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The Essential Saker: from the trenches of the emerging multipolar world Hardcover – November 17, 2015

by The Saker (Author), Pepe Escobar (Foreword)

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These are some of the most essential articles written by the Saker on his blog. Even though they cover topics ranging from history, to politics, to religion, to military affairs, to social issues, they are all linked by one common thread: the full-spectrum clash between the Western world and what the Saker calls the "Russian civilizational realm". Most Russians, especially when addressing a western audience, feel compelled to use a diplomatic and non-confrontational language. In contrast, Saker's style is informal, almost conversational, but also direct, even blunt. He is fully aware that his views might offend many of his readers, but he believes that there is also a bigger audience out there which will appreciate an honest and, above all, sincere criticism of what the Saker calls the "AngloZionist Empire". The careful reader, however, will notice that the Saker's criticisms are always aimed at a political system and its constituent institutions and supporting ideologies, but never at the people, nations or ethnicities. In fact, the Saker forcefully argues for a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious Russia which would be fully integrated in a multi-polar world inspired by the fraternal diversity of the BRICS countries. Underlying the Saker's entire worldview is a categorical rejection of all ideologies and a profound belief that the root of all evil as well as the key to defeating it is always in the realm of spirituality.

Gilad Atzmon, jazz musician and philosopher:

As telling the truth is becoming a nostalgic endeavour, its seeking is becoming an heroic adventure. The Saker will guide you through the mist of concealment and disinformation."

Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy in the Reagan administration and author of 12 books on contemporary politics:

"The Saker provides facts and analysis that are antidotes to the anti-Russian propaganda that prevails in the West."

Peter Lavelle,host of Russia Today's flagship program "CrossTalk" offered this:

"Reading the “Saker” is essential – it is at this media space where one can discern the real trenches and battle lines in today’s super-charged information wars. I read the “Saker” not only for the facts (that are verified and applied in context), but also for a moral and discipled attitude toward geopolitics. The “Saker” is not only a good read; it is also a way of looking at the world. Simply put: the “Saker” is information that is weaponized and hits all the right targets!"

The Saker community of blogs is the only such international and multi-lingual community of blogs. We collaborate with all the main English language blogs about Russia and the Ukraine. Our articles are often picked up by Russia Insider, the Asia Times, Information Clearing House and many others news sources and our work has been quoted by Paul Craig Roberts, Sheikh Imran Hosein, Pepe Escobar and many others.

The Saker was born in a military family of "White" Russian refugees in western Europe where he lived most of his life. After completing two college degrees in the USA, he returned to Europe were he worked as a military analyst until he lost his career due to his vocal opposition to the western-sponsored wars in Chechnia, Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. After re-training as a software engineer, he moved to the Florida where he now lives with his wife, a veterinarian, and their three children. When he does not blog or help his wife at work, the likes to explore the Florida wilderness on foot, mountain bike and kayak or play acoustic jazz guitar.

Print length

616 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Nimble Pluribus
Publication date

November 17, 2015
Dimensions

6 x 1.31 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1608880583
ISBN-13

978-1608880584
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nimble Pluribus (November 17, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 616 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1608880583
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1608880584
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.17 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.31 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,346,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,762 in Political Commentary & Opinion
- #9,233 in History & Theory of Politics
- #18,881 in International & World Politics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
69 ratings

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David Kinniburgh

As the Title says, Essential

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2015

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I chanced across the Sakers blog years ago, and watched it develop from an occasional posting into the substantive commentary of world affairs from a Russian perspective that it now is .

I came to realise the Main Stream Media (MSM) perspectives were often clever propaganda designed to generate unquestioning allegiance to The Powers That Be (TPTB). TPTB currently reside in Washington, but could be anywhere.
Their aim is control and the method conflict. As such they are an attack on our common humanity.

The Sakers book is a thought provoking antidote to this, and holds out the possibility of a different and more peaceful future

35 people found this helpful

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Jedwardian

Great insight into Russia, its politics religions and place in the current world of geopolitics.

