Winter is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped
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- Author：Garry Kasparov
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Summary
The ascension of Vladimir Putin--a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB--to the presidency of Russia in 1999 should have been a signal that the country was headed away from democracy。 Yet in the intervening years--as America and the world's other leading powers have continued to appease him--Putin has grown not only into a dictator but a global threat。 With his vast resources and nuclear weapons， Putin is at the center of a worldwide assault on political liberty。
For Garry Kasparov， none of this is news。 He has been a vocal critic of Putin for over a decade， even leading the pro-democracy opposition to him in the farcical 2008 Presidential election。 Yet years of seeing his Cassandra-like prophecies about Putin's intentions fulfilled have left Kasparov with the realization of a darker truth: Putin's Russia， like ISIS or Al Qaeda， defines itself in opposition to the free countries of the world。 He is still fighting the Cold War， even as Americans have first moved beyond it， and over time， forgotten its lessons。
Lest we be drawn into another prolonged conflict， Kasparov now urges a forceful stand--diplomatic and economic--against him。 For as long as the world's powerful democracies continue to recognize and negotiate with Putin， he can maintain credibility in his home country。 He faces few strong enemies within his country， so meaningful opposition must come from abroad。
Argued with the force of Kasparov's world-class intelligence， conviction， and hopes for his home country， Winter is Coming is an unmistakable call to action against a threat we've ignored for too long。
For Garry Kasparov， none of this is news。 He has been a vocal critic of Putin for over a decade， even leading the pro-democracy opposition to him in the farcical 2008 Presidential election。 Yet years of seeing his Cassandra-like prophecies about Putin's intentions fulfilled have left Kasparov with the realization of a darker truth: Putin's Russia， like ISIS or Al Qaeda， defines itself in opposition to the free countries of the world。 He is still fighting the Cold War， even as Americans have first moved beyond it， and over time， forgotten its lessons。
Lest we be drawn into another prolonged conflict， Kasparov now urges a forceful stand--diplomatic and economic--against him。 For as long as the world's powerful democracies continue to recognize and negotiate with Putin， he can maintain credibility in his home country。 He faces few strong enemies within his country， so meaningful opposition must come from abroad。
Argued with the force of Kasparov's world-class intelligence， conviction， and hopes for his home country， Winter is Coming is an unmistakable call to action against a threat we've ignored for too long。
Reviews
Hope
，
I really enjoyed this。 It's not perfect and there are definitely things he misses when it comes to the US， but he knows Russia and he knows Putin and he has a very clear vision about how to stop people like Putin。 This book was written in 2015 and it reads like a prophecy with how much everything he said would happen （if Putin left unchecked） has happened。 I'm glad I read it。 I really enjoyed this。 It's not perfect and there are definitely things he misses when it comes to the US， but he knows Russia and he knows Putin and he has a very clear vision about how to stop people like Putin。 This book was written in 2015 and it reads like a prophecy with how much everything he said would happen （if Putin left unchecked） has happened。 I'm glad I read it。 。。。more
Don
，
A bit of background to Putin and the west's desire to not confront Putin and how it's put us where we are today。 Potential innocent bloodshed could have been avoided had the west stood up to Putin from the beginning。 A bit of background to Putin and the west's desire to not confront Putin and how it's put us where we are today。 Potential innocent bloodshed could have been avoided had the west stood up to Putin from the beginning。 。。。more
Jewish Librarian
，
His real name is Garik Kimovich Weinstein
Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly
，
At this moment （2/13/2022， 9pm Philippine time） Vladimir Putin is playing chess。 He looks poised to invade Ukraine， but he’s not attacking （yet）。 In chess there is a truism: a threat is stronger than its execution。 But when the aim of the threat has been achieved， the time for execution should come。 Or when the threat had been successfully neutralized by the other player， a truce might be the prudent course。 But then， in chess， there are also inexplicable blunders。Across the giant chessboard of At this moment （2/13/2022， 9pm Philippine time） Vladimir Putin is playing chess。 He looks poised to invade Ukraine， but he’s not attacking （yet）。 In chess there is a truism: a threat is stronger than its execution。 But when the aim of the threat has been achieved， the time for execution should come。 Or when the threat had been successfully neutralized by the other player， a truce might be the prudent course。 But then， in chess， there are also inexplicable blunders。Across the giant chessboard of that part of Europe Putin does not only face Ukraine but also several other countries comprising the NATO alliance。 But since they are only playing one game this would be more like a consultation game for the latter and not a simultaneous exhibition。 As Putin’s power is absolute in Russia， it is unlikely that he is consulting anyone whenever he makes a move。 Right now， it is his turn。 But the alliance had told him: move forward and we’ll bloody your nose which you will instantly regret。 Now if Putin thinks this is a bluff， he’ll definitely cross the line。 He had done it before。 He had once already invaded Ukraine and had taken the latter’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 without breaking a sweat。 But what is in his mind right now？ To make an intelligent guess， we need to inquire what kind of person this Putin is。 And since he is playing chess， let’s ask the greatest chess player of all time， also a Russian， and one who had watched Putin probably more than he had stared at all the opponents he has had over the chess board: Garry Kasparov—“Putin is not an ideologue。 He and his cronies accumulated tremendous wealth， and the threat of not being able to enjoy it freely in the West would have been a very serious threat。 Unlike their Soviet predecessors， Putin and his allies are not content with a late-model ZIL limousine and a nice dacha on the Black Sea。 