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pamietnikzczytelni's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
mogreig's review against another edition
5.0
The most alarming part of this book is that it is not a crime novel but the reality of what we are living.
I was utterly shocked at the level of corruption in the UK and how govts have been turning a blind eye for decades.
Reading this book makes it clear why Putin has started a war in Ukraine. He has been teasing the West with this for many years.
I fear for our future if we don't deal with Putting now.
I was utterly shocked at the level of corruption in the UK and how govts have been turning a blind eye for decades.
Reading this book makes it clear why Putin has started a war in Ukraine. He has been teasing the West with this for many years.
I fear for our future if we don't deal with Putting now.
jannenemarie's review
4.0
I won a copy of this from a Goodreads giveaway. The book was very informative and easy to follow. It didn’t feel like you were just being thrown facts, it had a flow that quite a few non-fiction books rarely provide.
Putin is a very scary man who has a far reach.
Putin is a very scary man who has a far reach.
marshaskrypuch's review
5.0
This is a sobering look at the lengths Vladimir Putin will go to in order to torture and murder anyone who opposes his iron fist over Russia and the former Soviet republics. Heidi Blake focuses particularly on the oligarchs who took refuge in the UK once Putin took over from Yeltsin. They thought they had put in a grey man who could be easily manipulated, just like Yeltsin, but right from the get-go, Putin showed that he was in charge and would go to any lengths to keep power and wealth to himself. This included staging terrorist attacks against Russians so he could attack Chechnya and make Chechens an enemy people could focus on. The bombing of apartment blocks in Buynaksk, Moscow and Volgodonsk was a PR stunt by the FSG (secret service) to bolster Putin's approval ratings right before the 1999 election. The terrorist attack at the Moscow theatre and the Beslan school siege were all orchestrated by the FSG to manipulate public sympathies and keep Putin in charge as the strong man.
These are all side-stories though. The oligarchs who thought they would hold power after installing Putin to replace Yeltsin fled, mostly to the UK, because the law there was very lax when it came to investigating fraud and theft on the magnitude that these oligarchs had carried out as the Soviet Union crumbled. In fact, the UK welcomed their money and investments.
These men lived in high style and were welcomed into the upper echelons of society but they were also funding groups that were fighting for democracy -- not for an end goal of democracy, but in hopes that it would erode Putin's power. For example, they channeled money into the various colour revolutions -- the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Rose Revolution in Georgia in the hopes of getting a sweet deal afterwards with the new government. When it didn't work out for them, they'd work against those same groups.
But over the years, Putin orchestrated the assassination of each one of them, often in full view and with little investigation (and often outright cover-up) on the part of the British.
While the CIA was much more adept at keeping defectors safe, the US was not immune to assassinations either, although it was rare.
A compelling and sickening read. Kudos to Heidi Blake and Buzzfeed for what they've been able to do.
These are all side-stories though. The oligarchs who thought they would hold power after installing Putin to replace Yeltsin fled, mostly to the UK, because the law there was very lax when it came to investigating fraud and theft on the magnitude that these oligarchs had carried out as the Soviet Union crumbled. In fact, the UK welcomed their money and investments.
These men lived in high style and were welcomed into the upper echelons of society but they were also funding groups that were fighting for democracy -- not for an end goal of democracy, but in hopes that it would erode Putin's power. For example, they channeled money into the various colour revolutions -- the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the Rose Revolution in Georgia in the hopes of getting a sweet deal afterwards with the new government. When it didn't work out for them, they'd work against those same groups.
But over the years, Putin orchestrated the assassination of each one of them, often in full view and with little investigation (and often outright cover-up) on the part of the British.
While the CIA was much more adept at keeping defectors safe, the US was not immune to assassinations either, although it was rare.
A compelling and sickening read. Kudos to Heidi Blake and Buzzfeed for what they've been able to do.
tacanderson's review
informative
3.5
Probably not that shocking to anyone, but still pretty jaw dropping with the audacity of Putin and his activities, especially in England. Listened to the audio book and the narration was excellent.