jeremy Duffee
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Really excellent book if you want a thorough understanding of KGB influence helped shape modern day Russia from before the fall of the Soviet Union through today to Putin。 I sometimes felt too bogged down in all the names and struggled to remember the connections between characters， especially the more minor ones。 That’s my one criticism - the book perhaps could’ve been shortened by cutting out some references to names that weren’t central to the story， which sometimes made it difficult to follo Really excellent book if you want a thorough understanding of KGB influence helped shape modern day Russia from before the fall of the Soviet Union through today to Putin。 I sometimes felt too bogged down in all the names and struggled to remember the connections between characters， especially the more minor ones。 That’s my one criticism - the book perhaps could’ve been shortened by cutting out some references to names that weren’t central to the story， which sometimes made it difficult to follow。 All in all， an incredible book that offers a detailed account of how Kremlin-aligned insiders are getting rich by robbing state coffers。 。。。more
Lee Pischke
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Describes the incredible rise of vladimir putin and how he got there。 Of special interest is his catapult to the top after a series of suspicious bombings which were blamed on the chechens。 False flag attacks are nothing new but work very well in swaying public opinion。
Geevee
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Russia has played the West; Russia has played their own citizens。Catherine Belton's excellent study of Russia as it emerged from the Cold War thru to 2020 is detailed， well-sourced， highly-readable and bleak。 Bleak because， as many already know and suspect to varying degrees， Putin's Russia has， much like China， spread its tentacles into western nations and their financial and banking system， their politicians and industries。 This has been achieved by stripping the dying and post-Soviet Russia o Russia has played the West; Russia has played their own citizens。Catherine Belton's excellent study of Russia as it emerged from the Cold War thru to 2020 is detailed， well-sourced， highly-readable and bleak。 Bleak because， as many already know and suspect to varying degrees， Putin's Russia has， much like China， spread its tentacles into western nations and their financial and banking system， their politicians and industries。 This has been achieved by stripping the dying and post-Soviet Russia of its assets， hard currency and collective ownership of the raw materials and the companies their mining， manufacturing and and operating of them。 The systems put in their place were firstly made and manipulated by the oligarchs and then by the new Russian state under the steely and firm grip of Vladimir Putin。It is Putin who looms large in this book， not just as Russian president and statesman， but also his path to power - which if you have read of this previously Ms Belton adds additional insight thru interviews - and the eventual closing down and suffocation of the oligarchies to billionaires who owe their businesses， wealth and indeed lives to Putin and his power。 We learn of these people by name - some known to me， others not and we hear why they fell from favour and how their wealth， and in some cases lives ended。In being able to use numerous interviews Ms Belton is able to chart the fall of the USSR and the circumstances that see Putin climb to power， along with the men who stripped Russia bare whilst making billions are flushing cash around the world。 She also shows how Putin and the KGB regained control and rebuilt Russia's international networks of spying， coercion， money-laundering， targeted murder （domestically and externally） and investment coupled with allegiances and political connections: this latter both overt and proper and other improper and covert， or rather perhaps holding Kompromat （compromising material） on political and influential business leaders。The information and detail is not only fascinating but highlights where Russia has created influence and shaped behaviours - not just in political and foreign policy of others but their compliance， governance and judicial systems。 The appropriated cash from Russian assets and pyramid schemes to the collapsing down or passing ownership （meaning forced upon owners who fall foul of Putin and the KGB） from one Russian to another Russian for amounts far below market value to the shell-companies， investments in properties （Trump hotels and gold courses anyone？） and cyber operations show clearly how this vast amount of cash is generating influence and Russian - to use the German word from the 19th century Weltpolitik to transform the tired Soviet Bear to a 21st Russia global power。 