Scan barcode
rebeccanotbecky's review
4.0
I'm a sucker for all of the Trump-Russia books. While many may disagree with Seth Abramson's tweet storm practice, it is without a doubt the case that his research is extensive. It's also the case that even if half of his assertions regarding the intentions of the Trump campaign are true and the remainder are not substantiated, we are already dealing with a scandal beyond most American's comprehension.
This is a dense read and not for those who haven't read some of the less dense Trump-Russia books (like Russian Roulette; dense in terms of how it's written not that any are lightweight). It's hard to read something like this and believe any of it is a coincidence let alone the majority.
This is a dense read and not for those who haven't read some of the less dense Trump-Russia books (like Russian Roulette; dense in terms of how it's written not that any are lightweight). It's hard to read something like this and believe any of it is a coincidence let alone the majority.
thesydda's review against another edition
3.0
The format was initially something to get used to, but I see the importance of it now. Seth starts with an overview of what's going on, and then repeats sections, but with additional research. This research helps to prove his point. I found this book fascinating and compulsively readable. It can be hard to keep all of the players straight, but I've heard there is an index online (because it's too big to print as part of the book).
williamstome's review against another edition
5.0
Abramson compiles the publicly available details of the Trump Russia investigation into a coherent narrative. As a factual rather than speculative account the book is dry, and likely to be superceded in the coming months by additional evidence and testimony. However, I still give the book five stars due to the sheer importance of the work.
ida_ree's review against another edition
4.0
3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I found this book valuable because it lays out a timeline of events around the Trump-Russia scandal so that the reader can see a clearer picture. When you see it all happening in order, there's a narrative arc. That said, the writing could have been a little less dry, as it does sometimes go on for a bit with a "then this happened, then that happened" type narration. I also found the format a little confusing, as some passages are repeated verbatim.
Still, there's a lot of information here, analyzed (whether you agree with the analysis or not) in a way that makes sense. Abramson draws from other sources, rather than doing his own interviews. But he does a good job with documentation. And really, I read it because I wanted to see all of the disparate bits of information I'd read assembled into one place. Though the author is careful to make the distinction, readers should also pay attention to what evidence he says is documented, and which things are just quotes from someone else who is speculating or making an undocumented claim.
Valuable for an overview of the whole big mess.
Still, there's a lot of information here, analyzed (whether you agree with the analysis or not) in a way that makes sense. Abramson draws from other sources, rather than doing his own interviews. But he does a good job with documentation. And really, I read it because I wanted to see all of the disparate bits of information I'd read assembled into one place. Though the author is careful to make the distinction, readers should also pay attention to what evidence he says is documented, and which things are just quotes from someone else who is speculating or making an undocumented claim.
Valuable for an overview of the whole big mess.
omnibozo22's review
4.0
One more in the pile of compilations of Dumbtruck's crime family saga. I'm also half-way through Michelle Obama's bio. The contrast in the family stories couldn't be stronger. Did you see baby Dummy with Pelosi and Schemer on tv today? It shouldn't take much more for the idiot (Google it) to implode entirely. That's the most hopeful scenario Abramson posits in this book. The others have no good outcomes for the US. Abramson completely ignores the evil to come if Pence becomes President. Guess we better hope he is sufficiently tainted by all the testimony that he also has to resign. Not thrilled at the prospect of a Pelosi presidency, but just about anything will beat the current gutting of the US.
ljkinkad's review
4.0
Thorough compilation of Trump’s and his associates’ legal problems, but not a lot that hasn’t been in Abramson’s Twitter feed. It was nice to have it all in one place and organized, however. I think his projections/predictions at the end are realistic.
canada_matt's review against another edition
5.0
I have decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2020 US Presidential Election. Many of these will focus on actors intricately involved in the process, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
This is Book #28 in my 2020 US Election Preparation Challenge.
While this reading challenge has taken me on some very interesting paths, I chose to turn to some more legal and analytical tomes before I run out of time. Seth Abramson has penned three decisive novels about Trump and those around him, arguing some of the substantial claims of collusion, conspiracy, corruption in the years before he became president and into his authoritarian reign. This is the first of those novels, where collusion is discussed and some strong arguments made to substantiate it. Recommended to those who enjoy the political history game and seeing how to connect some of the dots that Mueller could not make and that Trumpers refuse to acknowledge.
