Putin's Kleptocracy
Who Owns Russia?
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Narrated by:
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Robert Petkoff
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By:
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Karen Dawisha
About this listen
The raging question in the world today is who is the real Vladimir Putin and what are his intentions. Karen Dawisha’s brilliant Putin’s Kleptocracy provides an answer, describing how Putin got to power, the cabal he brought with him, the billions they have looted, and his plan to restore the Greater Russia.
Russian scholar Dawisha describes and exposes the origins of Putin’s kleptocratic regime. She presents extensive new evidence about the Putin circle’s use of public positions for personal gain even before Putin became president in 2000. She documents the establishment of Bank Rossiya, now sanctioned by the US; the rise of the Ozero cooperative, founded by Putin and others who are now subject to visa bans and asset freezes; the links between Putin, Petromed, and "Putin’s Palace" near Sochi; and the role of security officials from Putin’s KGB days in Leningrad and Dresden, many of whom have maintained their contacts with Russian organized crime.
Putin’s Kleptocracy is the result of years of research into the KGB and the various thriving Russian crime syndicates. Dawisha’s sources include Stasi archives; Russian insiders; investigative journalists in the US, Britain, Germany, Finland, France, and Italy; and Western officials who served in Moscow. Russian journalists wrote part of this story when the Russian media was still free. "Many of them died for this story, and their work has largely been scrubbed from the Internet, and even from Russian libraries," Dawisha says. "But some of that work remains."
©2014 Karen Dawisha (P)2014 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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The epic tale of the rise to power of Russia's current president—the only complete biography in English–that fully captures his emergence from shrouded obscurity and deprivation to become one of the most consequential and complicated leaders in modern history, by the former New York Times Moscow bureau chief.
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A retelling of facts without much added info
- By A. M. on 03-07-16
By: Steven Lee Myers
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Family of Secrets
- The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America
- By: Russ Baker
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 24 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre said that "words are loaded pistols". In the hands of Russ Baker, they are hydrogen bombs. On each and every page of his masterpiece, Family of Secrets, he explodes the myths and lies that powerful forces have perpetrated on the American consciousness. He digs beneath the surface in a form of journalistic archeology to reveal the hidden history of one of America's most powerful families, leaving no stone unturned.
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Still Relevant, Impossible to Put Down
- By Emilio Largo on 12-14-12
By: Russ Baker
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All the Kremlin's Men
- Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin
- By: Mikhail Zygar
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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All the Kremlin's Men is a gripping narrative of an accidental king and a court out of control. Based on an unprecedented series of interviews with Vladimir Putin's inner circle, this book presents a radically different view of power and politics in Russia. The image of Putin as a strongman is dissolved. In its place is a weary figurehead buffeted - if not controlled - by the men who at once advise and deceive him. The regional governors and bureaucratic leaders are immovable objects, far more powerful in their fiefdoms than the president himself.
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Enough with the Russian accents!
- By Emma Jane Top on 12-17-17
By: Mikhail Zygar
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The Deep State
- The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government
- By: Mike Lofgren
- Narrated by: Brian O'Neill
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Mike Lofgren is back with a book perfectly pitched for the frenzied circus of the primaries. His argument this time is that for all of the backstabbing and money grubbing of the campaign season, the politicians we elect have as little ability to shift policy as Communist party apparatchiks. Welcome to Mike Lofgren's Washington, DC - a This Town where the political theater that is endlessly tweeted and blogged about has nothing to do with actual decision making.
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Almost good, but profoundly misunderstands economics and very biased towards Democrats
- By Nina Prevot on 04-08-16
By: Mike Lofgren
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The Less You Know, the Better You Sleep
- Russia's Road to Terror and Dictatorship Under Yeltsin and Putin
- By: David Satter
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In this book Satter tells the story of the apartment bombings and how Boris Yeltsin presided over the criminalization of Russia, why Vladimir Putin was chosen as his sucessor, and how Putin has suppressed all opposition while retaining the appearance of a pluralist state. As the threat represented by Russia becomes increasingly clear, Satter's description of where Russia is and how it got there will be of vital interest to anyone concerned about the dangers facing the world today.
