| Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West | |
| Border: | yes |
| Author: | Catherine Belton |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | Geopolitics |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Published: | June 2020 |
| Media Type: | Hardcover |
| Pages: | 640 |
| Isbn: | 978-0374238711 |
Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West is a book authored by Catherine Belton, former Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times.[1] The book discusses the rise to power of Vladimir Putin and the people around him. The publication of the book sparked a series of lawsuits by the individuals and organizations mentioned in it.
The book was written by British journalist Catherine Belton, who was a Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times and lived in Russia for 16 years, where she met oligarchs, government officials, intelligence officers and Kremlin insiders.[2]
The book was reviewed by Matthew J. of Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Studies in Intelligence, who stated, "On balance, this is a useful and thought-provoking book on the trajectory of post-Soviet Russia and the continued influence of the KGB inside the Kremlin."[3]
Writing for The New York Times, Jennifer Szalai in her review questions that, "to read this book is to wonder whether a cynicism has embedded itself so deeply into the Anglo-American political classes that even the incriminating information it documents won’t make an actionable difference."[4]
In March-April 2021, HarperCollins, the publisher of the book faced several libel lawsuits by Russian oligarchs Roman Abramovich (billionaire and owner of the Chelsea football club), Mikhail Fridman (co-owner of Alfa Group), Pyotr Aven (chairman of the board of directors of Alfa Bank), and Shalva Chigirinsky (businessman).[5]