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Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump Kindle Edition

by Michael Isikoff (Author), David Corn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 4,526 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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The incredible, harrowing account of how American democracy was hacked by Moscow as part of a covert operation to influence the U.S. election and help Donald Trump gain the presidency.

"Russian Roulette is...the most thorough and riveting account." -- The New York Times

Russian Roulette is a story of political skullduggery unprecedented in American history. It weaves together tales of international intrigue, cyber espionage, and superpower rivalry. After U.S.-Russia relations soured, as Vladimir Putin moved to reassert Russian strength on the global stage, Moscow trained its best hackers and trolls on U.S. political targets and exploited WikiLeaks to disseminate information that could affect the 2016 election.

The Russians were wildly successful and the great break-in of 2016 was no "third-rate burglary." It was far more sophisticated and sinister -- a brazen act of political espionage designed to interfere with American democracy. At the end of the day, Trump, the candidate who pursued business deals in Russia, won. And millions of Americans were left wondering, what the hell happened? This story of high-tech spying and multiple political feuds is told against the backdrop of Trump's strange relationship with Putin and the curious ties between members of his inner circle -- including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn -- and Russia.

Russian Roulette chronicles and explores this bizarre scandal, explains the stakes, and answers one of the biggest questions in American politics: How and why did a foreign government infiltrate the country's political process and gain influence in Washington?

Print length

372 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Twelve
Publication date

March 13, 2018
File size

3377 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Two of the best and most accomplished investigative reporters of their generation, two of the best investigative reporters we have in this country...[A] superpower reporting team."―Rachel Maddow

"RUSSIAN ROULETTE is...the most thorough and riveting account."―The New York Times

"RUSSIAN ROULETTE performs an important service in tracing how establishment Washington...came to understand that what Russia was (and reportedly is still) up to was not routine espionage...[RUSSIAN ROULETTE] is engaging, smart."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 21.0px; font: 18.0px Georgia; color: #111111; -webkit-text-stroke: #111111}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}The Washington Post

"[RUSSIAN ROULETTE] does an outstanding job of putting the Russia-Trump story into context, separating rumor from fact and adding new information...A smart, solid, even-handed book that future historians will use as a starting point."―Booklist (starred review)

"Riveting."―Newsweek

About the Author

Michael Isikoff is an investigative journalist who has worked for the Washington Post, Newsweek, and NBC News. He is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story and Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War (co-written with David Corn). He is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and other TV talk shows. Isikoff is currently the chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo! News.

David Corn is a veteran Washington journalist and political commentator. He is the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine and an analyst for MSNBC. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Battled the GOP to Set Up the 2012 Election and Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War (co-written with Michael Isikoff). He is also the author of the biography Blond Ghost: Ted Shackley and the CIA's Crusades and the novel Deep Background.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B075WVX3MS
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Twelve (March 13, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 13, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3377 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #619,628 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #271 in Corruption & Misconduct in Politics
- #314 in Campaigns & Elections
- #334 in Media & Internet in Politics (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 4,526 ratings

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Michael Isikoff
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Michael Isikoff is an American investigative journalist, who has worked for the Washington Post, Newsweek and NBC News. He is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Uncovering Clinton: A Reporter's Story and Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War (co-written with David Corn.) He is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and other TV talk shows. Isikoff is currently the chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News.
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David Corn
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David Corn is a veteran Washington journalist and political commentator. He is the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine and an analyst for MSNBC. He is the author or co-author of four New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestseller Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump; Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Battled the GOP To Set Up the 2012 Election; and Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War. He is also the author of the Blond Ghost: Ted Shackley and the CIA's Crusades and the novel Deep Background.
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

4,526 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, interesting, and a good primer for the book Collusion. They appreciate the great information and facts, saying it's well-researched and in-depth. Readers describe the writing quality as brilliant, clear, and vigorous. They mention the book is mesmerizing, disturbing, and compelling. They also appreciate the pacing and timeline.

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Readability Informative Writing quality Scariness level Pacing Timeline Authenticity

320 customers mention "Readability"320 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, interesting, and well-written. They say it reads like an espionage novel and is frightening in its reality. Readers also mention the book is a real page-turner and gobsmacking good.

