The Russia Conundrum, Mikhail Khodorkovsky
The Russia Conundrum, Mikhail Khodorkovsky
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The Russia Conundrum
How the West Fell for Putin's Power Gambit--and How to Fix It

Author: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Martin Sixsmith

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Unabridged: 9 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/04/2022


Synopsis

An urgent analysis of the battle between Russia and the West and an exposé of Putin’s Russia, by a former Kremlin insider.

"I'm a fairly calm fellow; I don't usually get wound up about things. But I was, let's say, concerned when I tuned into the Moscow Echo radio station and heard that the Kremlin had put a price on my head. The announcement didn't quite say 'dead or alive'. But it came close..." —Mikhail Khodorkovsky, March 2021

Mikhail Khodorkovsky has seen behind the mask of Vladimir Putin. Once an oil tycoon and the richest man in Russia, Khodorkovsky spoke out against the corruption of Putin's regime—and was punished by the Kremlin, stripped of his entire wealth and jailed for over ten years.

Now freed, working as a pro-democracy campaigner in enforced exile, Khodorkovsky brings us the insider's battle to save his country's soul. Offering an urgent analysis of what has gone wrong with Putin, The Russia Conundrum maps the country's rise and fall against Khodorkovsky's own journey, from Soviet youth to international oil executive, powerful insider to political dissident, and now a high-profile voice seeking to reconcile East and West.

With unparalleled insight, written with Sunday Times bestselling author Martin Sixsmith, The Russia Conundrum exposes the desires and damning truths of Putin's "mafia clan," and provides an answer to the West on how it must challenge the Kremlin—in order to pave the way for a better future.

About Mikhail Khodorkovsky

In the early 2000s, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was one of the wealthiest men in Russia, the head of the giant Yukos oil company, ranked 16th on Forbes list of world billionaires. But his pro-democracy, anti-corruption views led to a clash with President Vladimir Putin, who had him arrested in 2003. Convicted on politically-motivated fraud charges, Khodorkovsky spent ten years in Putin's prison camps, recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience. Since his release in December 2013, Khodorkovsky has lived in exile in Switzerland and in the UK. He is the founder of the Open Russia movement, promoting political reform in Russia, including free and fair elections, the protection of journalists and activists, the rule of law and media independence. He has been described by The Economist as "the Kremlin's leading critic-in-exile."

About Martin Sixsmith

Martin Sixsmith is a bestselling author, television and radio presenter and journalist. He began working at the BBC in 1980 as a foreign correspondent, reporting from Moscow during the end of the Cold War, the era of Perestroika, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1997, he went to work for the government of Tony Blair as Director of Communications and Press Secretary to Harriet Harman and then to Alistair Darling. He then served as Director of Communication at the Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions.Sixsmith is the author of two political novels, Spin and I Heard Lenin Laugh. He has also published an account of the Litvinenko murder, The Litvinenko File, and made a documentary film in 2008 exploring the legacy of the KGB in today's Russia and the FSB.His book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee was turned into a hugely successful film in 2013, starring Judi Dench.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex

Interesting insight into Russia, a unique perspective. Rather oversimplified from a geopolitical perspective. Khordorkovsky is intent on pointing out the corruption within, but smoothly overlooks the 1996 election, and the egregious corruption when it's pushed by the West. Lastly, it's very heavy on......more

Goodreads review by Maryna

Michail Khodorkovsky is one of the most well known representatives of the Russian opposition in the exile. After graduating from Mendeleev Russian University of Chemistry and Technology he at first started a small business with a few friends, ultimately have succeeded in becoming one of the wealthie......more

Goodreads review by MJ

This is Khodirkovsky's own story about becoming the richest man in Russia to an enemy of Putin and the state. It's a take on Russian history that I've never heard before. He isn't just analyzing history he tried to bring Russia into the western trade and economy and then became a political prisoner.......more


Quotes

“A disturbing account that peels back the layers of the Putin regime to reveal the corruption and violence at the core.…Authoritative, essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the frightening breadth and depth of Putin’s methods.” —Kirkus (starred)

“[A] valuable resource for understanding how modern Russia came to be.” —Publishers Weekly