Alongside this， to keep Putin in power and Russia beholden to him the analysis of his approach， mindset and grip on power is shown from his rise to Moscow and then as Russia's leader and in essence Tsar。 There are some fascinating insights into the invasion of Ukraine， wars or uprisings in Chechnya， Dagestan， Georgia and Transnistria and the use of force to create the conditions for Russian political and military support。 This includes the "terrorist attacks" on or in apartment blocks in Moscow and Ryazan， the Moscow theatre hostage crisis and Metro bombings， the South Ossetia Beslan school massacre and Moscow market bombings。Catherine Belton's book is a clear and illuminating signal for the West that the Russian bear is not sleeping and is actively shaping and colonising every aspect of western political and financial structures to weaken， fragment and dismantle and eventually destroy them。 If this synopsis of mine seems too hyperbolic or alarmist， then I challenge you to pay attention to and dissect world politics， the constant cyber attacks and misinformation programmes， the news channels and investigatory organisations such as Bellingcat who expose details of Russia （and China's） behaviour， and the brave journalists， such as Catherine Belton whose detailed accounts add further colour and depth。 。。。more
Jeff Kaye
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Reading this book a year after it was published and had already read many reviews and exultations as I am involved in anti-corruption。 However， the book proved a very valuable use of my time and is a highly significant and well-written story of the rise of Vladimir Putin and his siloviki - the strongmen of the KGB that came with him。It is not a story of a deeply planned project but of how certain people were in the right place at the right time and made the most of their position。 Putin watched Reading this book a year after it was published and had already read many reviews and exultations as I am involved in anti-corruption。 However， the book proved a very valuable use of my time and is a highly significant and well-written story of the rise of Vladimir Putin and his siloviki - the strongmen of the KGB that came with him。It is not a story of a deeply planned project but of how certain people were in the right place at the right time and made the most of their position。 Putin watched on， never losing his friendships and building his position slowly in case opportunities arose。 He did the work as a spy would， hiding in the shadows and making the most of every situation that came。Then， when Yeltsin provided him with the opportunity for great power， he seized it。 That power， in a country， Russia， that was returning to its Imperial and Russian Orthodox past， where tradition and state power were all there was， was brought to bear to enrich Putin and his cronies with wealth unmatched。This power is worldwide as the excellent chapter on how money bought Russians esteem in the West and London in particular。 This has led to massive moneylaundering， pandered to and enabled by British laywers and accountants， politicians and the state as Russia turned to immense corruption and， with advent of the internet， fake news on a grandiose scale。 The Trump Presidency was the apothesosis， possibly， the highest ideal attainable， the subordination of the USA under Russian tutelage。It is a book hat should be read by anyone at all interested in how the world of corruption works and， more specifically， how the new Russian state， one that has retreated back to pre-Communist days but with access to huge oil reserves and the use of online technologies as a weapon of mass destruction， cares not for the people of its country （treated as the serfs of old） but how it deals with the new elite， Putin's People， his friends and relatives （except where they fall out （as they often do， dying strange deaths or imprisoned or leaving the country）。 。。。more
Mary Hadden
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This is all true: it must be。 And， it is a thrilling read。 The author， Catherine Belton， was， is， a journalist with the Financial Times and worked in Moscow for a number of years。 If she embellished the truth a little， I’m sure Putin would have had his day tearing her book apart。 He is， after all， as this book shows， a law unto himself。Does he care what is said about him？ When Russians or former friends， associates， colleagues， take pot-shots， then， possibly， he does。 When we in the ‘West’ make This is all true: it must be。 And， it is a thrilling read。 The author， Catherine Belton， was， is， a journalist with the Financial Times and worked in Moscow for a number of years。 If she embellished the truth a little， I’m sure Putin would have had his day tearing her book apart。 He is， after all， as this book shows， a law unto himself。Does he care what is said about him？ When Russians or former friends， associates， colleagues， take pot-shots， then， possibly， he does。 When we in the ‘West’ make accusations， then， possibly， he sees that as weak and cowardly remonstrations and laughs at us。This charts Putin’s rise from former KGB agent （an organisation you never leave， Putin suggests） to President of Russia and points to more than a few dodgy-deals along the way。 It would seem that Putin jumped into bed with organised crime （mafia） very early on。 He strikes me as a very clever man; and a heartless， evil， leader。There is great detail in here on how he - and his ‘puppeteers’ - have manipulated the state to suit their aims and now ‘the evil， merciless monster’ is looking to ‘spread its tentacles west’ （I will use that phrase as I picked that out of a fictional story I read and it has stuck with me）。This is as gripping and as ‘edge-of-the-seat’ as any book I’ve read。I worry over what we’re told here。 Not because of what he - and his puppeteers - are up to。 We know - he doesn’t care that we know - Ms Belton is shouting it from the roof-tops。I worry over how many politicians and ‘Whitehall Mandarins’ his cabal has in its pocket。I worry over the future of what little is left of our democracy。 。。。more
Michelle
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This book introduces non-Russia-obsessed readers to a whole new ballgame of understanding contemporary Russia。 By focusing on Putin， all may be revealed。 Catherine Belton has produced a powerful and exceedingly well researched book。 I'm off to go read it again。 This book introduces non-Russia-obsessed readers to a whole new ballgame of understanding contemporary Russia。 By focusing on Putin， all may be revealed。 Catherine Belton has produced a powerful and exceedingly well researched book。 I'm off to go read it again。 。。。more
Champ T。
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More detailed than held my interest。
Tyler Lamirato
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An extremely accurate and well researched account of Putin’s rise to power and his consolidation of power once he got there。 Everything from his early KGB days to all of the influencing the US elections and much more。 Anyone who is interested in Russia or Putin or general history will really enjoy this book。
Katie。dorny
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Wow。 Mind blowingly and unnervingly detailed， this book detailing the very beginning of Putin’s rise to power and the tactics deployed to steamroll Russia and then the world。 This is a heavy book and doesn’t give you the option of reading lightly。
George Thomas
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Very interesting but at times I wondered if the information was based on rumours rather than facts。 The last chapter involving Donald Trump reveals his deep involvement with Russian property developers who paid him huge amounts for the use of his name。 Now there is the tricky situation for the author and the publisher who are now being sued by Roman Abramovich for defamation of character。
JonasB
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A very clear story that gives an unique look to the inner workings of the regime that has held power in Russia for 20 years。 It discussed the historic origin of these developments， the key players and insight in their motives。 A must read for everyone who wants to have a better understanding of the world we live in today。
Harinder
，
What an absolutely riveting read， for anyone who is interested in contemporary Russian history， or Russian politics， or international politics for that matter。 Catherine Belton's sources are a number of people who were close to Putin or the events surrounding his rise to power。It is an extraordinary story， of course。 There is never a sense that Putin was predestined to be the powerful President of Russia he now is。 He was， for most of his early career， a KGB officer with a fairly nondescript lif What an absolutely riveting read， for anyone who is interested in contemporary Russian history， or Russian politics， or international politics for that matter。 Catherine Belton's sources are a number of people who were close to Putin or the events surrounding his rise to power。It is an extraordinary story， of course。 There is never a sense that Putin was predestined to be the powerful President of Russia he now is。 He was， for most of his early career， a KGB officer with a fairly nondescript life。 The way Belton tells it， the KGB had planned to control the post-Gorbachev rule of Russia， but were derailed by Yeltsin。 It had， however， positioned itself （and Putin was clever enough to position himself） to take over after Yeltsin。 So， with Putin's ascension to power， the KGB reasserted itself。 And what you see now is a Russia ruled by the old KGB but with Putin firmly at the helm。 