Mr. Putin

An extremely well researched, dense physiological biography of Vladimir Putin, written by esteemed American foreign affairs figure and diplomat Fiona Hill, as well as her co-author, economist Clifford Gaddy, both of the Brookings Institution. This is not your typical biography; it is written more as a long intelligence brief that blends in-depth research, historical knowledge, anecdotal experience from the authors and expert analysis into a blend that is incredibly insightful.

A lot of this book is about dispelling the force-field of PR that Putin has formed around himself to reveal who he actually is, how he actually thinks, and what his north-star strategy actually is. Even with those layers peeled away, a highly multifaceted figure persists; a man with many faces, the “survivalist”, the “statist”, the “outsider”, the “historian”, and much more. Putin needs each of these elements strategically, but also in some way embodies them.

We see from his early KGB experience in Dresden to his dissatisfaction with the Yeltsin regime, to his millennium message upon taking the Russian Presidency, to his orchestration of the dual-leadership role as Prime Minister with Dimitri Medvedev, to his conflict engagements across Eastern Europe that Putin is a sophisticated leader, but one that is far different from the (successfully orchestrated) image most Americans consume.

The biggest learning from this book is an obvious one, but one that I, and most others, do not take into consideration. Putin, unlike other leaders of his ilk, did not attend western schools and did not ever live or spend extended time in America or the “west.” He also does not maintain many trusting relationships with “westerners.” Thus, for an American to make snap judgements about his decision making or strategy, one’s frame of references is immediately culturally misplaced. A fascinating book that I can only imagine needs a sequel given the events of the last 5 years after this was published.