Putin's progress

"Vladimir Putin seemed to have come from nowhere when he succeeded the ailing and incompetent Boris Yeltsin as President of Russia in March 2000. It was as if he had taken the Kremlin by stealth - perhaps, it was whispered, using the skills he acquired as a senior agent in the KGB." "In fact, as Peter Truscott shows in this book, Putin's rise to prominence owes more to a combination of canny manoeuvring and blat, the traditional Russian system of cronyism and patronage. A fiercely loyal citizen of St. Petersburg, from a poor but stable background, he has throughout his life maintained close contacts with key officials in that city. And his links with the powerful Yeltsin clan made him the heir apparent as his predecessor's health declined - especially as he had agreed to grant Yeltsin immunity from prosecution for corruption." "Putin inherited a country still struggling to come to terms with its painful transition from communism to something resembling democracy. His early ambitions to restore Russia's 'Great Power' status have been tempered by the realities of a world in which US primacy holds sway, and since becoming leader Putin has trod a tricky but careful path between overtures to the West when it suits him and a hardline approach to problems at home. His handling of the Chechen crisis, including the ruthless and fatal resolution to the Moscow theatre siege, has inspired admiration and condemnation in equal measure. But what does he stand for?" "Peter Truscott presents the first comprehensive exploration in English of Putin's character and offers many insights into his likely legacy. Drawing on interviews with all the key players in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Washington, London and around the world, this biography sheds new light on one of the most enigmatic of modern leaders and what it means to live in Putin's Russia."--BOOK JACKET.