The story then weaves its way around all the events we have become familiar with - Khodokorvsky's imprisonment， Crimea， Ukraine and - yes - Trump。 Belton's thesis is that many of Putin's actions can be traced down to KGB tradecraft。 But for all that， the book is limited by the sources she uses。 They have particular perspectives （and axes to grind）， and I was aware the entire time I was reading it that there are other ways the same story could be told （although I don't know how it might be made more benign）。 And at the end of it I have to say that Putin is as much a shadowy mystery as ever。 It seems to me to speak volumes that a real sense of who he is - his character， personality， intentions - are so elusive， even in a book such as this。 I'm certain that Belton - who seems a very accomplished journalist - was also aware of these limitations。 But for all that， she has written a powerful and thoroughly researched book and one that held my attention from start to finish。 Really， really good。 。。。more
Riet
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Een interessant boek， maar bij tijden onleesbaar door een teveel aan informatie。 Voor haar onderzoek naar de feiten verdient de schrijfster zeker 5 sterren。 Zij was journalist voor de Financial Times in Moskou en heeft ongetwijfeld veel verstand van internationale financien。 Dat is bij mij wat minder en daarom had ze voor mij veel stukken wat compacter kunnen schrijven。 Maar het geeft uiteindelijk wel een goed beeld van de toestand in Rusland na de val van Jeltsin。 Er waren al veel boeven， maar Een interessant boek， maar bij tijden onleesbaar door een teveel aan informatie。 Voor haar onderzoek naar de feiten verdient de schrijfster zeker 5 sterren。 Zij was journalist voor de Financial Times in Moskou en heeft ongetwijfeld veel verstand van internationale financien。 Dat is bij mij wat minder en daarom had ze voor mij veel stukken wat compacter kunnen schrijven。 Maar het geeft uiteindelijk wel een goed beeld van de toestand in Rusland na de val van Jeltsin。 Er waren al veel boeven， maar Putin spant toch echt de kroon。 Hoe lang houdt hij dit nog vol？ De relatie met Trump wordt ook uitgebreid beschreven。 Maar ook de rest van de wereld heeft boter op zijn hoofd: vooral Londen profiteert enorm van de financiele transacties vanuit Rusland。 Het boek is zeker demoeite waard， maar had voor mij een stuk korter gemogen。 。。。more
MargCal
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5 ☆ Finished reading … Putin's People: how the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West / Catherine Belton 。。。 02 March 2021ISBN: 9780007583034 … 624 pp。 incl。 Notes and IndexAt the end of this fact-filled book my thoughts are that the differences between Russia （and I'm also thinking China） and the West are fairly superficial。 In the West we have what appear to be free elections， opposition candidates are not routinely murdered or imprisoned when murder attempts fail。 The same is true of 5 ☆ Finished reading … Putin's People: how the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West / Catherine Belton 。。。 02 March 2021ISBN: 9780007583034 … 624 pp。 incl。 Notes and IndexAt the end of this fact-filled book my thoughts are that the differences between Russia （and I'm also thinking China） and the West are fairly superficial。 In the West we have what appear to be free elections， opposition candidates are not routinely murdered or imprisoned when murder attempts fail。 The same is true of business rivals。 But at the end of the day， money equals power and that is what rules。 The big players have to toe the line of the leading players （in the West） or the player in the capitalist dictatorships。 The 'little people' be damned in the pursuit of wealth and power。It's a pity the book wasn't written just a little bit later – after the recent attempted assassination and subsequent gaoling of Alexei Navalny in Russia and the 2020 election in the US。 Nevertheless， I was surprised that Trump's business dealings with Russians goes back to the 1990s。 It has to be understood that a wealthy Russian is a crook and in some way in the grip of， ultimately， Putin。As Russia opened up under perestroika becoming chaotic by the end of the Yeltsin era， the remaining KGB men， of whom Putin is one， had their underground networks thriving， waiting to seize back power return Russia to its， to them， perceived greatness。 The security system， the business system， the police and the courts， all are a marriage that operates like the mafia， siphoning funds from the state， off-shore into personal accounts through so many companies， bank accounts and money laundering schemes that they are literally impossible to follow。 All of this is at Putin's pleasure。 Run foul of Putin and the 'businessmen' can be prosecuted for the crimes they were permitted to commit only the day before。 These cash flows of black Russian money mean there are billions of dollars in personal and state slush funds held outside Russia。