"...But what makes the work fascinating, brilliant as mentioned, but beyond that, important, is that Isikoff and Corn have begun to show us the..." Read more

"...Finally, this is a great read. Admit it: How often do you read political nonfiction and hate to come to the end of the book?..." Read more

"...and shady figures involved with Trump and Putin then this is an excellent book--and I'm glad I read it (or at least read most of it) because I came..." Read more

"...Among other things, it provides the best account I've seen of how John Podesta's email came to be compromised.)..." Read more

312 customers mention "Informative"312 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative. They say it's meticulously researched, gives great insight, and provides excellent background material on Trump and his involvement with Russia. Readers also mention the book is objective, fair, and balanced.

"...But what makes the work fascinating, brilliant as mentioned, but beyond that, important, is that Isikoff and Corn have begun to show us the..." Read more

"...All in all this is a well-researched account of political and government activities of the past three very eventful years...." Read more

"Just finished Russian Roulette. It was a detailed, fact based telling of the events leading up to the 2016 US Presidential election including great..." Read more

"Great information and facts - at a time when facts are hard to come by. There are almost too many facts - lol..." Read more

199 customers mention "Writing quality"186 positive13 negative

Customers find the book well-written, brilliantly told, and balanced. They appreciate the clear, vigorous writing that keeps them turning pages. Readers also mention the authors' ability to synthesize and make sense of the constant changes. In addition, they say the book is straightforward and sometimes startling.

"...The authors' clear, vigorous writing kept me turning pages far into the night...." Read more

"Just finished Russian Roulette. It was a detailed, fact based telling of the events leading up to the 2016 US Presidential election including great..." Read more

"...This one tops the list however. First it is very readable, it reads like a spy story but with real facts...." Read more

"...wealthy along the way, well that's okay too. Easy to read difficult subject matter is a rare find in non-fiction...." Read more

53 customers mention "Scariness level"47 positive6 negative

Customers find the book mesmerizing, disturbing, and compelling. They describe it as a chilling look into the presidency. Readers also mention the story is riveting and engaging.

"...He takes you through every single angle, and it is truly terrifying...." Read more

"...Riveting, interesting and full of facts." Read more

"...It is well written and held my interest...." Read more

"...It is informative, disturbing, and alarming to see the unfolding of Tump’s attempt to build tower in Moscow and his strategic affection for Putin..." Read more

43 customers mention "Pacing"39 positive4 negative

Customers find the book well-presented, insightful, and amazing. They appreciate the meticulous detailing and good descriptions of the numerous Russian characters. Readers also say the book provides an interesting behind-the-scenes look into the Trump organization.

"...Brilliant, period. End of story. But despite its meticulous detailing, this isn’t the end of the story, it is just, I am afraid, the..." Read more

"...It presents good descriptions of the numerous Russian characters who inserted themselves into Trump's orbit -- including Alexander Torshin and Maria..." Read more

"I never write reviews for books but I am on this one. Amazing book that paints an picture of what we are experiencing in America...." Read more

"...in a non-partisan, objective way.It’s a very striking, easy-to-follow portrayal of the complex attack on the US...." Read more

41 customers mention "Timeline"41 positive0 negative

Customers find the timeline essential, clear, and logical. They also say it provides a very clear historical record of these unbelievable times. Readers also mention the book is concise and accurate.

"This book provides an essential timeline and points out significant connections concerning Russia's interference in our 2016 election...." Read more

"This is a concise and accurate summary of factual events. It is not a docuopinion and should not be considered as such...." Read more

"...not only puts together all the stories we've heard, but gives them some order and continuity...." Read more

"...Regardless, this book works as a current timeline of all the great work that journalists have been doing over the last years, including the authors...." Read more

30 customers mention "Authenticity"26 positive4 negative

Customers find the book to be authentic, credible, and believable. They also say it's an accurate description of events.

"...This book is meticulously researched, and written in a calm, factual matter. There are many opportunities where the authors could have taken a shot...." Read more

"...and Fury by Michael Wolff (ditto), Russian Roulette is neither self-serving nor gossipy...." Read more

"...So sad that it is real. Very very real. Must read. I wish it was mandatory for every citizen to read." Read more

"...It confirmed and legitimized daily reporting and for that reason alone I'm glad I read the book. It is well written and held my interest...." Read more

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Marie-Jo Fortis

INFERNAL MACHINE

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

I could just say that this book is brilliant. Brilliant, period. End of story.