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David understands Russia better than Russians do
- By Grigory on 04-05-17
By: David Satter
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Private Empire
- ExxonMobil and American Power
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 24 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Steve Coll investigates the largest and most powerful private corporation in the United States, revealing the true extent of its power. ExxonMobil’s annual revenues are larger than the economic activity in the great majority of countries. In many of the countries where it conducts business, ExxonMobil’s sway over politics and security is greater than that of the United States embassy. In Washington, ExxonMobil spends more money lobbying Congress and the White House than almost any other corporation. Yet despite its outsized influence, it is a black box.
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Please no more accents!
- By Zak on 07-24-12
By: Steve Coll
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The New Nobility
- The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB
- By: Andrei Soldatov, Irina Borogin
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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While Vladimir Putin has been president and prime minister of Russia, the Kremlin has deployed the security services to intimidate the political opposition, reassert the power of the state, and carry out assassinations overseas. At the same time, its agents and spies were put beyond public accountability and blessed with the prestige, benefits, and legitimacy lost since the Soviet collapse.
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A little difficult to follow
- By Jairus on 12-10-10
By: Andrei Soldatov, and others
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Collusion
- Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win
- By: Luke Harding
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Russia expert Luke Harding lays out the most in-depth look to date at the Trump campaign's dealings with Russia. Beginning with a meeting with Christopher Steele, the man behind the shattering dossier that first brought the allegations to light, Harding probes the histories of key Russian and American players with striking clarity and insight. Harding exposes the disquieting details of the Trump-Russia story - a saga so huge it involves international espionage, offshore banks, sketchy real estate deals, mobsters, money laundering, disappeared dissidents, and more.
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Good summation, but gaps, patched with spin
- By Philo on 11-24-17
By: Luke Harding
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Hitler's American Friends
- The Third Reich's Supporters in the United States
- By: Bradley W. Hart
- Narrated by: Chris Ciulla
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Hitler's American Friends, by Bradley W. Hart, is an audiobook examining the strange terrain of Nazi sympathizers, nonintervention campaigners, and other voices in America who advocated on behalf of Nazi Germany in the years before World War II. Americans who remember World War II reminisce about how it brought the country together. The less-popular truth behind this warm nostalgia: Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was deeply, dangerously divided.
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Excellent Information
- By Laura on 05-09-19
By: Bradley W. Hart
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The Looting Machine
- Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, and the Theft of Africa's Wealth
- By: Tom Burgis
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The trade in oil, gas, gems, metals, and rare earth minerals wreaks havoc in Africa. During the years when Brazil, India, China, and the other "emerging markets" have transformed their economies, Africa's resource states remained tethered to the bottom of the industrial supply chain. While Africa accounts for about 30 percent of the world's reserves of hydrocarbons and minerals and 14 percent of the world's population, its share of global manufacturing stood in 2011 exactly where it stood in 2000: at 1 percent.
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Frightening, Fascinating, Fatiguing
- By Scott on 07-29-18
By: Tom Burgis
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The Case for Impeachment
- By: Allan J. Lichtman
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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What are the ranges and limitations of presidential authority? What are the standards of truthfulness that a president must uphold? What will it take to impeach Donald J. Trump? Professor Allan J. Lichtman, who has correctly forecasted 30 years of presidential outcomes, answers these questions, and more, in The Case for Impeachment - a deeply convincing argument for impeaching the 45th president of the United States.
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Every American should read this!
- By Daniel Ballard on 04-24-17
What listeners say about Putin's Kleptocracy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Heath Zumstein
- 07-28-15
THE definitive work on Putin's Russia
Would you listen to Putin's Kleptocracy again? Why?
Incredibly well researched and brimming with sources that the reader can investigate further. The author's page on Miami University website has additional resources on the book including the bibliography and one of the key documents that informed the book on 'reform of the presidential administration'
Who was your favorite character and why?