The other side of the coin of returning Russia to greatness was the destabilisation of the West。 It proved quite easy。 For example， a “lot” of money passed through the stock exchange。 Russians are quoted in the book saying that they quickly realised that money trumped principles， that they could money launder to their hearts content， they weren't going to be pulled up。 And people inside and outside Russia were bought， with money， gifts， becoming enmeshed in business deals， and putting people in situations where they were open to blackmail。 We've heard a lot about Trump and Russia， although in this book it's not clear how much was collusion and how much was gullibility on Trump's part – either way he suited the Russian purpose of stability。 That set me thinking about the UK political system。 It made me think of Nigel Farage in relation to Brexit。 He does rate a mention in the book， the FBI looking at him but he denied having anything to do with Russia。 Given how all the wealthy Russians in London， or Londongrad！， （and elsewhere） were/are promoting Russia's cause as informants if not outright KGB/FSB men， it leaves me still wondering。 But at one point in the book it says outright that the Conservative Party received， via a circuitous route and a Spaniard， “a surprising donation” of 400。000 GBP， no questions asked。 The Brexit vote was a happy outcome for Russia's aim to destabilise Europe。There is no mention of Australia。 However …。。 recently the was a current affairs programme on Australian TV ，https://www。abc。net。au/news/2021-02-1。。。 about a Russian motorcycle gang operating here with the stated aim of promoting Putin's Russia。 They're unpleasant （to put it mildly） men and not huge in number but – it was under cover of such a ragtag bunch of protesters that Russia prepared it's takeover of Crimea， annexing it from Ukraine。 Something to think about。This is not light reading。 The book is crammed with facts， there are no light moments。 I can scarcely think of anyone I know who would be likely to read it。 And yet people need to know this stuff。 In countries where we can vote in safety， we need to know how we are being manipulated for the benefit of those seeking power and wealth。Borrowed from my local library。 。。。more
Willem
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Very good read， easy to follow although not really as far as Russian names are concerned。 Wonder if the west knew all along what was going one but let the Russians walk in the trap themselves。 It is not easy to have to admit after 70 years that the political system you are using is not really working！！ I can imagine that they want revenge and the western capitalist with dollar signs in their eyes where very much willing to help them。 Feel sorry for the Russian people， have not been lucky with th Very good read， easy to follow although not really as far as Russian names are concerned。 Wonder if the west knew all along what was going one but let the Russians walk in the trap themselves。 It is not easy to have to admit after 70 years that the political system you are using is not really working！！ I can imagine that they want revenge and the western capitalist with dollar signs in their eyes where very much willing to help them。 Feel sorry for the Russian people， have not been lucky with their leaders for the past 2 centuries。 On the other hand， my mother used to say that people get the government they deserve。 Wonder how Navalny will come out， if he ever comes out， after 2，5 years in prison， most probably as a broken man like so many before him。 。。。more
Luuk
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Very impressive investigation into Putin’s kleptocratic empire， its origins and its struggle against the West。 The amount of information would be enough for three books。 Belton summarises and repeats enough to help the reader， but nonetheless the number of slush funds and business construction was sometimes dizzying。 This great work of research should be a warning to all democratic policy makers。
Rebecca Yang
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3。5 stars。 Exhaustively researched and very informative。 I would have liked more analysis in addition to a presenting of the facts， but I imagine even the latter had been difficult to piece together given the subject matter。
Stefan Sabev
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Bloody hell！
Andrew Pratley