They want to rule like Josef Stalin but live like Roman Abramovich， the close Putin buddy who spent his riches buying a famous English soccer team and yachts the size of soccer fields。 Putin’s oligarchs travel the world and keep their wealth abroad， and this gives Western governments real clout if they have the courage to use it。 “That was even more the case early in Putin’s first term， when he was still testing what he could get away with。 Like any born autocrat， Putin respects only power。 He takes a step， looks around， sniffs the air， and then， if there are no negative consequences， he takes another step。 With each advance， he gains more confidence and becomes harder to stop。 Muted expressions of concern from diplomats and foreign ministers are the greenest of lights to someone like Putin。 Such chatter is in fact designed to be meaningless in his interpretation。 After all， if the United States were truly concerned it would do something instead of just talking about it while doing nothing。”To understand Putin better， Kasparov suggests you read books。 But these are not the usual books about cruel dictators or tyrants。 Certainly not—“the works of Karl Marx or Adam Smith。 Nothing by Montesquieu or Machiavelli， although the author you are looking for is of Italian descent。 Skip Mussolini’s ’The Doctrine of Fascism’ for now （but hold on to it for later…） and the entire political science section。 Go directly to the fiction department and take home everything you can find by Mario Puzo。 ’The Godfather’ trilogy is a good place to start， but do not leave out ’The Last Don，’ ‘Omertà，’ and ’The Sicilian。’“The rise of Vladimir Putin and his St。 Petersburg clan has been described as Machiavellian， but it is better described by the achievements of Don Vito Corleone: the web of betrayals， the secrecy， and the blurred lines between what is business， what is government， and what is criminal—it’s all there in Puzo’s books。 “A historian could look at the Kremlin in 2007 and see elements of Mussolini’s corporate state， Latin American juntas， and Mexico’s pseudo democratic Institutional Revolutionary Party machine。 A Puzo fan sees the Putin government more accurately: a strict hierarchy， extortion， intimidation， a tough-guy image， a long string of convenient deaths among leading critics， eliminating traitors， the code of secrecy and loyalty， and， above all， a mandate to keep the revenue flowing。 In other words， a mafia。”This book was first published some six years ago but as in chess， Kasparov had seen into Putin’s future moves。 The analysis seems to be that to stop Putin in his tracks now it is not enough to threaten him with diplomatic prattle。 Since he has deployed troops， Ukraine and NATO must similarly mobilise。 I do not know how the pieces are set up right now but if Putin detects a bluff he’ll call it and invade。 Incidentally， after I’ve read this book， I have now a firm opinion as to who is the true GOAT in the chess world。 It is the author， former world chess champion Garry Kasparov。 Why do I say so？ Survey all other great chess players past and present。 What were/are they？ Just chess players。 Kasparov is unique。 Not only was he world champion and the dominant player for a long time， he had been fighting a bigger battle outside of chess: a deadly battle for against Putin and for democracy in his country， even as early as the time he was contesting the world championship against his arch rival Anatoly Karpov。 To appreciate how unique this is， in a Philippine setting， suppose if you will that during the Marcos dictatorship our very own Eugenio Oliveros Torre was already the world chess champion。 Kasparov would be like Torre AND the opposition leader Ninoy Aquino rolled into one。 A conqueror of the chess world and the prime nemesis of a brutal dictatorship in his own country。 The difference， of course， is that while Ninoy Aquino chose to act like a gambit pawn who willingly gave himself up to free his troop’s position into activity， Kasparov opted to be a pawn which preserves itself， exiled outside Russia to be beyond Putin’s grasp， with the hope of a promotion into a higher piece at the eight rank。 。。。more
Andy Galligan
，
Especially convincing at the time of reading， February 2022 - hey look， they're doing the thing in Ukraine again！ Kasparov makes a solid and detailed argument that the ongoing policy of economic engagement with Putin's Russia has failed to cultivate the desired positive influence in the region， and instead has further legitimized his dictatorship and fed his imperial ambitions。 This book is a clarion call to greater action and a sobering overview of recent Russian history。 Personally I find Kasp Especially convincing at the time of reading， February 2022 - hey look， they're doing the thing in Ukraine again！ Kasparov makes a solid and detailed argument that the ongoing policy of economic engagement with Putin's Russia has failed to cultivate the desired positive influence in the region， and instead has further legitimized his dictatorship and fed his imperial ambitions。 This book is a clarion call to greater action and a sobering overview of recent Russian history。 Personally I find Kasparov as fascinating as Putin。 A romantic for 'western values'， his youth in a failing Soviet Union combined with peerless success on the chessboard made him a staunch individualist who welcomed capitalism's triumph with a hallelujah。 His political ideology comes out of the sour experience of being exceptional in competition but forced to share the earnings for the sake of being a good comrade。 As such I think he sees America's role in the cold war through rosy-tinted binoculars （at one point he sums it up in absolute terms: "The critical theme was as simple as it was true: The Cold War was about good versus evil"。 Was it that simple？） but given his past it's understandable why he gets a little starry-eyed about his champions of individualism。 I wish America could be as noble as Garry claims it used to be。His assessment of Putin is a lucid call-out to the human rights abuses， economic and political corruption， and sophisticated propaganda operations of the former KGB operative。 Written seven years ago， Garry already sounds exasperated explaining that people should take it seriously when a major world power annexes sovereign territory in the 21st century， or that something is wrong when an elected official is only supposed to serve eight years max but they've been in power for fifteen， or that freedoms are being trampled when a punk band is jailed and silenced for a protest song。 He characterizes Putin as a ruthless mafia don， king of spies with a dangerous nostalgia for a fallen empire。 