“Of the many biographies of Vladimir Putin that have appeared in recent years, this one is the most useful, particularly to foreign-policy makers, many of whom must work with a crude or muddled understanding of what makes the Russian leader tick.” -- Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs
“There's Mr. Putin, by Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy. Insightful.”–- Vice President Joseph Biden in Rolling Stone
"[T]his is not just another Putin biography. It is a psychological portrait, a handbook providing sometimes speculative but well-informed answers to the question that has trailed the ex-KGB colonel from St Petersburg ever since he stepped out of the shadows and on to the international stage when he became Russia’s prime minister in 1999: “Who is Mr Putin?” -- Neil Buckley, Financial Times
"Since Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin, Russia-watchers have revisited the perennial puzzle of 'Who is Mr. Putin?'. Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy, scholars at the Brookings Institution, have produced the most illuminating study so far…" -- Angela Stent, Georgetown University, in Survival
"With so many one-dimensional portraits of the Russian leader, the new offering by Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy is a refreshing change of pace.” -- Nikolas Gvosdev, Naval War College, in The National Interest.
“Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin is a readable and informed portrait, painted by two students of Russian history who had, at various times in their careers, a front-row view.” -- David Hearst, The Guardian
“Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy’s new book Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin… is a smart and thoughtful piece of work.” -- Ivan Krastev, Chairman, Centre for Liberal Studies
“According to this intriguing book, Mr Putin’s success can be ascribed to a series of transformations in which he has posed, first as a he-man, then as a sportsman or military man, with appropriate costumes for each.” -- The Economist
Advance Praise
"In this well-written and genuinely entertaining volume, Hill and Gaddy take us behind the theatrics and the rumors to give us a clear and intriguing view of the man himself. This book is mandatory reading for the president and his advisers." -- Robert Kagan, author of The World America Made
"Hill and Gaddy illuminate not only the recent past but offer a tantalizing glimpse of what the future may hold." -- John McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of U.S. Central Intelligence.
"Theirs is a tough analysis. Not everyone will agree with every aspect. But, if you want to begin to understand Russia today, read this book." -- Sir John Scarlett, former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
"A meticulous psychological portrait of Vladimir Putin and of the highly personalized state he has molded. How Vladimir Putin sees himself is key to how his system works, but, after twelve years of Putin Power, the nation and the people he leads have changed while Putin himself has not. Can Putin reinvent himself? Hill and Gaddy say Russia's new urban middle class wants more than a 'political performance artist."-- Jill Dougherty, former Moscow Bureau Chief, CNN
![]({"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zs9USKX8L._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[324,499],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zs9USKX8L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg":[225,346]})
