Putin: Russia's choice

Vladimir Putin has had a major domestic and international impact since his election as Russian President in March 2000 and yet remarkably little is known about the man in the West. Putin: Russia's Choice, written by one of the UK's leading scholars of Russian politics, is the first major study of the man and his politics. Richard Sakwa's discussion provides the biographical and political context to explain Putin's astonishing rise from anonymous KGB apparatchik to leader of one of the world's most important and interesting countries.

The book explains Putin's personal and intellectual development and his ability to effect social and political change. Putin's attempt to counter the endemic weakness of the Russian state and to reshape its political system and national identity are explored alongside his economic, social, cultural, regional and foreign policies. The author also examines the close personal relationships that Putin has forged with other world leaders including President George W Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Drawing on both Russian and English-language sources, and providing comprehensive coverage of Putin's speeches, interviews and policy documents, this is the definitive study of the Russian leader.