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mark1669's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
This was another okay read.
I didn't find it breakingly interesting or much of a "page turner".
I still did learn a lot about Russia, just not a book I would soon recommend.
3.2/5
I didn't find it breakingly interesting or much of a "page turner".
I still did learn a lot about Russia, just not a book I would soon recommend.
3.2/5
keifer_lud's review against another edition
3.0
Listened on audiobook. It was refreshing to hear a recap of everything we've gone through politically in the modern era. Also really informative to learn about Soviet-US relations! I didn't like how the audiobook narrator did women's voices and at times. I do feel like the book could've been more accessible too. People's role would be explained once without ceremony and then the author would move on without making sure the reader understood or was connecting the threads. Had to rewind more than a few times. Overall, I really liked the book, but it was more informative than entertaining. The Alexander Hamilton quote at the end was chilling. 3 stars!
carterkalchik's review against another edition
3.0
A decent survey of U.S. and Russian covert operations during the Cold War that approaches present-day with a closer view of Putin and Russian “active measures” in Georgia, Ukraine and the 2016 U.S. election. Mostly just packages up the “greatest hits” of Cold War-era espionage, so it’s unlikely you will find anything new here if you have studied the time period, but it accomplishes this well.
I support Weiner’s rhetorical goals of sounding the alarm about Putin’s attacks on the U.S. political system, and I appreciate situating them in the wider history of Russian/Soviet “political warfare”. However, the final few chapters do feel somewhat tacked on, as if Weiner had attached a long New Yorker article about Russian interference in the 2016 election to his more historical survey.
Still a worthwhile (and very quick) read about American hubris and Russia’s approach to the modern information war.
I support Weiner’s rhetorical goals of sounding the alarm about Putin’s attacks on the U.S. political system, and I appreciate situating them in the wider history of Russian/Soviet “political warfare”. However, the final few chapters do feel somewhat tacked on, as if Weiner had attached a long New Yorker article about Russian interference in the 2016 election to his more historical survey.
Still a worthwhile (and very quick) read about American hubris and Russia’s approach to the modern information war.