Take a photo of a barcode or cover
1.01k reviews for:
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice
Bill Browder
4.26 AVERAGE
1.01k reviews for:
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice
Bill Browder
4.26 AVERAGE
Prequel to [b:Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath|59366154|Freezing Order A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath|Bill Browder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649605131l/59366154._SY75_.jpg|93538849] (2022)
Review of the Simon & Schuster hardcover edition (February, 2015)
I'll confess that when Red Notice first appeared in early 2015, the related news of Magnitsky Legislation was then such a current topic in Canada that I felt like I already knew everything about it.
It was after being impressed by Browder's writing in Freezing Order (2022), that I decided I had to read the earlier book as well. I was just as impressed with it. Whether Browder has and had the assistance of a ghostwriter or whether he has simply studied the various tropes and techniques of suspense & thriller writing, he masterfully constructs a story of the rise and the downfall of his idealized plans for investment in Russia's future in the post-Soviet Communist era.
Again, Browder starts off with a in medias res vignette: his deportation from Russia in 2007. Only then does he go into the 15 or so years of backstory of how he began his Hermitage Investment Group after first becoming aware of the possibilities of investment growth in the former countries of the Soviet Bloc. Despite early warning signs (see the 1997 anecdote above), he and his staff persisted in exposing Russian attempts to defraud his investors through the legal system. At one time it even seemed as if his goals were aligned with those of the dictator Vladimir Putin, who gleefully joined in with pursuing the prosecution of oligarchs. It of course finally became clear that Putin was doing this only for his own ends and enrichment.
Despite Browder's liquidating his Russian assets and assisting most of his staff to leave the country, several of his Russian lawyers refused to leave their homeland and had faith that justice and the legal system would win in the end. Tragically, Sergei Magnitsky (1972-2009) was framed in a tax evasion scheme and met his death under torture in a Russian prison. The corruption and injustice of the previous Russian Communist state was revealed to still be there and was as vicious as ever.
Red Notice tells the story of how this initiated Browder's worldwide campaign to obtain justice for Sergei Magnitsky and other victims of totalitarian kleptocracies by promoting the creation of legislation to sanction the profiteers of injustice. The story continues in the present day.
Review of the Simon & Schuster hardcover edition (February, 2015)
It didn't make any financial sense.
Then I remembered why he would do this: because it is the Russian thing to do.
There’s a famous Russian proverb about this type of behavior. One day, a poor villager happens upon a magic talking fish that is ready to grant him a single wish. Overjoyed, the villager weighs his options: “Maybe a castle? Or even better—a thousand bars of gold? Why not a ship to sail the world?” As the villager is about to make his decision, the fish interrupts him to say that there is one important caveat: whatever the villager gets, his neighbor will receive two of the same. Without skipping a beat, the villager says, “In that case, please poke one of my eyes out.”
The moral is simple - when it comes to money, Russians will gladly - gleefully, even - sacrifice their own success to screw their neighbour. - Bill Browder relating an anecdote from late 1997 about one of his early experiences with investments in Russia, excerpted from Red Notice
I'll confess that when Red Notice first appeared in early 2015, the related news of Magnitsky Legislation was then such a current topic in Canada that I felt like I already knew everything about it.
It was after being impressed by Browder's writing in Freezing Order (2022), that I decided I had to read the earlier book as well. I was just as impressed with it. Whether Browder has and had the assistance of a ghostwriter or whether he has simply studied the various tropes and techniques of suspense & thriller writing, he masterfully constructs a story of the rise and the downfall of his idealized plans for investment in Russia's future in the post-Soviet Communist era.