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I have been immersed in this book over the last weeks。For time now I have wanted to understand what has been happening in Russia in recent times。 I gathered it was bad but hadn't realized how bad things had become。 This book presents a wealth of detail & paints a very disturbing picture。 Briefly， Putin & his henchmen， who are almost entirely ex-KGB men， have consolidated power creating a modern version of feudalism where power has been concentrated into the hands of a despot。 What will happen wh I have been immersed in this book over the last weeks。For time now I have wanted to understand what has been happening in Russia in recent times。 I gathered it was bad but hadn't realized how bad things had become。 This book presents a wealth of detail & paints a very disturbing picture。 Briefly， Putin & his henchmen， who are almost entirely ex-KGB men， have consolidated power creating a modern version of feudalism where power has been concentrated into the hands of a despot。 What will happen when Putin is gone is any bodies guess。 The chances are that it won't be pretty。 The KGB world view， which Putin subscribes to， is wholly Manichean。 It is in modern parlance Zero Sum。 He & they， for instance， hate the EU & working every day to having it broken up。 They do this by funneling support & money to far left & far right groups in order to exploit any possible division。They hate democracy of any kind。 Using vast amounts of black money which is money essentially stolen from the Russian people they corrupt governments， financial systems & officials anywhere in the world where it suits their purposes。 It is estimated that over the years some £800 billion has been either deployed or siphoned off into slush funds。A truly disturbing & important book。 。。。more
Paulette
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This book is a must read for all Americans， but especially for anyone out there still naive enough to think Russia is our friend。 I was inspired to read this after reading a review by columnist Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic Monthly。 This book chronicles how the KGB never really went away， that in fact it had put in place a corrupt network to stand up when it was clear the Soviet Union was going to collapse。 In place of Communist rule， Russia was taken over by corrupt oligarchs and Putin and his This book is a must read for all Americans， but especially for anyone out there still naive enough to think Russia is our friend。 I was inspired to read this after reading a review by columnist Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic Monthly。 This book chronicles how the KGB never really went away， that in fact it had put in place a corrupt network to stand up when it was clear the Soviet Union was going to collapse。 In place of Communist rule， Russia was taken over by corrupt oligarchs and Putin and his KGB cronies。 There are no good guys in this， not even Boris Yeltsin who encouraged Putin's rise but who wouldn't if you were in hock to his manipulation when your own government was riddled with corruption and debt。 Bottom line: with the help of naive and greedy Western banks and firms， Putin and Co have been laundering money throughout businesses and enterprises in the West， to include the US and Europe。 Their methods have changed but their motive remains， exploiting weaknesses in the West to put their country on top。 Putin used capitalism as a weapon and at the same time corrupted it for his benefit and that of his cronies。 Russia has spent millions on supporting far right campaigns in the west。 And Donald Trump？ There is a whole chapter on Trump and it is as bad as we always knew。 He is in deep with Russia and its Mafia， and indeed， this book cites the KGB as having believed Trump had been a successful recruitment for them。 It is more than clear after reading this fascinating， deeply sourced and detailed book just who Donald Trump was working for。 It was not for us。 And you will be shocked--or maybe not so shocked--at other names who pop up in this book who have had and have cozy relationships with shady Russian thugs。 Does the name Rand Paul ring a bell？ Bottom line， this book provides an excellent contemporary expose of Russia， Putin and their game plan。 It is dense at times， and for me， I found myself occasionally lost in the minutia of the deals made and the business transactions the author traces for the reader。 What is stunning to me is how so many people in the West （many Americans too） who bought into their scheme due to greed。 Also， how sad that President Obama even thought Russia had changed， in trying to work with Prime Minister Medvedev， who was nothing more than a placeholder for Putin， for when he could once again assume the Presidency。 Only one high ranking US official back in 2015 saw Russia for what it was。 He said the following re Russia: "Corruption is the new tool of foreign policy。 It's never been as handy and as useful as in the hands of nations who want to disrupt and oligarchs who respond to them。 It's like the kryptonite of a functioning democracy。 。。The stakes are strategic as ell as economic， because Russia and others are using corruption and oligarchs as tools of coercion。" The official who said this？ Then-Vice President Joseph R。 Biden。 。。。more
