Publisher's Weekly Review
In the latest saga of corruption and geopolitics from Lourie (Sakharov: A Biography), he proves a master chronicler of modern Russia. The book chronicles Vladimir Putin's rise to power, beginning with Putin's early days as a loyal KGB agent. Lourie examines the U.S.S.R.'s downfall and Russia's chaotic postcommunist political climate, which propelled Putin's ascension from the inconspicuous role of deputy chief of property, to first prime minister and later president. His main argument is that Putin's Russia will eventually fall. To prove this point, he goes in-depth on Putin's interest in the Arctic, Ukraine, China, and the Internet. According to Lourie, Putin, like his predecessors, failed to diversify Russia's economy, relying too heavily on the country's gas and oil reserves (the latter, he observes, is called a "wasting asset because, once used, it can never be replaced"). He argues that Putin's lust for power and empire led to the annexation of Crimea and other crises. Citing other experts and drawing on his own expertise, Lourie paints a convincing portrait of a ruthless authoritarian leader headed toward failure. Lourie also exposes the other powerful players in Russian politics. This book serves as an essential primer on Putin and, by extension, Russia-a resilient but ill-fated country plagued by corrupt leaders. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
It's only a matter of time, writes longtime Russia hand Lourie (A Hatred for Tulips, 2007, etc.), before Vladimir Putin oversteps his bounds and his imperial project comes tumbling down. Or is it?There are large questions tucked away inside this provocative book, which posits that Putin's Russia will not long endure in its present iteration. Rather, it will become a more democratic power, or perhaps a more despotic one, perhaps richer or perhaps "no more than China's gas station and lumberyard." The author imagines, for instance, a scenario in which the president of Kazakhstan passes away suddenly, leaving a vacuum of power in a region now contested by several state powers, to say nothing of Islamists who will already have enlisted the support of China's Uighur population. One likely outcome might be that Russia, as it did with the Crimea, would annex Kazakhstan in order to protect the minority Russian population, dealing along the way with the Uighurs, an accidental favor to China. In all this, the balance of power would shift in Russia's favorand all because Russia has never been averse to showing force. For all that, writes Lourie, Russia is already showing signs of weakness; he sees in Putin's recent formation of a kind of army-within-the-army Praetorian guard a nervousness, a fear, while he finds in Russia's scramble for the Arctic another kind of vulnerability, since "without Western investment, equipment, and expertise, [the Arctic will be] much more difficult to exploit." Of course, many other writers have predicted Putin's downfall, and the man has to die sometime. The author does give Putin credit for a few positive accomplishments, and the author assesses a few potential replacements, including Alexei Navalny, a youngish opposition candidate who has publicly characterized Putin's party as "the party of crooks and thieves" and gotten much traction for it. Solid overall, as crystal-ball geopolitical treatises go, though with enough hedging to allow for a broad range of outcomes. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Russian president Vladimir Putin has never seemed more menacing to Americans shocked by revelations of Russian interference in the recent U.S. presidential election. Longtime Russia expert Lourie's enlightening new book examines what motivates Putin as he confronts the U.S., Russia's most existential threat. Lourie traces Putin's rise from a street-smart Saint Petersburg kid to KGB official to his breathtaking ascent to the presidency of Russia. But the most valuable chapters cover Russia's character and history. In Russia all stories are old stories, Lourie writes. The problem is they won't stay old. Americans appalled by Russia's embrace of Putin's authoritarianism forget how the country almost starved in the post-perestroika years. Lourie also explains Russia's humiliation at being encircled by NATO states and why Ukraine's membership in NATO is an intolerable threat. Putin is a failure, Lourie writes, because he squandered the opportunity to transform Russia from a country dependent on the sale of oil to a modern, technology-based economy. What comes after Putin? Lourie says Russia will suffer but survive, because Surviving is what Russians absolutely do best. --Gwinn, Mary Ann Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Lourie, a novelist, translator, journalist, and biographer (The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin) well versed in Russian culture and history, turns his sights on the polarizing figure of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This work tackles some of the most difficult questions concerning Putin's influence in global and Russian national affairs, with a novelist's eye for language and a political commentator's flair for dramatic intrigue. The author portrays Putin as a leader who has built his political career on loyalty and belief in the historical dominance of Russia as a world power, intertwining his observations with insightful explanations and commentary on current issues such as the annexation of Crimea and the struggles for control in the Arctic. Lourie's book is well researched, and his intimate experience with Russian culture and history is evident in the conclusions he draws and the fluency with which he shines a light on the Russian psyche. VERDICT The author's colorful language has a tendency to veer into alarmist propaganda at times, distracting from overall arguments. Still, this book offers an astute look at modern Russia and the man at its helm.-Elizabeth Zeitz, -Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