Again, Browder starts off with a in medias res vignette: his deportation from Russia in 2007. Only then does he go into the 15 or so years of backstory of how he began his Hermitage Investment Group after first becoming aware of the possibilities of investment growth in the former countries of the Soviet Bloc. Despite early warning signs (see the 1997 anecdote above), he and his staff persisted in exposing Russian attempts to defraud his investors through the legal system. At one time it even seemed as if his goals were aligned with those of the dictator Vladimir Putin, who gleefully joined in with pursuing the prosecution of oligarchs. It of course finally became clear that Putin was doing this only for his own ends and enrichment.
Despite Browder's liquidating his Russian assets and assisting most of his staff to leave the country, several of his Russian lawyers refused to leave their homeland and had faith that justice and the legal system would win in the end. Tragically, Sergei Magnitsky (1972-2009) was framed in a tax evasion scheme and met his death under torture in a Russian prison. The corruption and injustice of the previous Russian Communist state was revealed to still be there and was as vicious as ever.
Red Notice tells the story of how this initiated Browder's worldwide campaign to obtain justice for Sergei Magnitsky and other victims of totalitarian kleptocracies by promoting the creation of legislation to sanction the profiteers of injustice. The story continues in the present day.
Excellent book! This book captured my attention from start to finish. The author presents his story clearly and presents facts in an interesting and suspenseful manner.
Amazing that this is a true story and not fiction. If you follow world news and politics, you will want to read this book.
Amazing that this is a true story and not fiction. If you follow world news and politics, you will want to read this book.
It's not the best written memoir, but the story easily makes up for that especially in the second half of the book.
This is a gripping, involving story. American financier living in London opens an investment fund in Russia; challenges the "oligarchs" or economic titans who run the economy; ends up ticking off Putin. When he tries to return to Russia, he is denied entry; has to empty out his business accounts; hires lawyers in Russia to challenge his visa and business problems. But the government goes after his lawyers; two get out in time, but one does not. This lawyer is imprisoned, refused medical treatment, and finally beaten to death. The author then makes it his personal vendetta to punish the Russians who did this, ending with getting a law passed in the US banning a long list of Russians from entering the US. (The Russians end up canceling all US adoptions in revenge.) I admire the guy for courage and for fighting for justice for his lawyer. I guess I am just left vaguely uncomfortable by the whole story. This guy swoops in at the beginning of Russian privatization. I get that those who risk money in a very risky environment deserve a return. I also get that nothing really good or fair was going to happen in the privatization anyway, even if he wasn't involved. It just seems like he took up lots of private Russian shares in companies, bought them for a fraction of what they were worth, made tons of money, challenged corrupt business practices, true, but in a kind of a foolhardy way. He didn't seem to care if HE got hurt, which is brave, but seems to have discounted the possibility that someone else would. Someone did, someone died. True, he then tried to make it right by trying to get a measure of justice. But even then, adoptive families and orphans ended up being hurt.
Reads like fiction, hard to believe it is real. Highly recommend
Started slow and like an entitled/privileged white guy whining. And while his self-righteousness continues, the story that unfolded of Sergei Magnitski is one that is definitely worth knowing! While this book is not overtly political, it puts the current political climate much clearer (and scarier) perspective - Russia, Putin, Syria, diplomatic restrictions, lawmaking, oil, and, of course, money. I had to speed up the Audible to make it through, but am glad I now know!
Other than the schmaltzy sections about his second wife and the unnecessary descriptions of how people he meets look, this book definitely kept me intrigued. While not surprising, the extent of the corruption and brutality in Russia is still mind-blowing.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Read this for my book club. Probably not something I would have reached for on my own, but glad I read it. I learned a lot, at first about investing in former Soviet countries, then about the cruelty of the Russian government to those who cross it. The author does a good job of telling the financial part of the story in a way that most can understand it. The second part of the book recounts the brutal arrest, jailing, and death of Bill Browder's associate, Sergei Magnitsky. The vivid description makes you wonder yet again how one human can treat another human, someone's son, husband and father, with so much abuse and disregard for dignity.
Absolutely fascinating book about things unfamiliar to me. I am glad my book club chose to read it. Learned so much!