Mikey B。
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Page 443-44 （my book）The West had always viewed Russia’s economy as a resource-based basket case， incapable of the productivity gains of the West。 But to see Russia through that prism was to miss the short-term ambitions of Putin’s security men。 They didn’t particularly care about the economic well-being of their country’s people， as long as the economy was secure enough to allow them to hold onto power – and to project power globally。Vladimir Putin has become the Czar of Russia。 All must pass t Page 443-44 （my book）The West had always viewed Russia’s economy as a resource-based basket case， incapable of the productivity gains of the West。 But to see Russia through that prism was to miss the short-term ambitions of Putin’s security men。 They didn’t particularly care about the economic well-being of their country’s people， as long as the economy was secure enough to allow them to hold onto power – and to project power globally。Vladimir Putin has become the Czar of Russia。 All must pass through him。 The author explains how the Soviet KGB （to become the FSB after the demise of the Soviet Union） was preparing for changes。 They knew that the Soviet Union could not last through the 1980s。 They were setting up their networks to adapt to the upcoming new era。 They wanted to keep their position of strength。 And Putin was a part of that。The KGB was one of the few institutions in the Soviet Union to have contacts and an understanding of the world outside Russia。 They also increased their contacts with the extensive Russian network of organized crime。 It became difficult to distinguish the KGB （or FSB） from the Russian mafia。The author narrates how Putin became second in command in St。 Petersburg。 St。 Petersburg was a city steeped in organized crime more so in its Baltic port （Gulf of Finland）。Page 82 – 83 mid-1990sIn the rush to shore up their positions， in the battle to accommodate more wealth， Khodorkovsky and the others didn’t notice that nearby， in St。 Petersburg， there was a chill in the air。 Things were being run differently there。 Isolated from the gold rush of Moscow’s economic boom， the forces of the KGB were exerting far greater control， in a city where the economy was tougher and darker， in the violent scrabble for cash。 The author recounts how Putin rose to power in the wake of Yeltsin’s frenetic 1990s。 Once in power Putin then took on the rich oligarchies and subsumed their power and wealth to the Russian government。 He used flexible government laws and the Russian mob to do this。Page 239If [Khodorkovsky] could be taken down it could happen to any of them。Khodorkovsky was just one of several hundred oligarchs who were toppled by Putin。 It made Putin and his entourage wealthy and in control。Page 484 They [Putin’s entourage] had become part of a feudal system in which Putin’s role as the ultimate arbiter between rivals fighting for business was the source of his power。 Putin became what Russian society unfortunately requires the most – a tough guy – like Lenin， Stalin， and the Czars before。Page 165 – Putin“For Russians， a strong state is not an anomaly which should be got rid of。 Quite the contrary， they see it as a source and guarantor of order and the initiator and main driving force of any change。”Putin and his cronies wanted to exert power through Russia’s resources like oil and gas。 The pipeline to Europe passed through Ukraine which Russia always saw as an integral part of their country。 This led to problems。Putin also recruited the Orthodox Church which had been persecuted and ostracized under communism。 This was a good fit。 The Orthodox Church （page 258） “spoke to the great sacrifice， suffering and endurance of the Russian people。” It invoked Russia’s imperial past and wanted nothing to do with liberal humanism （gender equality， gay marriage， human rights…） espoused by Western Europe and some in the U。S。 Page 258 a former KGB officer“This sacred power [surrounding Putin] creates around itself an absolutely impenetrable cordon of guiltlessness。 The authorities cannot be guilty of anything。 They serve by absolute right。”Putin was very good， somewhat like Stalin， at fabricating external threats to Russia’s sovereignty。 The West saw Russia as a weakling to be exploited。 All outside influences were seen as threats。The West misread Putin and Russia as being weak – and at times Putin， being well-trained by the KGB， could mask his true intentions。 The West excused Putin’s lawlessness in usurping the freedom of the oligarchies， the judiciary， and the media。 It was only after the annexation of the Crimea that they recognized what was really happening。 They saw the spread of Russian “dirty money” in Western financial institutions。 Some of these slush funds were being used to support right wing groups and populist fronts across Europe。 