Putin's Labyrinth: Spies, Murder, and the Dark Heart of the New Russia

by Steve Levine and Steve Levine

Book Overview

"A riveting look at today's Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin."--The Kingston Observer

In Putin's Labyrinth, acclaimed journalist Steve LeVine, who lived in and reported from the former Soviet Union for more than a decade, provides a gripping account of modern Russia. In a penetrating narrative that recounts the lives and deaths of six Russians, LeVine portrays the growth of a "culture of death"--from...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812978412
• ISBN13: 9780812978414
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Random House Group
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Putin's Power: A Must Read for the Wise, the Unwise, and Everyone In Between

Putin's Labyrinth, brings to light the atrocious realities of Russian politics, putting special emphasis on Putin's egotistical and callous manner that both sets the tone for Russia's government and sets a detrimental example for the general population. LeVine presents his often opinionated [negative] statements about Russian governmental affairs and Putin with such charisma and such humility, that one cannot help but feel captivated by his writing page after page, notwithstanding any dissenting opinions. It is these special attributes that make LeVine a likeable, easy to understand, and accurate narrator. However, despite the author's immense talent with the written word and his quite magnanimous personality, the real treasure in his book lies in his stirring accounts of the assassination of six specific Russians as well as the harsh indifference expressed by the Kremlin towards the same six assassinations and many other injustices committed throughout the years. The stories are not "merely" shocking accounts composed with empty words and little or no evidence, on the contrary; they are made powerful with validations by eyewitnesses, families and friends of the assassination victims, and finally Russian government insiders. This book is a smooth read as well as a huge eye-opener for people of all ages and backgrounds. I highly recommend it and guarantee that you will learnn more than you thought you bargained for!

Gripping True Tales of Government-Sponsored Assassinations

I picked up Putin's Labyrinth in the course of researching various aspects of modern Russia for my next novel and then couldn't put it down. If you want to read true stories of shadowy ex-KGB overseas networks and government-sanctioned assassinations -- that is, if you're trying to understand what makes modern Russia tick -- I highly recommend this gripping book. BTW, I first learned of the book through Levine's interview with one of my favorite bloggers, Scott Horton of Harper's. You can read the interview here. [...]

Agree or Disagree with it, a Book To Read

Steve LeVine's compelling and engagingly horrified study of the 'dark heart of the new Russia' stands head and shoulders above the spate of books triggered by the Litvinenko murder because it is not about one killing so much as 'a chronicle of violence in modern-day Russia, a place that seems unwilling or unable to escape its horrific past.' (p. xxii) It is difficult in general terms to resist LeVine's claim that 'Putin's rule protects those who are inside the system or at least accept it. Outsiders cannot expect the same protection. That applies to business, politics, or journalism. Violence can be permissible against those deemed to be outsiders.' (p. 120) Journalistic books on Russia are often readable, even entertaining, but too frequently of little lasting importance. While undeniably a page-turner, this book also advances a thesis about Putin's Russia that does deserve serious consideration. It is certainly uncomfortable in that it can too easily make it seem as if the Russians are being cast simply as passive casualties of their history at best, willing collaborators with a cynical and thuggish regime at worst. It is also too early to see how well it applies to the Medvedev presidency, although events in Georgia may suggest that he is not so far removed from his patron and predecessor. Accept LeVine's stark thesis or not, it is certainly worth exploring and debating. Dr Mark Galeotti Keele University

The Tragedy of Russia

I found this to be a solid and compelling piece of investigative journalism on the state of affairs in contemporary Russia. Levine sets out to depict the shadowy and violent zeitgeist of the "New Russia" that has unfolded with the ascension and consolidation of power by Vladimir Putin. After the Soviet collapse, and the haphazard, gangster infested transition years of Boris Yeltsin, many Russians longed for another strongman that could replace the corruption and anarchy with the stable and powerful Russia of old. In many ways, Putin has succeeded in doing just this. The problem, says Levine, is that while the reckless and bloody gangsterism of the 90's has been mostly cleaned up, Putin has effectively turned Russia into a quasi-fascist (my word) state. Political murders have replaced criminal murders, and anyone seen as opposing the state is branded as fair game for retribution. Russian nationalism is on the rise and the country's rising stability and prosperity is enough for most Russians to look the other way. Central to Putin's mindset and thus the general direction of the country is his connection to Russia's intelligence services. This once undistinguished KGB agent, who managed to become director of the FSB (the successor to the KGB) before being anointed President by Yeltsin, has apparently made his former livelihood the backbone of the new Russian state. His ex-FSB cronies occupy many of the top governmental positions and the secretive "us against them" mentality seems to be the mood of the day. To highlight the tragic consequences of Russia's current trajectory, Levine uses the stories of several high profile victims of the current political climate. Most notable are the murders of renowned journalist Anna Politkovskaya and defector Alexander Litvinenko, just to name two. The book reads like a spy novel at times; poisonings, shootings, allegations of inside jobs, and an array of other bizarre occurrences litter the pages in every chapter. The subject matter is not only compelling, but at times extremely sad as well. Overall, I thought this was a very informative and intriguing read. It was a bit slow in the middle, but by the end I was completely fascinated. Levine is a solid journalist who has clearly done his homework. I found it to be quite objective as well. While Levine is clearly critical of Putin and the new Russian state, he does his best to separate fact from fiction whenever possible. Highly recommended.

Compelling read that brings the news to life

Putin's Labyrinth is the kind of book that only a journalist -- a particularly good journalist -- could write. It takes the news and pulls and prods at it, showing you how it turns on the actions of people, some ordinary, some extraordinary. I'd been mildly curious about what is happening inside Russia these days, and seeing how the book purported to tie together so many recent headlines of the last few years, I was intrigued enough to pick it up. I put it down about 48 hours later, finished and satisfied that I will never look at events in Russia the same way again.