A perfect mirror to its subject... should be compulsory reading ObserverVladimir Putin is a pariah to the West.He has the power to reduce the West to nuclear ashes. He invades his neighbours, meddles in western elections and orders assassinations. His regime is autocratic and corrupt. Yet many Russians continue to support him. Under Putins leadership, Russia has once again become a force to be reckoned with.Philip Shorts magisterial biography explores in unprecedented depth the personality of Russias leader and demolishes many of our preconceptions about Putins Russia.To explain is not to justify. Putins regime is dark. But on closer examination, much of what we think we know about him turns out to rest on half-truths. This book is as close as we will come to understanding Russias ruler.Shorts pushback against lazy, convenient myth-making is refreshing The TimesElegantly written and pacy Financial TimesExtensively covers the dark moments of Putins career.... The Putin of Shorts book is not someone you would invite to dinner New York Times