by Peter Baker
First published 2007
Vladimir Putin consolidates power in Russia while the West watches. Washington Post Moscow correspondents Peter Baker and Susan Glasser document how Putin systematically dismantled the democratic progress Russia achieved after the Soviet collapse. The authors reveal the gap between Putin's carefully managed political theater and the reality of increasing authoritarianism. Through personal accounts and political analysis, they show how Putin's government successfully deceived Western leaders, particularly President Bush, while rolling back freedoms at home. Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski called this examination a bombshell that exposes why Putin's system lacks long-term viability. Baker and Glasser combine their firsthand reporting experience with detailed political analysis to illustrate Russia's retreat from democracy under Putin's rule.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, russia
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, political-thriller
Setting: Russia, Moscow, Washington
Period: Soviet Collapse, 21st Century
478 pages · Paperback · POTOMAC BOOKS