All the Kremlin's men Inside the court of Vladimir Putin

Review by Choice Review

Zygar worked as the editor-in-chief of the famous TV station Rain (Dozhd). In this book, he offers a unique assessment of Putin's role in Russian politics from 2000 to 2015. Zygar's evaluations are based on various documents, a good selection of valuable open sources, and personal interviews with notable representatives of Putin's team and members of the opposition. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Boris Berezovsky, Sergei Ivanov, Vladislav Surkov, Igor Shuvalov, and Alexei Kudrin are among the leading characters in this book. In the beginning of the volume, there is a list of its characters with a brief description. Zygar covers the key decisions made by Putin in domestic politics and foreign policy, and finds that against expectations it is not only Putin who always makes the most important decisions for his country single-headedly. In fact, Putin is the mind who incorporates the opinions of dozens of people on a daily basis when he makes decisions concerning the fate of Russia. The book is translated well and is accessible to all levels of readership. Overall, Zygar has made a substantial contribution in the study of Putin's Russia. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals. --Yury Polsky, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

As journalist Zygar notes in the introduction, the book he set out to write, a history of Russia under Vladimir Putin, is not the book he ended up with, as the political figures he interviewed could not tell the same story nor match their versions of events with what actually happened. As a result, the book, published to acclaim first in Russian, views Putin from four fascinating perspectives: Putin I the Lionheart, Putin II the Magnificent, Prince Dmitry, and Putin the Terrible. Even the most casual follower of Russian politics will be stunned to recall the mass gas poisonings at the performance of Nord-Ost, the Kursk submarine disaster, the hostage takers on the first day of school in Beslan, the poisoning and disfigurement of politician Viktor Yushchenko not to mention the wars and interventions. What Zygar discovered is that, over time, the unplanned was deemed planned, and the mishandled deemed suitably handled. Russian leadership, Zygar states, was duped by its own propaganda. Chillingly, one chapter is titled World War III. A good companion for Arkady Ostrovsky's The Invention of Russia (2016).--Kinney, Eloise Copyright 2016 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Library Journal Review

Zygar is a highly experienced journalist associated with Russia's disappearing independent media, and his book provides a detailed chronicle of Vladimir Putin's rule. The author depicts an unusual authoritarian governing style reconciling Putin's absolute power with a varied cavalcade of chief advisors. At his best, Zygar interprets intersecting webs of legal and political power wielded by shifting loyalties, tactics, and agendas. For some, such as Nikolai -Patrushev, the former director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), ties to Putin may be redeemed in prosperous political longevity. The more common fate shared by many with the "tandem" president and "liberal" Dmitry -Medvedev express sporadic conflict and political humiliation. Episodic events such as the annexation of Crimea, war in Chechnya, and the oppositional Bolotnaya mass protest are described in detail. Putin's unpredictability becomes mired in assumptions contrary to Western thinking. The content is well explained and consistently plausible, but in depending on extensive personal interviews, some accounts cannot be confirmed. Far less plausible are prospects for any "reset" in Russian-American relations. VERDICT This excellent book contains a continuous account of Putin's years in power seasoned with details that are poorly known to most readers, if known at all.-Zachary Irwin, -Behrend Coll., Pennsylvania State Erie © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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