As a highly visible political dissident， Kasparov was rightly paranoid about the man and of returning to Russia。 Note that prominent Russian activist Alexei Navalny was recently poisoned and imprisoned for his exposés on Putin。 The rest of the free world has been dragging their feet on this growing problem。The criticisms of Europe/America's lackluster reactions are warranted and well-argued， although I think he does skip past some important details in that area - one point he didn't engage with enough is how much the American public was sick of getting into overseas conflicts by the time Putin became a problem。 He places a lot of blame on Presidents for staying out of conflict in Eastern Europe， but of course the point of a democratically elected leader is to represent their constituents。 Kasparov pines for hypothetical scenarios where the more interventionist anti-Russia candidates win in the U。S。 （McCain and Romney）， but doesn't delve into why the voters weren't responding to that agenda*。 As much as he likes to make analogies to popular western media （see: title of book） he seems to have missed the cynicism of Team America: World Police。 He is an idealist after all。 That's why he's the chairman of the Human Rights Foundation。 And he's put his skin in the game multiple times， from getting beat by police protesting the arrest of Pussy Riot to running for President of Russia himself and seeing the corrupt political process first-hand。 It's perfectly reasonable why he feels desperate for greater powers to pressure Putin with more than cheap grandstanding。 It seems we're going to have to do something about him eventually。 *He may be strategically avoiding this， I。E。 his frustrations do lie with the western populace's indifference rather than its leaders' but he's writing this book to appeal to the populace and the argument is more appealing if he blames the politicians。 Just a guess。 。。。more
Peter Curtiss
，
Simply， Putin is one of the greatest enemies to democracy， liberalism （in the traditional sense）， and the free world today。 I’ll try to broad stroke some of what’s covered in the book here。。First is antidemocratic practices。 He eliminated term limits。 The state controls all the media and there is no free press。 This moves further into censorship as the state has seized books written by his political enemies （calling them “extremist materials”）。。He has routinely seized private assets of individua Simply， Putin is one of the greatest enemies to democracy， liberalism （in the traditional sense）， and the free world today。 I’ll try to broad stroke some of what’s covered in the book here。。First is antidemocratic practices。 He eliminated term limits。 The state controls all the media and there is no free press。 This moves further into censorship as the state has seized books written by his political enemies （calling them “extremist materials”）。。He has routinely seized private assets of individuals dissenting with him and redistributed them to oligarchs loyal to him， as well as himself amassing huge wealth: “State and corporate power merged。 It became a perverse combination of Adam Smith and Karl Marx in which profits were privatized and the expenses were nationalized。。He has assassinated political rivals。 He’s on the short list of leaders （with gems like Saran） that have invaded a neighboring state （Georgia & Ukraine） for conquest since the nuclear age。。Perhaps most striking is the disregard for human life。 Two examples were the “Nord-OST siege” and the Beslan school hostage crisis。 In the former he gassed a theatre filled with terrorists/hostages during a direct assault - all but one of the 130 hostage casualties was due to the gas。 The second was a similar hostage situation where the KGB refused to negotiate and instead fired incindiaries at the roof of a gymnasium full of hundreds of hostages， most of them children。。Kasparov is repeatedly critical of the west’s policy of engagement and appeasement - allowing Putin and his oligarchs access to the west’s economies and financial institutions， while turning a blind eye to anti-democratic practices and human rights violations。 Putin is given a mile， then takes a hundred （if the idiom seems hyperbolic， consider Ukraine）。 。。。more
Даниел Нинчев
，
Освен че е един от най-великите шахматисти за всички времена， тринадесетият световен шампион по шахмат Гари Каспаров е и борец за човешките права， както и върл критик и опонент на Владимир Путин。 Създател е на опозиционното движение "Обединен граждански фронт"， борещо се за запазването на изборната демокрация в Русия。 В книгата си той яростно атакува руския президент， представяйки своите възгледи за режима му， описвайки го като мафиотски и авторитарен， а самия Путин многократно сравнява с Хитле Освен че е един от най-великите шахматисти за всички времена， тринадесетият световен шампион по шахмат Гари Каспаров е и борец за човешките права， както и върл критик и опонент на Владимир Путин。 Създател е на опозиционното движение "Обединен граждански фронт"， борещо се за запазването на изборната демокрация в Русия。 В книгата си той яростно атакува руския президент， представяйки своите възгледи за режима му， описвайки го като мафиотски и авторитарен， а самия Путин многократно сравнява с Хитлер по начина， по който се е издигнал на власт。 Авторът описва политическата обстановка в Русия в края на Студената война， разпада на СССР и възхода на "Единна Русия"。 Критикува остро американската дипломация в този период и нерешителността на Запада да се противопостави на Путин с оглед икономическите интереси на някои държави。 Засегнати са темите за чудовищните войни в Чечня， сръбските зверства при разпада на Югославия и войната в Косово， авторитарните режими в други изостанали държави по света， както и отговорността， която руската администрация носи за всичко това。 Отделя голямо внимание и на руската агресия в Грузия и Украйна и обяснява как мекият и страхлив тон на Запада към Путин са допринесли за военната криза в тези държави。 Каспаров споделя множество лични истории от борбата си за демократизиране на руското общество и как това се отразява на шахматната му кариера и на личния му живот， как е бил задържан и пребиван в ареста， а по-късно и принуден да емигрира。 Разказва за своите срещи с високопоставени политици от различни държави， за отношенията му с други руски политически формации， журналисти и борци за свободата на словото и човешките права в Русия， някои от които са били неправомерно арестувани， измъчвани или убити。Накрая изказва своето разбиране за това как западните лидери трябва да подходят към режима на Владимир Путин。 。。。more
Hannah
，
