Since Russian leader Vladimir Putin assumed power in August 1999; speculation about his character; motives; and plans for Russia’s future has been rampant in the West. A portrait of Putin has emerged in the West that is one-dimensional; ill informed; and diametrically opposed to the image of Putin the majority of Russians hold. Even after he stepped down as president in May 2008; retaining a significant measure of power as prime minister under his hand-picked successor; President Dmitri Medvedev; Putin remains poorly understood. In this interpretive biography of Putin; Allen C. Lynch seeks to reconcile the two conflicting images and find out just where the truth lies about the man and the statesman.Westerners view Putin as an authoritarian holdover from the Soviet era who has clamped down on domestic opposition; freedom of the press; and other elements of a functioning democracy and who has relentlessly exerted Russian influence abroad; challenging the West and seeking to control its post-Soviet periphery. Most Russians; in contrast; are likely to be grateful to Putin for presiding over an economic recovery and reasserting Russian dignity on the world stage. A complete apprehension of the Russian leader; according to Lynch; requires an understanding of the way in which Putin’s personal experiences and critical events in recent Russian history have shaped his outlook. Lynch convincingly demonstrates how a complex interplay of Russia’s post-Soviet circumstances and the particular path of Putin’s career have informed his choices as leader.
#2432920 in Books 2007-02-28 2007-02-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.75 x .31 x 6.88l; 1.55 #File Name: 1596291184288 pages
Review
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful. very disappointed - lacking in details.By yousers352I'm not a hardcore naval history buff; but I found this book to be extremely disappointing (returned it the next day). It's more of brief (very; very; very brief) history of ironclads in a chronological format; without any meat or details to it (3-4 sentences each??). Had I known it was so thin on historical details; I definitely would not have purchased this product. It would have been nice to pick a few of the more interesting ironclads in the period and give it some more substance. I normally do not write product reviews (who has the time?); but this product left a lot to be desired. Anyway; sorry to give a negative review...9 of 12 people found the following review helpful. The most complete story of Civil War IroncladsBy John MatlockThe story of the battle between the USS Monitor and the Merrimack (CSS Virginia) at the Battle of Hampton Roads is well known as the battle where iron armored ships signaled the end of the era of wooden ships. From this battle on; ships would be made of iron (and later steel) with their guns mounted in turrets would rule the waves until they too met their match at places like Pearl Harbor.But as usually happens with technology; there are few secrets. The engineers in the North and the South began developing ironclads; as well as more effective canon and shells.This excellent book gives the overall history of the ironclads on both sides. This includes the river fleet under Grant in his battles on the western rivers as well as the ones in the east. In two appendicies; the author lists 34 named Confederate ironclads (six more were started but never named); and 83 Union (some of which were so bad that they while they were built; they were never commissioned into the Navy).The book concentrates on the ironclads of the American Civil War; as this was the time when they were being invented and first used. It uses an interesting format of a chronological history combined with essays discussing some particular point of interest. There is some additional material at the beginning and end of the book on earlier and later activities to place the Civil War into some perspective.All in all; a well researched book that provides a more complete story than I've seen before.
