Putin redux : power and contradiction in contemporary Russia /

Sakwa (Univ. of Kent, UK) has written a very impressive book that focuses on what happened in Russian politics from 2008 through 2013. Sakwa summarizes how Putin completed his grip on power despite the fact that for four years, Dmitry Medvedev served as president of Russia. The book shows what changed in Russia during Medvedev's presidency from 2008-2012 and the further transformations after Putin returned to the presidency when Medvedev's term expired. Sakwa rightfully considers Putin one of Russia's most important political figures. Sakwa is correct that Putin's ability, in contrast with his predecessors', to accomplish strong political governance transformed this country into a dual state in which authoritarianism of the ruling regime is combined with the feeble democracy of the state. Sakwa's skillful analysis of how Putin handled the challenge from various opposition groups is another merit of this study. The current crisis in Ukraine began after this book was written; it will be interesting to see how Sakwa's future works on the Russian political picture will account for this crisis. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. --Yury Polsky, West Chester University of Pennsylvania