Even from the opening pages of his book, Seth Abramson effectively argues that business tycoon Donald Trump had a relationship with Russian oligarchs, which would have paved the way for a tie to Vladimir Putin. Trump has long been interested in putting his mark on Russia with one of his hotels, though the chance did not occur while the USSR was clinging to life. However, once Russia came into its own, Trump sought to sweeten the deal, which included helping to pull some strings and ensure that Putin noticed him in ways that could make things happen.
Abramson discusses the hoopla around ensuring Putin was pleased when his mistress won the Miss Universe Pageant, an event Trump says he was able to rig because he is that powerful. That began a bartering to make sure that Trump had doors opened for him for a Trump Tower Moscow, as well as sending the Miss Universe Pageant to the Russian capital for another of its interesting permutations.
It was at this time that there ‘may’ have been some less than germaphobe-approved events with Russian prostitutes, which could have left Trump beholden to his Russian friends, things that could (and surely would) be used to blackmail him in years to come. It was also around this time that Trump decided that he needed to curry added favour with Russia by running for office, something that may have been a long-shot, but showed that he was serious about helping Russia on the international front.
Abramson shows that Trump’s political ambitions were only part of what was going on at the time. The push to curry favour with the Russians was ongoing with various members of his family and entourage. While financial dealings were only part of the reason, it became apparent that there were fingers in all sorts of pies and Trump was aware of them. As he became a more serious contender, Russians from all walks of life came out to support or broker their own possible connections to him, which appeared only to add momentum to the connectivity, which would one day turn out to be colluding of a sort.
The tome tackles some of the proof around Russian involvement in trying to sway the election results, as they had already tipped the scales in the BREXIT vote to their favour. While Trump never thought that he would win, it appears his campaign worked hand in hand with Russians and other highly influential social media gurus to create a targeted system of ensuring that false news and fictitious events reflected poorly on Clinton, thereby paving the way for his success.
The knowledgeable reader will recognise many of the names that come out of the discussions in the book, which shows how complicit a larger group was to the collusion and helps to prove that this was not a single man’s idea. Trump could never have pulled it off, nor did he. When he miraculously won in November 2016, the wheels began to turn and the Russian promises were subtly made, inching America towards a strong and more open relationship with Russia. The were also numerous violations of the Logan Act (a piece of legislation that bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments with whom the country has an active dispute, which would include Russia at this time) by many close to Trump, as Abramson proves, though nothing was ever done by the Obama (too few days left) or the Trump Administrations (for obvious reasons). There was more, all of which would benefit Russia, but also create new and lasting ties with other nefarious countries whose help Trump would use to strengthen the connection to Moscow.
Now in power and having attain that spot because of Russian interference, Trump had to decide how to play things. He and Putin had, albeit through intermediaries, colluded to ensure Russia gained more power on the international scene and the only notable superpower did not stand in their way. With all this power and refusing to acknowledge that anything out of sorts happened, Trump needed to move forward and foster this friendship, while dodging any and all pitfalls that might await him. This leads into Abramson’s second tome, where conspiracies abound (those with substantiation, not of the Trump variety where ‘people are saying’)!
While this reading journey has opened my eyes to a great deal, Seth Abramson’s book has done that and more. Speaking of collusion is one thing, but seeing it presented in such a clear-cut fashion is another. Abramson opens by discussing that the term may not hold water in a court of law, but the definition fits like a glass slipper and he runs with it. Much of the information within the tome is not new to me, but it was connected so well that I can finally see how all the pieces fit and the larger narrative makes total sense. Within each chapter is a time period, which makes the larger story more digestible. The chapters open with a summary, move into the facts, and end with the annotated history, all of which paint the picture that Abramson seeks to offer the reader. The writing is clear and easy to understand, though there are many characters and dates, which can get a little intense at times. However, I am leaping at the chance to continue into some of the deeper and darker areas of the Trump story, sure to be blown away yet again. This is one of those books that deeply dedicated political junkies will want to read, as it opens the mind and the eyes in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Abramson, for a stunning beginning to what is sure to be a stellar trilogy. I am glad I left some of the heavy lifting until now, as it will make the most impact on American voters, some of whom I hope are still reading what I have to say!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
This is Book #28 in my 2020 US Election Preparation Challenge.
While this reading challenge has taken me on some very interesting paths, I chose to turn to some more legal and analytical tomes before I run out of time. Seth Abramson has penned three decisive novels about Trump and those around him, arguing some of the substantial claims of collusion, conspiracy, corruption in the years before he became president and into his authoritarian reign. This is the first of those novels, where collusion is discussed and some strong arguments made to substantiate it. Recommended to those who enjoy the political history game and seeing how to connect some of the dots that Mueller could not make and that Trumpers refuse to acknowledge.