But despite its meticulous detailing, this isn’t the end of the story, it is just, I am afraid, the beginning.

Investigative journalists Isikoff and Corn are at it at their lacemaking, weaving their dark mantilla, telling the tale of an international mafia that apparently roots in Russia. But despite their carefully threading, no one is sure where the source starts or where it will end. What one is certain of, is that one is entering into a jigsaw of crimes. Better yet, crimes built like Russian dolls, where one hides another one, and once one discovers that one, the opening that doll’s head reveals something else. And on, and on.

Here are a few, just a few things one learns: Trump is not thrown up-hazardously into the political scene, nor is his arrival there a revenge against some humiliating words thrown out humorously by our last president Barrack Obama. There might be cold calculation in what appears to be burst-out, emotional and vulgar eccentricities. In other words, Trump’s impulsiveness might be “fake news.”

Chapters are titled with quotes. Here is the title of Chapter 7: “He’s Been a Russian Stooge for Fifteen Years.” This is an allusion to Paul Manafort, in the news now as I am writing this (August 2018), and facing life in prison. He was, after all, a Putin aide before he offered his help to Trump’s campaign. That last gig, he did for free, quite a strange thing for a businessman like him.

There are the continuous meetings between Trump’s entourage and Putin’s. There is Trump’s insistence on maintaining a relationship with a country that not only is our enemy, is powerful enough to destroy us, but has a leader who will not encumber himself with delicate sentiments to do it should his interests dictate it. All of this, and much more, is woven with an assembly of names and places, as if they were parts of an infernal machine.

But what makes the work fascinating, brilliant as mentioned, but beyond that, important, is that Isikoff and Corn have begun to show us the mechanism of that machine.

Hopefully it is not a bomb.

Hopefully, with more work like this, it can be dismantled.

28 people found this helpful

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Dr. Susie

Absorbing, terrifying, frustrating - and a great read!

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018

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Seasoned investigative reporters Michael Isikoff and David Corn have written an utterly absorbing account of Russian cyber-espionage efforts, both their history and those specifically aimed at the 2016 election. They also document Donald Trump's long efforts to cultivate a business relationship with Russia and his campaign aides' curious and repeated contacts with Russian officials. Some of this has been captured in the news media, but not with the meticulous detail and urgent narrative thrust of this book. The authors' clear, vigorous writing kept me turning pages far into the night.

The outlines of some of what's covered will be familiar, but the authors delve well below the surface, weaving together information gleaned from many sources to present a fuller story. And it's both a scary and a frustrating one: The Russian attack was known months before the Obama administration and Republican leaders in Congress were willing to share it with the public. The DNC was slow to pick up on the threat to their computers. Trump has been trying for many years to cozy up to Putin, and some of his campaign people were on intelligence community radar screens before their dubious activities were finally made public. What if everyone had been just a little quicker to realize what was going on? Would the election have turned out differently? The authors wisely don't speculate, but the story they present will have you asking yourself some difficult questions.

Finally, this is a great read. Admit it: How often do you read political nonfiction and hate to come to the end of the book? I'm a political junkie, but I don't recall ever feeling that way - before I picked up this book.

3 people found this helpful

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Magicbird

Writers deserve 5 stars for excellent research but for ordinary me a bit tedious to read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2018