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016

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Most useful insights into Russian affairs and how Russia plays an important key role in geopolitics. Before encountering this book I had but a vague notion of politics within Russia and how it plays out nationally and its impact internationally. Another most interesting insight would be in relation to how various religions impact of do not impact society within Russia. Perhaps the most interesting insights of all were those related to how the West and NATO seem currently to be surrounding Russia and all too often recklessly and provocatively prodding the bear.

2 people found this helpful

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Richard Martin

A Necessary Book

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2015

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This is a necessary book. I would go so far as to say that it is impossible for an American to understand what is going on in Russia and Eastern Europe without it. We get bits and pieces of news but The Saker places them in context. I even learned a new word, "sovereignization."

8 people found this helpful

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Matto Borke

Worth studying

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016

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Very insightful, written by someone who did not grow up within the British/American propaganda machine. One can argue with this or that chapter, but one certainly learns the perspective of those people who understands what it is like to be attacked or invaded by "Western values wishing to defend human rights and spread 'Democracy' ". An essential corrective to Washington, CNN, and Fox.

5 people found this helpful

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sbeverly

A Russian's Contrarian View

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016

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A contrarian view much needed in our country's present situation. This author from a Russian and military background living here in the States tells Americans some things they need to hear. I am not sure that I agree with everything this author puts forth but he did make me think deeply which so much of our present political discussion does not. Most of all, he makes me realize how little we in the USA understand Russia and Russians or maybe how little we want to.

3 people found this helpful

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Jens Guld

The media corporation's lies about the Middle East

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2016

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If you want to know what is going on in the Middle East or in Russia this is required reading. It tells you all sorts of things that the media corporations don't tell you or lie about.
Mind, you will have to learn about the author's little peculiarities and keep them in mind. For instance thinks theocracy to be the best thing since the invention of sliced bread. You have been warned.

2 people found this helpful

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Patrick Perdu

A kick in the anthill of common wisdom, an object-lesson in how to look at the world.

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2016

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I came across the blog a few months ago and started reading it each time I had a chance.
"The Vineyard Saker" is the anagram of the name of a Swiss-born, Russian military analyst now living in the US with an unapologetic Russian and Christian Orthodox point of view who started a blog in 2008. This is the blog content until early 2015 and well-worth it.
Don't get it if what you want is reinforcement of your run-off-the-mill TV-acquired common wisdom as the Saker will challenge a lot of it, sometimes beyond what I am willing to take. But he will show you how you think about what's going on, what to pay attention to, why he thinks how he thinks and this in and of itself is worth the book.
Did the Saker change my opinion? Yes in some areas, no in others, he tickled me into researching yet other aspects of our crazy world on which I knew little and the most important: in every case he had me thinking about the world as it is.
To be taken with a grain of salt as a major contribution in one's world view, on a par with Pepe Escobar's books who I was delighted to find wrote the foreword.

8 people found this helpful

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Indigo711

Wake up and smell the coffee "sheeple"

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2017

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If you are not one of the "sheeple", I'm sure you could have made out that there is actually a huge web of lies that the current "powers-that-be" have been spinning since decades. It is now coming full circle. When one sees that the "war on terror" has actually multiplied terror many fold, you know that the official line has been pure baloney. Then this book is for you

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Andrew Wilson

I Bought The Essential Saker . Here's Why You Should Do So Too!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2015

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I bought this book in Kindle format this morning. The work is familiar to me having been a reader of The Saker's articles, rants and essays for a couple of years now.
As is often the case the original versions of the pages of this book are available elsewhere but do not let that stop you buying this publication - here is the distilled goodness, the intelligent analysis, clear thinking and willingness to learn that make his columns essential reading.
Buy this book to save time wandering the Internet, to support a valuable resource and, well, there's just so much to learn about events in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere.
When I started reading the Saker I started to understand some of the events I was seeing as being part of broader processes. This opened my eyes on topics in which I was already interested.

Don't expect to agree with everything, but open minded disagreement is a part of learning.

I can't think of a better way to spend a few dollars than on this book!

10 people found this helpful

honsec1

An informed analysis of our world, the balance of which has changed woithout most people realising it has happened.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

As a student of world affairs so to speak since the days of Vietnam and the 'Imperialist Paper Tigers' I have been accustomed to hearing, seeing and filtering out the wheat from the chaff regarding foreign affairs. It follows that I have a reasonably defined BS filter fitted by virtue of long study.

