Death of a Dissident, Alex Goldfarb
Death of a Dissident, Alex Goldfarb
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Death of a Dissident
The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB

Author: Alex Goldfarb, Marina Litvinenko

Narrator: Dennis Boutsikaris

Abridged: 5 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/12/2007


Synopsis

The assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko in November 2006 -- poisoned by the rare radioactive element polonium -- caused an international sensation. Within a few short weeks, the fit forty-three-year-old lay gaunt, bald, and dying in a hospital, the victim of a "tiny nuclear bomb." Suspicions swirled around Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB, and the Putin regime. Traces of polonium radiation were found in Germany and on certain airplanes, suggesting a travel route from Russia for the carriers of the fatal poison. But what really happened? What did Litvinenko know? And why was he killed?

The full story of Sasha Litvinenko's life and death is one that the Kremlin does not want told. His closest friend, Alex Goldfarb, and his widow, Marina, are the only two people who can tell it all, from firsthand knowledge, with dramatic scenes from Moscow to London to Washington. Death of a Dissident reads like a political thriller, yet its story is more fantastic and frightening than any novel.

Ever since 1998, when Litvinenko denounced the FSB for ordering him to assassinate tycoon Boris Berezovsky, he had devoted his life to exposing the FSB's darkest secrets. After a dramatic escape to London with Goldfarb's assistance, he spent six years, often working with Goldfarb, investigating a widening series of scandals. Oligarchs and journalists have been assassinated. Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko was poisoned on the campaign trail. The war in Chechnya became unspeakably harsh on both sides. Sasha Litvinenko investigated all of it, and he denounced his former employers in no uncertain terms for their dirty deeds.

Death of a Dissident opens a window into the dark heart of the Putin Kremlin. With its strong-arm tactics, tight control over the media, and penetration of all levels of government, the old KGB is back with a vengeance. Sasha Litvinenko dedicated his life to exposing this truth. It took his diabolical murder for the world to listen.

About Alex Goldfarb

Alex Goldfarb, Ph.D., was a dissident scientist who left Russia in the 1970s, joining the faculty of Columbia University. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, he went to work for George Soros directing charitable initiatives in Russia. He befriended Alexander Litvinenko in the 1990s. Goldfarb later helped Litvinenko work on his memoirs and supported his efforts to expose the abuses of the newly ascendant FSB. Goldfarb is currently the executive director of the International Foundation for Civil Liberties, set up by Boris Berezovsky as an umbrella group for human-rights activists.

About Marina Litvinenko

Marina Litvinenko first met Alexander at her thirty-first birthday party, in 1993, when he was a young officer in the FSB. They married and she gave birth to a son thereafter. In 2000, the three of them sought asylum in the United Kingdom, and she continues to live in London with her twelve-year-old son.

About Dennis Boutsikaris

Dennis Boutsikaris won an OBIE Award for his performance in Sight Unseen and played Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway. Among his films are *batteries not included, The Dream Team, and Boys On the Side. His many television credits include And Then There Was One, Chasing the Dragon, and 100 Center Street.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kevin on September 11, 2012

One of many books that will show you how evil Putin is.......more

Goodreads review by Ray on February 21, 2008

I found this audiobook a little hard to follow, especially keeping the Russian names straight, and thought it wandered off topic more than I liked. Plus the final police investigation files haven't been released yet, so there's still some speculation as to who / how the agent was poisoned.......more

Goodreads review by Chris on August 05, 2016

This is a zinger of a book if you want to find out how dangerous Putin is and get some perspective on the current crisis in Ukraine. You may struggle as I did with the great variety of Russian names, the history of the first and second Chechen wars and the domestic political intrigues that have gone......more

Goodreads review by Gerry on November 25, 2009

Blimey! What a disturbing book. It is hard to believe it is not fiction but everyone knows that it is not. The story covers the whole of Sasha Litvinenko's life, climaxing with his dramatic poisoning at the end. But in between the nefarious goings-on in Russia are hard to credit and the authors, who......more

Goodreads review by Alessandra on January 23, 2021

Por onde começar?... Esse livro foi uma porta pra entender um pouco sobre questões políticas russa e como um Serviço Federal de Segurança russa é conhecida como KGB. Esse serviço consegue manipular investigações e até causar mortes a sangue frio e envenenamentos e tudo isso é um trabalho em conjunto......more