Even from the opening pages of his book, Seth Abramson effectively argues that business tycoon Donald Trump had a relationship with Russian oligarchs, which would have paved the way for a tie to Vladimir Putin. Trump has long been interested in putting his mark on Russia with one of his hotels, though the chance did not occur while the USSR was clinging to life. However, once Russia came into its own, Trump sought to sweeten the deal, which included helping to pull some strings and ensure that Putin noticed him in ways that could make things happen.
Abramson discusses the hoopla around ensuring Putin was pleased when his mistress won the Miss Universe Pageant, an event Trump says he was able to rig because he is that powerful. That began a bartering to make sure that Trump had doors opened for him for a Trump Tower Moscow, as well as sending the Miss Universe Pageant to the Russian capital for another of its interesting permutations.
It was at this time that there ‘may’ have been some less than germaphobe-approved events with Russian prostitutes, which could have left Trump beholden to his Russian friends, things that could (and surely would) be used to blackmail him in years to come. It was also around this time that Trump decided that he needed to curry added favour with Russia by running for office, something that may have been a long-shot, but showed that he was serious about helping Russia on the international front.
Abramson shows that Trump’s political ambitions were only part of what was going on at the time. The push to curry favour with the Russians was ongoing with various members of his family and entourage. While financial dealings were only part of the reason, it became apparent that there were fingers in all sorts of pies and Trump was aware of them. As he became a more serious contender, Russians from all walks of life came out to support or broker their own possible connections to him, which appeared only to add momentum to the connectivity, which would one day turn out to be colluding of a sort.
The tome tackles some of the proof around Russian involvement in trying to sway the election results, as they had already tipped the scales in the BREXIT vote to their favour. While Trump never thought that he would win, it appears his campaign worked hand in hand with Russians and other highly influential social media gurus to create a targeted system of ensuring that false news and fictitious events reflected poorly on Clinton, thereby paving the way for his success.
The knowledgeable reader will recognise many of the names that come out of the discussions in the book, which shows how complicit a larger group was to the collusion and helps to prove that this was not a single man’s idea. Trump could never have pulled it off, nor did he. When he miraculously won in November 2016, the wheels began to turn and the Russian promises were subtly made, inching America towards a strong and more open relationship with Russia. The were also numerous violations of the Logan Act (a piece of legislation that bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments with whom the country has an active dispute, which would include Russia at this time) by many close to Trump, as Abramson proves, though nothing was ever done by the Obama (too few days left) or the Trump Administrations (for obvious reasons). There was more, all of which would benefit Russia, but also create new and lasting ties with other nefarious countries whose help Trump would use to strengthen the connection to Moscow.
Now in power and having attain that spot because of Russian interference, Trump had to decide how to play things. He and Putin had, albeit through intermediaries, colluded to ensure Russia gained more power on the international scene and the only notable superpower did not stand in their way. With all this power and refusing to acknowledge that anything out of sorts happened, Trump needed to move forward and foster this friendship, while dodging any and all pitfalls that might await him. This leads into Abramson’s second tome, where conspiracies abound (those with substantiation, not of the Trump variety where ‘people are saying’)!
While this reading journey has opened my eyes to a great deal, Seth Abramson’s book has done that and more. Speaking of collusion is one thing, but seeing it presented in such a clear-cut fashion is another. Abramson opens by discussing that the term may not hold water in a court of law, but the definition fits like a glass slipper and he runs with it. Much of the information within the tome is not new to me, but it was connected so well that I can finally see how all the pieces fit and the larger narrative makes total sense. Within each chapter is a time period, which makes the larger story more digestible. The chapters open with a summary, move into the facts, and end with the annotated history, all of which paint the picture that Abramson seeks to offer the reader. The writing is clear and easy to understand, though there are many characters and dates, which can get a little intense at times. However, I am leaping at the chance to continue into some of the deeper and darker areas of the Trump story, sure to be blown away yet again. This is one of those books that deeply dedicated political junkies will want to read, as it opens the mind and the eyes in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Abramson, for a stunning beginning to what is sure to be a stellar trilogy. I am glad I left some of the heavy lifting until now, as it will make the most impact on American voters, some of whom I hope are still reading what I have to say!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
bodger's review
3.0
This book is a deep dive into the proof behind the collusion between Trump and Russia. If you haven't got a lot of interest in this subject, this is not the book for you. There is no quick overview here. Every aspect of the collusion is detailed and then examined in detail. It makes very clear just how much must be being investigated.