I picked up this book because I didn't know much about the situation in Russia。 And I did learn more。 In that， the book fulfilled it's promise。 But it was hard to stay focused。 Maybe the topic didn't interest me as much as I hoped。 Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess champion who then moved into politics and fighting for Russia's freedom。 He's now on lists and fears to return to Russia for his safety。 I found his little snippets about his life fascinating and wish that this had been a bit more of I picked up this book because I didn't know much about the situation in Russia。 And I did learn more。 In that， the book fulfilled it's promise。 But it was hard to stay focused。 Maybe the topic didn't interest me as much as I hoped。 Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess champion who then moved into politics and fighting for Russia's freedom。 He's now on lists and fears to return to Russia for his safety。 I found his little snippets about his life fascinating and wish that this had been a bit more of a memoir because I wanted to know about his journey。 Instead， we were offered a paragraph here or there。This book is very researched and he knows his stuff。 I hate to say that it sounded dry because it was about people being oppressed， but it did feel a little dry。 。。。more
Diana Willemsen
，
Te groot egodocument tegen een interessante achtergrond。
Socrate
，
Pe 19 august 1991， CNN transmitea în direct tentativa de lovitură de stat îndreptată împotriva președintelui sovietic Mihail Gorbaciov。 Aliați cu KGB， adepții liniei dure din interiorul regimului comunist aflat în plină dezintegrare îl sechestraseră pe Gorbaciov la vila lui de vacanță din Crimeea și declaraseră stare de urgență。 Presa din întreaga lume era luată cu asalt de analiști și politicieni， îngrijorați că puciul avea să însemne sfârșitul brusc al programului de perestroika sau chiar debu Pe 19 august 1991， CNN transmitea în direct tentativa de lovitură de stat îndreptată împotriva președintelui sovietic Mihail Gorbaciov。 Aliați cu KGB， adepții liniei dure din interiorul regimului comunist aflat în plină dezintegrare îl sechestraseră pe Gorbaciov la vila lui de vacanță din Crimeea și declaraseră stare de urgență。 Presa din întreaga lume era luată cu asalt de analiști și politicieni， îngrijorați că puciul avea să însemne sfârșitul brusc al programului de perestroika sau chiar debutul unui război civil， întrucât tancurile pătrunseseră deja în centrul Moscovei。 Am apărut ca invitat la emisiunea lui Larry King din acea seară， împreună cu fostul ambasador american la ONU， Jeane Kirkpatrick， un profesor din California și un fost agent KGB。 Doar eu am susținut că puciul nu avea nici o șansă de succes și că avea să fie înăbușit în mai puțin de 48 de ore， și nu în câteva luni， așa cum preconizau Kirkpatrick și ceilalți。 Liderii puciștilor nu aveau nici un fel de sprijin popular， am atras eu atenția， iar tentativa lor de a pune capăt reformelor de care se temeau că vor distruge Uniunea Republicilor Sovietice Socialiste era condamnată la eșec。 Și birocrația conducătoare era， de asemenea， divizată， mulți simțind că aveau mai multe oportunități de dezvoltare în cazul dispariției sistemului sovietic。 Opiniile mele au fost confirmate pe deplin， când președintele rus Boris Elțîn s-a urcat， printr-o inițiativă devenită faimoasă， pe un tanc， populația Moscovei a ieșit în stradă pentru libertate și democrație， iar cabala liderilor puciști și-a dat seama că poporul îi e potrivnic。 Puciștii s-au predat două zile mai târziu。 Tentativa de puci nu doar că eșuase， dar accelerase fărâmițarea Uniunii Sovietice， prezentând oamenilor din URSS posibilitatea unei alegeri clare。 Dizolvarea Uniunii și un viitor independent constituiau variante puțin riscante， e adevărat， dar nu puteau fi mai rele decât prezentul totalitar。 Ca niște piese de domino， fostele republici sovietice au început să-și proclame independența una dupa alta， în lunile ce au urmat。 La Moscova， după două zile de la eșecul puciului， o mulțime entuziastă a dărâmat statuia lui Dzerjinski， supranumit „Felix cel de Fier“， temutul fondator al poliției secrete sovietice， statuie aflată în fața sediului KGB。 Astăzi， mi-e greu să citesc declarațiile pe care oamenii din acea mulțime le-au făcut presei fără să mă cuprindă emoția。 „Astfel începe procesul nostru de purificare“， spunea liderul unui sindicat al minerilor， în vreme ce un preot ortodox afirma: „Vom distruge enorma， periculoasa， tiranica mașinărie a KGB“。 Mulțimea scanda „Jos KGB！“ și „Svo-bo-da！“ – cuvântul rusesc pentru „libertate“。 Polițiștii și-au dat jos caschetele pentru a se alătura marșului， iar mesaje precum „Călăii KGB trebuie judecați！“ au fost scrijelite pe soclul hulitei statui。 Un doctor considera că protestul era diferit de cele din lunile precedente: „Ne simțim ca și cum ne-am fi născut din nou“。 Prin urmare， pare șocant faptul că， opt ani mai târziu， pe 31 decembrie 1999， un fost locotenent-colonel din cadrul KGB devenea președintele Rusiei。 。。。more
Jeffrey Leonards
，
Anybody who's lived through autocracy can see what's building in America。 Kasparov is bold，erudite and insightful in warning us while there's still time （or is there？）。 Madeleine Albright's book is a good companion。 Anybody who's lived through autocracy can see what's building in America。 Kasparov is bold，erudite and insightful in warning us while there's still time （or is there？）。 Madeleine Albright's book is a good companion。 。。。more
coolwind
，
The book provides one view。 However， the author’s view doesn’t seem practical。 Every country’s problem needs to be solved ultimately by its own people。 Putting too much emphasis on other countries’ efforts doesn’t work。
Christopher （Donut）
，
"。。。 For his uncontested return to the presidency Putin locked down the capital， turning the center of Moscow into Pyongyang。 He has since shown no hesitation in persecuting activists， leaders， lawyers， scientists， or even musicians who dare challenge his power publicly。 The phase of attempting to create popular outrage by going through the motions of sham elections was over。 Despite the government propaganda， most Russians knew the system was a cruel joke， but this knowledge was not in itself s "。。。 For his uncontested return to the presidency Putin locked down the capital， turning the center of Moscow into Pyongyang。 He has since shown no hesitation in persecuting activists， leaders， lawyers， scientists， or even musicians who dare challenge his power publicly。 The phase of attempting to create popular outrage by going through the motions of sham elections was over。 Despite the government propaganda， most Russians knew the system was a cruel joke， but this knowledge was not in itself sufficient to get millions of people to risk their safety and freedom against a well-armed police state。"。。。 And so， the presidential election of March 4， 2012， the most fraudulent in Russian history， was proclaimed “fair and clean” by the state-controlled media。 Peaceful civilian protests were dubbed “extremist provocations，” and the OMON riot police who brutally suppressed the protestors were “maintaining order。” 。。。more
Ann O'Leary
，
Excellent overview of how we continue to placate Putin - and any dictator - at our peril。 And yet we continue to despite all his does， thinking he plays even vaguely by the same rules。 An excellent read about the nature and motivations of the modern dictator but also how toothless modern democratic entities （the US， UK， Germany， France， UN， EU， NATO） have become。
Martin Tolton
，
As 13th Chess World Champion under both the USSR and Russian flags Garry Kasparov was uniquely positioned to observe the dichotomy between the east and the west over the last four decades。 In this book he connects the dots between the collapse of the Berlin Wall， the failure to see how Milosevic and Putin capitalized on the west's complacency and failure to grasp that dictators mean to do what they say even if they are lying about everything else。 Kasparov highlights that the west is distracted As 13th Chess World Champion under both the USSR and Russian flags Garry Kasparov was uniquely positioned to observe the dichotomy between the east and the west over the last four decades。 In this book he connects the dots between the collapse of the Berlin Wall， the failure to see how Milosevic and Putin capitalized on the west's complacency and failure to grasp that dictators mean to do what they say even if they are lying about everything else。 Kasparov highlights that the west is distracted by oil， kleptocracy money， and even the Olympics to the point of giving industrial human rights， and international law violations a free pass。Kasparov's writing can jump around between places and eras。 His writing can be ponderous and klunky at times overly relying on proverbs and tenuously connected quotes。 This should not dissuade the reader from taking advantage of this unique perspective from one of thecgreat minds of our time。 If the reader appreciates chess allegories， they will surely like Kasparov's analysis。For the academic， this work provides a treasure trove of ideas in international relations and humanitarian law。 。。。more
Carter
，
I guess this may be an attempt to make Kasparov， a bit of a statesmen; it doesn't seem to work too well on many levels， since his knowledge， of Putin's rise， and regime， seems quite thin。 A lot of other author's have much more detailed histories， or perhaps anecdotal and personal information， of Putin， than is presented here。 I guess this may be an attempt to make Kasparov， a bit of a statesmen; it doesn't seem to work too well on many levels， since his knowledge， of Putin's rise， and regime， seems quite thin。 A lot of other author's have much more detailed histories， or perhaps anecdotal and personal information， of Putin， than is presented here。 。。。more
Mike
，
Kasparov’s book is a harsh look at Russia since the rise of Putin。 Kasparov provides strong critiques of all the western leaders who dealt with Putin （up to 2015 when the book was published）。 The only one who comes off in a positive vein is John McCain in the 2008 election。 McCain sees Russia as the malign force it really has become。 Clinton （working with Yeltsin）， Bush， Obama， the European leaders all want to ignore the looming problems， hoping things will work out for the best: Needless to sa Kasparov’s book is a harsh look at Russia since the rise of Putin。 Kasparov provides strong critiques of all the western leaders who dealt with Putin （up to 2015 when the book was published）。 The only one who comes off in a positive vein is John McCain in the 2008 election。 McCain sees Russia as the malign force it really has become。 Clinton （working with Yeltsin）， Bush， Obama， the European leaders all want to ignore the looming problems， hoping things will work out for the best: Needless to say; the memoirs written with the benefit of hindsight are far more critical of Putin than the contemporary comments。 Only a rare few have the honesty to admit they were mistaken about Putin， or worse， that he fooled them。 （view spoiler）[ The cumulative impression is that everyone knew Putin had troubling autocratic tendencies but didn’t believe it was worth making an effort to challenge those tendencies early on when it would have been much easier to do so。 After all， Russia’s relationship with the West was already on the rocks and the Russians were looking for a strongman anyway， went their logic。 So why not hope for a fresh start with the new guy？ It was a difficult position for Western leaders to be in。 Putin spoke the language of reform and Russia’s post-Soviet difficulties very well and he had none of Yeltsin’s baggage or bluster。 When they looked at his actions， however， the picture was very different。 I recently asked my friend and US State Department veteran Steve Sestanovich what surprised or worried him most about Putin in the early days。 His reply is an excellent introduction to how the West struggled to understand the new Russian leader and what this meant for Russia: From the very beginning “Putinism” was an uneasy package that honestly we didn’t know how to handle。 On one side there was the reformist talk of his campaign platform， and his blunt statements about how far Russia had fallen behind the West。 All that seemed encouraging。 But there was also the relentless shutting-down of independent media—and the scorched earth campaign in Chechnya。 That was disturbing。 Who was this guy？ I remember a conversation that Madeleine Albright had in her office in the spring of 2000 with a Russian visitor， one of the most influential figures of the Yeltsin era。 She asked me to sit in。 He said to us， “I want you to know that Russia now has the best successor to Boris Yeltsin we could have hoped for。 We also have a president who is going to be rolling back some of our democratic achievements。 He is going to attack press freedoms first。 Here we who support him count on you to oppose him。” I came out of that meeting thinking， how are we ever going to get this right？ （hide spoiler）] From Bush’s cringe-worthy “got a sense of Putin's soul” to Obama’s “We want Russia to play its rightful role as a great nation” as Russian tanks were rolling into Ukraine （the second European country he had invaded）， Kasparov shows the fecklessness of Western leaders， e。g。， Cameron， Merkel， Sarkozy， etc。 in response to Putin’s actions。 