As the dynamic events rapidly unfolded in Eastern Europe over the past three or so years, a massive cache was undertaken by virtue of various sources, some of them from within the zones affected. Even so, with great difficulty, I have been able to comprehend most of what has occurred. Herein comes the Saker with his blogs and now this compendium, which is absolute first class.

Within its pages contains the 'handbook' that is essential for unlocking the density of clowns and disinformation. His historical information is invaluable and analysis is amongst the most comprehensive and enlightening available today. It also throws light on the massive skillful manipulation of the masses. I thoroughly recommend this book for any student and participator in world events.

3 people found this helpful

A. M. Munford

This book brings together the best articles from The Saker's blog

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2015

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This book brings together the best articles from The Saker's blog, in one convenient form.

The Saker is the pseudonym of a Russian from an emigre family, brought up in the West and educated in America. He is a professional researcher by trade and has built up an incomparable knowledge of both Russian and US politics, supplemented more recently by a close study of Islam and the Middle East. He also knows about France, but probably not much about the UK.

We in Britain have become accustomed to the media's total disregard for truth in relation to politics in our own country. Of course the same applies to the media in world affairs, particularly in the areas in which the Saker specialises. The internet has come to our rescue, but in a disorganised way which makes it very difficult for the ordinary intelligent surfer to distinguish reality from fantasy and conspiracy theory. The Saker's blog and now his book, are truly authoritative. He is certainly not always right but he is always honest and he often admits his past mistakes. One of the most interesting bits of this book is his account of how he gradually ceased to be an "agnostic" in relation to the official version of 9/11. Another very interesting bit (entirely new to me) is his account of the French movement "Egalite et Reconciliation" which brings together Christians and Muslims in France and has (he says) significant levels of support in the French Muslim community.

The Essential Saker is not a systematically organised book but a collection of articles, written at different times and often showing a slowly evolving point of view. But it also contains at least one series which deserves to be read as a short book in itself. The series investigates the relationship between Russia and Islam. It's founded on a deep knowledge of the long historical relationship between Islam and the Orthodox Church - a relationship which on the whole has been a tolerant and accepting one, based on an awareness that despite obvious theological differences, the two religions and their followers share many common ethical values.

Putin understands Islam and knows how to work with Muslims. His first action on becoming president was to put a rapid end to the long Chechen war. He did it by taking immediate personal charge of the Russian forces and instilling an entirely new spirit of determination; and secondly by working closely with Chechen moderates who were horrified by the bloodthirsty behaviour of the rebels and were eager to change sides. Putin is applying this last principle now in Syria. He can do a great deal with air power to help Assad and other moderates to turn the tide in Syria. But he will not commit Russian ground troops, not only because the move would be very unpopular in Russia after the painful experience of Afghanistan, but also because he knows that the people of Syria and other Middle Eastern countries will put up with a lot from their own rulers but will never be reconciled to outside occupation.

There is much more in this fascinating book. Pick it up, browse at random and you won't quickly put it down.

2 people found this helpful

rgkd52

they dont tell you this stuff in the West

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2019

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Power politics are like playground politics consisting of pecking orders, pay offs and retaliations.
But I am left thinking after reading the beginning of this that the West has to stop imagining it is morally superior to anyone. 19th C colonial attitudes are gone and lying to Russia and doing something different later has not been a recipe for global stability. There is maybe room to believe that if the West stopped trying to Westernise Russia it might not be as aggressive in the other direction. And unlike all the other countries USA has bombed it cant push its luck much more or too far with Putin as Ukraine and Crimea show recently. The whole world has its problems. Are those in the West so slim we can lecture others ?

frances

To be recommmended

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a fascinating insight into the history of Russia and its relationship with surrounding Eastern European states - there is so much to learn. I can't comment on the whole book as I haven't finished reading it, and have little time to read, but in different circumstances The Essential Saker would be impossible to put down!

One person found this helpful

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The Essential Saker: from the trenches of the emerging multipolar world Hardcover – November 17, 2015

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