The author gives evidence of financial support for those who supported Brexit。 Interestingly （I was unaware） the author brings up the infiltration of the London Stock Exchange by Russian funds。 In comparison to the New York Stock Exchange there is much less due diligence done on the London Stock Exchange。The author writes for the “Financial Times” so there is much discussion of financial data and institutions。 Also， and sometimes annoyingly， several names can be brought up per page。 Don’t read this book to find details of Putin’s personal life。I did find book giving a frightening view of Russia – and particularly of what Russia wants。 She does point out some weaknesses ahead。 There is a lot of money invested outside the country。 The disparity of income in Russia is tremendous。 With the increasing spread of Russian power to the outside world like Syria and Ukraine， plus the ever-increasing military budget – the Russian people are starting to ask questions about Putin and his very super-rich cronies。 。。。more
Robert Middlekauff
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While a bit hard to follow at times， due to the complicated nature of Russian state and mafia corruptions schemes， this book does an incredible job detailing Putin's rise from the USSR to today。 Anybody interested in Russia or Putin should read this book！ While a bit hard to follow at times， due to the complicated nature of Russian state and mafia corruptions schemes， this book does an incredible job detailing Putin's rise from the USSR to today。 Anybody interested in Russia or Putin should read this book！ 。。。more
Louise
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In exhaustive detail， with a focus on the financial issues， Catherine Belton documents Putin’s rise to power， how he cemented his control over the country and its economy and then turned to restoring Russia’s territories and settling scores with the West。 Benton shows how Putin’s KGB posting in Dresden was not some backwater middle management job。 While the bulk of international intelligence was placed in Berlin， Dresden， below the radar， was the center for stolen and smuggled technology， KGB re In exhaustive detail， with a focus on the financial issues， Catherine Belton documents Putin’s rise to power， how he cemented his control over the country and its economy and then turned to restoring Russia’s territories and settling scores with the West。 Benton shows how Putin’s KGB posting in Dresden was not some backwater middle management job。 While the bulk of international intelligence was placed in Berlin， Dresden， below the radar， was the center for stolen and smuggled technology， KGB recruitment （particularly from the waning Stasi） and funding terrorists and others fomenting anti-western sentiment around the world， particularly in the middle east。 That Putin performed important services can be documented by his KGB pension which is paid at a “heros” rate。Belton shows how by taking similar drab sounding positions in St。 Petersburg and Moscow， Putin has able to bask in the glow of the perceived reformists Anatoly Sobchek， Mayor of St。 Petersburg and Boris Yeltsin who benefited from the very popular move to a market economy。 Benton shows how state owned industries sold cheaply at a dizzying pace， but only the elite had cash to get in the game。 Fortunes were made。 The circumstances show how Putin， a seemingly behind the scenes functionary， was the a consensus pick of the Yeltsin insiders to take the reins。 Once installed， he employed typical KGB moves to stay in power… taking over the press， capitalizing on （and most likely creating） terrorist incidents， changing elected governance and judicial positions to appointed and using or creating governmental levers to promote friends and destroy enemies。 The highlight of the book （for me） is the step by step telling of Putin’s first defining action: the takeover of Yukos and the imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky。 This set the pattern for the kleptocracy that is Russia today。 What follows are more deals and incidents that consolidate financial control such that would be owners are merely caretakers who keep their positions as long as Putin is satisfied。The sections on the Ukraine， the insinuation of Russian money into England and the courtship of Donald Trump were disappointing because they are told through deals and incidents。 Some deals are hard to follow and some have vague references to “organized crime” which at this point is not fully distinguishable from the Putin government。 The book ends with glimpses of the public’s dissatisfaction with Putin and the entrenchment of his power。I recommend this for the first 2/3 which explains the rise to power。 The ending， for me， was a blur of names， deals and incidents。 。。。more
Mārtiņš Vaivars
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