Hillary’s equally cringe-worthy Russian “reset/overcharge” comment （and cartoonish button） comes in for muted criticism， probably because this book was published as the 2016 presidential campaign was underway with her as the favored winner。 Kasparov probably didn’t want to piss off someone who he planned to lobby for sanctions against Russia。 German and French leaders， especially Gerhard Schroder， are equally shredded。One event， the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 （MH17）， encapsulated Kasparov’s assessment of how the West handled Russia problems:（view spoiler）[ This fecklessness was sad and expected， but I thought it might finally come to an end on July 17 when Malaysia Airlines flight 17 （MH17） was blown out of the sky over Eastern Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile， killing all 298 people aboard。 The local separatist leadership immediately boasted about shooting down what they had thought was another Ukrainian military plane， only recanting their statements and deleting their posts when it was revealed to have been a civilian aircraft。 Of course， the shock and horror would turn to rage and shame among the leaders of the free world that the war in Ukraine had been allowed to fester。 Of course， Putin would realize he’d overplayed his hand and attempt to preempt the backlash by withdrawing his forces and his support for Ukrainian separatist terrorists。 Of course， the fact that two-thirds of the passengers were European （193 of them Dutch） would lead to massive Western Protests and stiff penalties against Russia。 Of course， none of that happened。 I said at the time that MH17 wouldn’t change Putin’s calculations in any way， but I hoped it would provoke a Western response that would。 Somehow， I managed to underestimate the cowardice of the Western world once again。 The rhetoric changed a little， and briefly， but little else。 （hide spoiler）]The news media in Russia was taken over by Putin allies or shutdown。 Opposition leaders are jailed， exiled and/or killed so there is no remaining opposition。 And no help from the West for the assault on Ukraine:（view spoiler）[ This vocabulary of cowardice emanating from Berlin and Washington is as disgraceful as the “black is white” propaganda produced by Putin’s regime， and even more dangerous。 Moscow’s smokescreens are hardly necessary in the face of so much willful blindness。 Putin’s lies are obvious and expected。 European leaders and the White House are even more eager than the Kremlin to pretend this conflict is local and so requires nothing more than vague promises from a very safe distance。 As George Orwell wrote in his 1946 essay on language， right before starting work on his novel 1984 （surely not a coincidence）， “But if thought corrupts language， language can also corrupt thought。” The Western rhetoric of appeasement creates a self-reinforcing loop of mental and moral corruption。 Speaking the truth now would mean confessing to many months of lies， just as it took years—and this war—for Western leaders to finally admit Putin didn’t belong in the G7。 New Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko met with President Obama in Washington in September 2014， but Obama’ subsequent statement showed no sign he was willing to acknowledge reality。 Generic wishes about “mobilizing the international community” were bad enough when it all started。 Hearing them repeated as Ukrainian towns fell to Russian troops is a parody。 I suggested at the time that Poroshenko should have worn a T-shirt saying “It’s a War， Stupid” to the meeting。 As Russian tanks and artillery push back the overmatched Ukrainian forces， Obama’ repeated insistence that there is no military solution in Ukraine was delusional。 （hide spoiler）]According to Kasparov， the right way to view Putin is as the “capo di tutti capi”。 （view spoiler）[ The Godfather trilogy is a good place to start， but do not leave out The Last Don， Omerta， and The Sicilian。 The rise of Vladimir Putin and his St。 Petersburg clan has been described as Machiavellian， but it is better described by the achievements of Don Vito Corleone: the web of betrayals， the secrecy， and the blurred lines between what is business， what is government， and what is criminal—it’s all there in Puzo’s books。 A historian could look at the Kremlin in 2007 and see elements of Mussolini’s corporate state， Latin American juntas， and Mexico’s pseudo-democratic Institutional Revolutionary Party machine。 A Puzo fan sees the Putin government more accurately: a strict hierarchy， extortion， intimidation， a tough-guy image， a long string of convenient deaths among leading critics， eliminating traitors， the code of secrecy and loyalty， and， above all， a mandate to keep the revenue flowing。 In other words， a mafia。 As long as you are loyal to the capo， he will protect you。 If one of the inner circle goes against the capo， his life is forfeit。 Once Russia’s richest man， Mikhail Khodorkovsky， wanted to go straight and run his Yukos oil company as a legitimate corporation and not as another cog in Putin’s KGB crime family。 （hide spoiler）]I had to chuckle at "Operation Medvedev"， Kasparov's name for how Putin could retain his power while maintaining a facade for the West so he could continue to reap the benefits of Western recognition such as part of the G-8:（view spoiler）[ Medvedev the human being was， and is， completely irrelevant。 But the idea of a Medvedev， the idea of a young liberal president who might turn the country back toward the path of modernity， that was very， very useful。 You can almost envision Putin and his inner circle in a laboratory， designing the ideal Medvedev。 He had to be fresh-faced and bright-eyed and capable of spouting reformist jargon for the intelligentsia and keeping a straight face while politely acknowledging that things in Russia weren’t all great， but were definitely going to improve。 The Medvedev also couldn’t have any mind， ambition， or power base of his own， just in case。 Finally， he also needed to be shorter than Putin and with even less charisma， a very rare combination indeed。 Fortunately for Putin， he happened to have one on hand right in his own cabinet。 （hide spoiler）]I have to give this one 4 Stars as his ability to provide context for all the info provided。 A serious picture of Russia and the West by someone who knows the territory。 。。。more
Keen
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3。5 Stars！“Dictators seem to learn from history much better than democrats。”You can accuse Garry Kasparov of many things， modesty or low self-esteem are not among them。 The thing that becomes apparent fairly early on in here， is that he and this book desperately lack a sense of balance and objectivity。 But then that comes with good and bad baggage。 He doesn’t do a good job of disguising his bitterness for communism and its leaders， and is particularly scathing on Gorbachev and the myths around h 3。5 Stars！“Dictators seem to learn from history much better than democrats。”You can accuse Garry Kasparov of many things， modesty or low self-esteem are not among them。 The thing that becomes apparent fairly early on in here， is that he and this book desperately lack a sense of balance and objectivity。 But then that comes with good and bad baggage。 He doesn’t do a good job of disguising his bitterness for communism and its leaders， and is particularly scathing on Gorbachev and the myths around him。 He also has plenty to say about Obama， Clinton and other American leaders， almost all of it spot on。Where he is probably at his strongest， is with his criticism of the West and the many excruciating and cowardly ways the leaders have consistently downplayed and ignored what Putin has done。 How they continue to turn a blind eye to the clamping down on civil liberties and wide scale oppression， corruption and torture， imprisonment and state killings of journalists， politicians and other civilians， home and abroad。 He ridicules the rest of the world for playing the old if we pretend not to know what’s going on then we won’t be responsible for reacting to it。 He makes the very valid point that it is through this culture of inaction and in some cases support of Putin， only serves to legitimise and strengthen him and his regime and ultimately this is what led to the likes of the annexation of Crimea and the subsequent shooting down of MH-17 （which resulted in the killing of 298 civilians）。“The hypocrisy of condemning weak dictatorships while embracing strong ones destroys American and European credibility and undermines any attempt at global leadership。”There are some peculiarities in here， for instance I have no idea where he got the idea that Russia was the world’s biggest oil producer from？。。。Elsewhere he is certainly fond of a Churchill quote， quoting him on at least four occasions。 Churchill a man of course who let millions die of famine under then British controlled Bengal region in the 40s， the same Churchill who’s incompetence led to thousands of deaths at Gallipoli and the same Churchill who was all for using gas attacks on civilians in Iraq。 A man who personifies the worst excesses of racist， elite， war mongering， white， western privilege， which led to the mass slaughter in the trenches of Europe during WWI。There are times when Kasparov gets a tad carried away， like comparing Putin to Hitler， which is lazy， clichéd， unhelpful and almost totally irrelevant。 He refers to President Truman as “A great hero in my estimation。” Now not only was Truman an ignorant anti-Semite， but this is the man who is responsible for dropping not one， but two atomic bombs on the civilians of Hiroshima and Nagasaki。 Still the only man to do so。 Kasparov calls him a hero but Putin is the bad guy？。。。So overall this was an interesting read， and Kasparov certainly has plenty to say and has an important role to play in raising awareness and agitating Putin and his cronies。 He may be full of himself， exhaustive in his self-praise， and totally biased， but regardless of his personality， he remains a force for good and positivity and good luck to him。 He has done and continues to do more than most Western political leaders in tackling Putin， and for that he should be applauded。 。。。more
William
，
The Chessman vs。 The Strongman。 Sometimes I forgot which was the pawn and which was the horsey and which was king and queen。
Rob
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While I am not qualified to thoroughly assess all his conclusions， I find myself deeply challenged by Kasparov's perspective on Russian politics。 When the wall came down in 1989， I was 19 and had just joined the U。S。 Army National Guard。 I badly wanted to believe the end of communism would mean a Democratic Russia。 Kasparov's writing has caused me to take a second， longer， hopefully more mature look at world politcs。 While I am not qualified to thoroughly assess all his conclusions， I find myself deeply challenged by Kasparov's perspective on Russian politics。 When the wall came down in 1989， I was 19 and had just joined the U。S。 Army National Guard。 I badly wanted to believe the end of communism would mean a Democratic Russia。 Kasparov's writing has caused me to take a second， longer， hopefully more mature look at world politcs。 。。。more
Diana
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I don't agree with some of his views， nevertheless， it is an interesting read。 Definetely recommend to a western reader in order to understand the current situation in Russia（you will need some background knowledge maybe start with Politkovskaya， Khlebnikov or Khodorkovsky）。 As Mr。 Kasparov mentioned: it might be Russia's problem， yet it soon might become everyone else's。 I don't agree with some of his views， nevertheless， it is an interesting read。 Definetely recommend to a western reader in order to understand the current situation in Russia（you will need some background knowledge maybe start with Politkovskaya， Khlebnikov or Khodorkovsky）。 As Mr。 Kasparov mentioned: it might be Russia's problem， yet it soon might become everyone else's。 。。。more
Eric C Abrahamsen
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I am on the same page as the author that the West must force Russia to behave and there are actions that the West can take like freezing the accounts of the criminal ruling elite there and not letting them travel or do business with the West。 The book is very repetitive and the author is very biased towards some Western leaders and very forgiving toward George W Bush despite his incompetence。 The author didn’t tell both sides of Clinton wag the dog story， instead repeating Republican propaganda I am on the same page as the author that the West must force Russia to behave and there are actions that the West can take like freezing the accounts of the criminal ruling elite there and not letting them travel or do business with the West。 The book is very repetitive and the author is very biased towards some Western leaders and very forgiving toward George W Bush despite his incompetence。 The author didn’t tell both sides of Clinton wag the dog story， instead repeating Republican propaganda about the incident。 Does anyone today believe that Clinton attack on Bin Laden after he attached the USS Cole was an unnecessary distraction from the impeachment。？Putin is an animal and a threat to the West。 I do agree with that which is the main reason to recommend this book。 。。。more
