Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin, by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy

I've wanted to read this book ever since I saw Fiona Hill testify before Congress during the impeachment trial. I was impressed with her testimony, her poise, and her deep knowledge and expertise about Russia. When I went to buy her book, it was out of stock (I guess a lot of people had the same idea that I did), and our library copy was already checked out, so I put this on the back burner. But I was surprised to find this among my Christmas presents; I couldn't believe that my husband had remembered my wish to read it.

I loved this book. Not a conventional biography; instead, it analyzes the influences on Vladimir Putin and how they made him who he is. Describing Putin as a statist, a history man, a survivalist, an outsider, a free marketeer, and a case officer, authors Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy show how each of these identities play out in Putin's actions within Russia and in foreign affairs. This is a dense book, but it is so well-written that it just flows as you read it. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in world affairs. My only complaint is that it was published in 2013; I would really like to see Hill and Gaddy bring this up to the present.