Mr. Putin : operative in the Kremlin /

Hill and Gaddy (both, Brookings Institution) have written a comprehensive and insightful biography of Putin. Among the merits of this book is the psychological portrait of Putin. The book also covers many important projects and accomplishments of the Russian president, such as the reconstruction of the Russian state after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Putin clearly wants the might of Russia to be restored and conducts an active and assertive foreign policy. Further, the book addresses the situation in Ukraine and Georgia. Significant attention has been attached to Putin's German connection, including his work in that country and Russian ties with Germany. The authors analyze Putin's dissatisfaction with NATO and US attitudes to Russia, and show how Putin reacts to the alleged encroachments by this alliance and the US on the Russian national interests. They also offer a discussion of some general theoretical issues concerning Russian foreign policy concepts. They examine Putin's understanding of the concepts of sovereignty and alliance. Hill and Gaddy examine various aspects of modern Russian economic policy and Putin's handling of them. Finally, they offer a glimpse into Putin's personal style of management. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. --Yury Polsky, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Hill and Gaddy (senior fellows, Brookings Institution; coauthors, The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold) analyze Russia's government and political system as personified by President Vladimir Putin. They ask whether Putin's intricately constructed system can sustain Russia's future in the wake of the massive anti-Putin protests of 2012. Drawing from a detailed and encompassing blend of personal interactions and observations, biographies and autobiographies, letters, articles, and state publications, the authors break Putin's personal and political persona into six segments. As they define each aspect, they demonstrate how each builds upon the others in carefully designing the image Putin apparently deems the most necessary, given the particular audience or situation. The authors end their study by questioning whether a leader who, they feel, sees himself as the government embodied can meet the demands of the educated, connected Russian people for a transparent and redefined state. -VERDICT This considered analysis of a complex, seemingly self-aware political figure will make a good addition to well-rounded academic collections as it efficiently analyzes both Putin's successes and failures in the context of the greater questions about Russia's future.-Elizabeth Zeitz, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.