Verified Purchase

I don't want to be unfair to the writers because if you are someone who is really into fact-gathering there is no question that the authors thoroughly did their research. The number of names, places, times, events and connections they gathered for their book is astonishing. I really admire them for their work. So if you're seeking a book that references the many Russians and shady figures involved with Trump and Putin then this is an excellent book--and I'm glad I read it (or at least read most of it) because I came away from the book finally feeling solid in my understanding of why Trump is such a suck-up to Putin [I believe, after reading this book that, along with already getting $millions from Putin and the oligarchs who laundered money through Trump's properties, Trump wants more than anything to create a real estate empire, starting with a Trump Tower or two, in Russia itself, and Trump can't do that unless Putin himself grants him permission to do so--thus Trump doesn't dare risk offending Putin by saying anything negative about Putin or Russia--and on Putin's side of things, Trump was the perfect American wheeler-dealer to help get elected into the office of the US president in hopes that Trump would help keep him [Putin] from being sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act. I think the book was worth reading just for the depth of understanding it gave me regarding Trump's relationship with Putin. I'm glad I purchased the book, just to learn what I learned from it. But I confess that seeing its 5-star rating led me to believe that it would be a cant-put-it-down read like Bill Browder's book "Red Notice", only it wasn't. The numerous facts and names made this book a bit tedious to read for a low-brow like me. However, the book will forever stay in my memory just for the fascinating account of Putin telling Hillary Clinton about 'the foot with the shoe in the pile of bodies being his mother.' I will always, always wonder about that story! Everyone I tell that story to is fascinated by it.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Marian Atkinson

A Masterpiece of a Read

Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

Fantastic book. Well written; well researched. I couldn't put it down. Read it within 2 days after receiving it; now reading it for a second time. This book puts all the chaotic newscasts and discussions of today in context chronologically and helps make sense of the whole sordid affair of US politics that occurred and continues to affect the globe. Thank you Mr. Isikoff and Corn. It is an intriguing read. Every high school student in the US and every 1st year student at University should have this as mandatory reading. What occurred in the last US election sets a precedent for the future. We are living in dangerous times; dangerous like never before; insidiously dangerous. Will Trump ever get his 'Trump Tower in Moscow'? He is being a good boy for recently "re-elected" Putin, so maybe he just might!!!!! Voters beware -- read this book.

Elza

A MUST read to know what really happened during the election of D. Trump

Reviewed in France on November 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

Reads like a spy novel except that it is not! Very well documented, names, dates, places..... I am almost finished reading this fascinating book which shows what a con and liar Trump really is.

Edwin Stanley

Truly worth a read

Reviewed in India on October 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought the book to gain a deeper understanding into the Russian involvement in the US Presidential elections,a topic in which I was highly interested since last year.The book gives the reader a complete picture on how the Russians used a variety of tools in their mission to get Donald Trump elected as President.Besides this,the authors give a look into the affinity Trump had for the Russians before the election took place.The book also narrates the stories of Trump’s associates who have been accused of colluding with the Russians.A must read for anyone interested in US politics.

Anglian Traveller

Playing Russian Roulette, how soon is the live bullet going to be in the chamber for Trump?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

David Corn & Michael Isikoff demonstrate their first-class journalistic professionalism in this book which in many ways complements Luke Harding’s ‘Collusion’ in narrative style and content. The long involvement of Trump with the 21st century Russian mafia state and the multiple connections of members of the Trump campaign (Manafort, Gates, Page, Flynn, Sessions, Kushner, the list is a long one) with the Putin regime and with kleptocratic Russian oligarchs are extensive and characterised by one feature: they all lie to congressional investigators and to the FBI about these connections and many have been up to their eyes in dirty Russian money for years.

One is left wondering why on Earth the GOP-dominated Congress & Senate continue to support Trump, whose persistent vilification of the investigation against him and protestations of “no collusion” make him look guilty; an innocent president would just shut-up, relax, act more presidential & allow the investigation to do its work, because the truth is bound to come out eventually: it always does.

Corn & Isikoff dig deep and are excellent storytellers. Even if you’re not particularly interested in US politics or how America was hacked and corrupted by Russia aided and abetted by the Trump team, the book is a first class read. Editing is exemplary and the style is racy, punchy and informative. Great title too: appropriate with a sinister twist.

Holger Breme

The Mandschurian Candidate

Reviewed in Germany on June 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book can be read like a thriller. There are many unsavoury people in it starting with the Man the whole World knows as President of the United States. Bit by bit the two authors are piecing together a frightening picture of a great Power (Russia) using the most sophisticated tools of modern cyber warfare to influence the Presidential election of 2016 and to put their creature in the White House.
What was unnerveing me a little bit was the overwhelming number of sinister actors and their counterparts on the democratic side. I lost track between all the Russian oligarchs, siloviki, politicians and their offspring on one side and their American stooges on the other side. May be you have to make a list of them like Tolstoi or Dostojewski did in their novels, father's name included.

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Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump Kindle Edition

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