Putin - His Life and Times

''Magisterial'' - Guardian ''Outstanding'' - Ian Kershaw Vladimir Putin is a pariah to the West. Alone among world leaders, he has the power to reduce the United States and Europe to ashes in a nuclear firestorm and has threatened to do so. He invades his neighbours, most recently Ukraine, meddles in western elections and orders assassinations inside and outside Russia. The regime he heads is autocratic and corrupt. Yet many Russians continue to support him. Despite western sanctions, the majority have been living better than at any time in the past. By fair means or foul, under Putin''s leadership, Russia has once again become a force to be reckoned with. Philip Short''s magisterial biography explores in unprecedented depth the personality of its enigmatic and ruthless leader and demolishes many of our preconceptions about Putin''s Russia. Since becoming President in 2000, his obsession has been to restore Russia''s status as a great power, unbound by western rules. What forces and experiences shaped him? What led him to challenge the American-led world order that has kept the peace since the end of the Cold War? To explain is not to justify. Putin''s regime is dark. He pursues his goals relentlessly by whatever means he thinks fit. But on closer examination, much of what we think we know about him turns out to rest on half-truths. This book is as close as we will come to understanding Russia''s ruler. It also makes us revise long-held assumptions about the course of global politics since the end of the Cold War.

Product details

• Authors: Philip Short, Short Philip
• Publisher: Vintage UK
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 04.05.2023
• EAN: 9781784700935
• ISBN: 978-1-78470-093-5
• No. of pages: 866
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 50 mm
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Politics, society, business > Politics; NATO, Russia, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Political, HISTORY / Modern / 21st Century, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Russian & Former Soviet Union, 21st Century, Political leaders & leadership, HISTORY / Russia & the Former Soviet Union, USSR, Soviet Union, Early 21st century c 2000 to c 2050, Political leaders and leadership, The Cold War, Cold wars and proxy conflicts, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)