Jeff Rollins
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Clear-eyed warnings about the threats all liberal democracies face。 Things have only gotten worse since publication。 Also， as a kick， enjoy the Putin-backed troll reviews here。 Rampant whataboutism。 My lady doth protest too much。
Steven Chernikeeff
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Biased nonsense
Tracy
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A well-informed account of Russia's descent into Hell， from someone who was there。 A well-informed account of Russia's descent into Hell， from someone who was there。 。。。more
glyn jones
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interesting view of Putin written by former world chess champion Garry Kasparov
Murray
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What came through most strongly for me was not that Russia is the USSR again 。。。 most people should see the 21st century Russia for the dictatorship it is by now （no free elections， no free press or media， no justice system or courts free to administer a rule of law or protect human rights， the invasion and annexation and occupation of other countries， political assassinations， crushing all dissent and imprisoning those who stand in opposition to Vladimir Putin）。 It was the high degree of appeas What came through most strongly for me was not that Russia is the USSR again 。。。 most people should see the 21st century Russia for the dictatorship it is by now （no free elections， no free press or media， no justice system or courts free to administer a rule of law or protect human rights， the invasion and annexation and occupation of other countries， political assassinations， crushing all dissent and imprisoning those who stand in opposition to Vladimir Putin）。 It was the high degree of appeasement of Western democracies in Europe and North America。 Obama and Trump are the two obvious American examples but Germany has been no different。 You’d think our democracies would have learned the lesson that refusing to stand up to dictators like Putin， and offering them all kinds of perks， does not entice them to become leaders of democracies， as if they suddenly see the light。 It only emboldens them to lead stronger and more ruthless totalitarian states。 That is what is so unsettling。 Trade deals with the New Soviet Union matter more than the destruction and corruption their dictatorship is visiting upon their own people and in nations around the world。 The Cold War continues today without much kickback from global democracies。 No， Russia is not becoming less dictatorial because democracies are treating it with kid gloves。 It is becoming more dictatorial。 Just as bullies continue to bully the more they are allowed to get away with it。I’ve been doing a lot of research on Communist China as well。 Although American leaders from Nixon to Obama did the same thing with the repressive totalitarian state centered in Beijing — appeasement which changed nothing — a harder if acerbic line was taken under Trump to not play ball the Chinese way。 And the early indications are the next US administration will not take the false pathway of appeasement either。 Will other democracies like Canada and European nations follow suit when it comes to Beijing and Moscow？ Or will they continue to treat totalitarian regimes as if they are one step away from being democracies when the evidence clearly shows otherwise？ Kasparov， whose books on chess I enjoy， writes lucidly， cogently and with passion， as a Russian ex-pat， on the lapse of his homeland back into an extremist state after a brief experience with democracy in the 1990s。 The so-called election of Putin halted all that as he began to set himself up， as Franco did， to be president for life。 A process that continues so that Putin is able to exude his totalitarian poison into all regions of the world。 Russia has been under the rule of strong men and women from the beginning。 The era of autocrats and tsars has never truly ended。 It continues into the first quarter of the 21st century。 Kasparov’s potent book is a ringing call to democracies to stand up to totalitarian states like Putin’s Russia so that the free world is not increasingly diminished by our submission to and acquiescence with their oppressive demands and dictates。 Yes， I know our democracies are not free of their own failures and tyrannies。 Nevertheless those fails still remain far from the cruel excesses and iron rule of our planet’s dark autocracies。 。。。more
Maxim Kavin
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Если вы решили прочесть эту книгу， - значит вы， скорее всего， имеете оппозиционные взгляды。 Но для российского оппозиционера Гарри Каспаров не изобрёл в своей книге велосипед - в ней приводится рассказ о том， как сформировался нынешний режим， и почему нужно с ним бороться。Но если вы хотите выучить английский язык или прокачать его， эта книга поможет вам в ваших начинаниях - известные вам события описаны на другом языке - нет ничего лучше， чтобы выучить английский。
Cyndee
，
I didn't learn a whole lot from this book that I hadn't already learned from better books on Putin's Russia， such as Masha Gessen's Man without a Face and Arkady Ostrovsky's The Invention of Russia。 Nevertheless， the informational content is mostly good and excels when Kasparov shares his personal experiences。 However， Kasparov has a very strong political slant and his perspective is very pro-Cold War US policy - highly interventionist against communism。 Kasparov says this is because of concern I didn't learn a whole lot from this book that I hadn't already learned from better books on Putin's Russia， such as Masha Gessen's Man without a Face and Arkady Ostrovsky's The Invention of Russia。 Nevertheless， the informational content is mostly good and excels when Kasparov shares his personal experiences。 However， Kasparov has a very strong political slant and his perspective is very pro-Cold War US policy - highly interventionist against communism。 Kasparov says this is because of concern for human rights but he ignores that the US policy often supported brutal dictators solely because they were pro-US。 He lives in a world where the US was once a moral leader because of anti-communist policies when this is just simply not true。 And a good portion of the book consists of him berating the US/Europe for not being interventionist enough against Putin， including starting a ground war if necessary。 I agree that Putin is dangerous and was badly underestimated by the West but the constant recriminations aren't helpful。 。。。more
Earl
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