Putin: His Downfall and Russia's Coming Crash

Lourie, a novelist, translator, journalist, and biographer (The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin) well versed in Russian culture and history, turns his sights on the polarizing figure of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This work tackles some of the most difficult questions concerning Putin's influence in global and Russian national affairs, with a novelist's eye for language and a political commentator's flair for dramatic intrigue. The author portrays Putin as a leader who has built his political career on loyalty and belief in the historical dominance of Russia as a world power, intertwining his observations with insightful explanations and commentary on current issues such as the annexation of Crimea and the struggles for control in the Arctic. Lourie's book is well researched, and his intimate experience with Russian culture and history is evident in the conclusions he draws and the fluency with which he shines a light on the Russian psyche.