Putin obviously is the main character, and his ability to maintain public support through his signature brand of populism and media control, as well as keep the elites loyal through massive, unprecedented corruption is the core story of today's Russia, one which is far from over.
What about Robert Petkoff’s performance did you like?
The narration was quite good and the editing was top notch.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
Really the most fascinating thing is how much information about the true nature of Putin's regime as well as his shadowy past including earlier corrupt schemes, court cases, mafia connections are more or less available in the public domain for anyone who takes the time to do the research and connect the dots.
Any additional comments?
I hope and pray that the Putin system doesn't crash and burn in an abrupt, violent way, which could have terrible consequences for Russian people and the rest of the world, but at this point its difficult to see an alternative trajectory.
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- L. H.
- 01-26-17
Items to look out for
This discourse is riveting, full of myriad signs and warnings about a man in charge of Russia and so much more. The biggest theme is the principle of 'manual control' over all decisions, and harsh consequences. This book builds the case against Putin's statements of democracy and growth, all methods unsettling of the current world position he won.
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- Lwazilwenkosi
- 02-04-15
Sobering read
As a South African, I found this book sobering. Some eerie similarities with South Africa.
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- Richard
- 05-04-18
Important book on very important subject
Admittedly this book reads like the transcript from the Pipe Fitter’s Convention as a result of the academic tendency to an abundance of Russian names that can make it a challenge to glean the message. But the message, at least at its macro level, comes thru clearly and powerfully. It will and should startle westerners, but this is insight we must have. Never more so than in 2018 as we question not just whether they influence our elections, but why that matters—and it does!
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- Vladimir Kushnir
- 01-31-15
Excellent book! Well researched and well written.
Where does Putin's Kleptocracy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is the best book I've read/listened to on the subject. Another one I would recommend is "The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin" by Masha Gessen. Even though I've tried to keep with the subject by following the news and reading the books, I've found a lot of new material in this book. Some books filled with facts become hard to follow. This one is filled with facts but it is extremely well written, you listen to the story as if it was a Count of Monte Kristo, except that it is the real thing. This should be a must-read for members of Congress and U.S. Presidents as well as European politicians so that they would not "look into Putin's eyes and see his soul" or something like this, but instead would have a clear understanding what they are dealing with.
Any additional comments?
The artist reading the book -- Robert Petkoff -- is doing a pretty good job, even pronunciation of Russian terms and names is better than average in other audiobooks.
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11 people found this helpful
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- awesome game
- 02-27-15
Research for this book is extensive
unveils the vail on the late decline of Russia, and how things have gone till and likely will. civil war might arise yet again in Russia
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5 people found this helpful
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- Troy
- 05-27-17
no pic companion-state dept testing makes harder
Would you try another book from Karen Dawisha and/or Robert Petkoff?
It is ok......but rather basic at times.....photos none Black Puzzles no go
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Out Putin ties to Kim Dot Com - 1990's none
Did Robert Petkoff do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
non
Could you see Putin's Kleptocracy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
k
Any additional comments?
k
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- Andy
- 08-14-17
Great book, but not great in audio form
The book itself is great-- Dawisha has thoroughly researched and investigated Putin's inner-circle, and each chapter abounds with detailed information and analysis of who Putin is and who he surrounds himself with.
The problem is that there are so many Russian names thrown around that it's practically impossible to follow along in audiobook form-- unless you have a familiarity with Russian, that is.
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- Darcy
- 06-04-22
I highly recommend reading this
The writing is fine, but the subject matter, with its detailed recounting of dealings by all the shady players with complicated, difficult names, can be a slog. Nonetheless, extremely insightful, particularly in the era following the invasion of Ukraine
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- linda russell
- 03-24-15
Stay Tuned for the sequel Obama's kleptocracy
informative interesting but no surprises. Starting to see parallels in the United States Obama's government
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1 person found this helpful