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A review by carterkalchik
The Folly and the Glory: America, Russia, and Political Warfare 1945-2020 by Tim Weiner
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.