Book Review: Putin's Russia

Darryl Cunningham, Putin's Russia: the Rise of a Dictator. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Drawn and Quarterly, 2022. ISBN: 9781770465046.

 

Genre: graphic novels and comics

Subgenre: nonfiction, biography, history

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley

 

Before we go on with the review I will note I started to read this before Putin's Russia invaded Ukraine.

 

This is a biography of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in graphic novel form. The author takes us from Putin's humble beginnings to close to today. Along the way, we learn about a man who rises to be an autocrat and yet manages to enjoy broad support in Russia. Keep in mind that Putin has nurtured a serious cult of personality, has curtailed human right and freedoms, and ruthlessly clamped down or even eliminated (or so it seems) political rivals and media critics. He is the villain in this story, and the author presents it in this well written narrative supported by his own research. 

 

This is a very good book for any reader seeking to learn about Putin but does not know where to start. There are various scholarly as well as popular books on Putin, so deciding which to read may be a bit overwhelming. This book then provides a good starting point. Read this first, and then you can seek out other works if you wish. This book is not the definitive work on Putin, but it is a very good overview. 

The story starts with Putin's early life. Here the author makes clear this part of the story is based on an interview series Putin did in 2000, which could be true or could be mythologizing, or both. A strength of the book is that the author brings in citations and sources as needed, and he now and then comments on those sources too. The book's narrative is mostly good. There are some slow parts, but in general it is a good, informative, and interesting read. 

The art is where the book falls a bit short. Most of the art uses a somewhat minimalist style. It is not really well developed. However, portraits of specific people are drawn in a realistic style so you can recognize who is who. Otherwise, the images are a bit generic. The art overall is colorful. 

Overall I liked this book. I wish the art was better. The story is good, and it is well written. It is an engaging read. 

I do recommend this for libraries with graphic novel collections. It is one I would buy for our library. The book includes a list of references, which readers can use to find more books and media on the topic. 

3 out of 5 stars. 

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Additional reading notes: 

 

Books with similar appeal: 

 

•  Ted Rall's Bernie and Trump. 
• I am also curious enough to go find Cunningham's previous book: Billionaires. 

On the U.S. failure to really see Putin's danger. George W. Bush did not see it. Neither did Barrack Obama: 

"Obama, like other Western leaders, had missed Putin's transformation from a bureaucrat who had been entrusted with a huge country into a megalomaniacal dictator" (100). 

Cunningham also refers to the Mueller Report. For folks wanting the easy version of the report, yes, there is a graphic novel version, which I have read and reviewed. While Bush and Obama missed it, Cunningham cites Mueller regarding Trump: 

"The Trump campaign members clearly welcomed foreign influence into the election and compromised themselves by covering it up" (121). 

Do note that the book's list of references is selective. There are some sources mentioned in the story that are not listed in the list of references. For example, Craig Unger's two books on Trump are mentioned in the story as part of the author quoting Unger, but the books are not in the references list. Anyhow, the books are: 

• House of Trump, House of Putin.
• American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. 

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Qualifies for this 2022 Reading Challenge: