The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia

The real strength of the book is a conveying of how it actually felt in Russia at that time (the abuses and the corruption); the simple but major errors made (such as the refusal to see the rouble was heading for a dramatic devaluation) and the government's (both centrally and via different agencies and state banks) naivete in letting a small elite continually profit at the expense of the majority.

While the book is rapidly being taken over by recent events under Putin with the recent imprisonment in 2003 of Khodorovsky who was one of the few survivors by the end of this book, hopefully the writer will attempt a sequel in bringing this masterpiece fully up to date.


Entertaining, informative, provocative.....a great read.   May 14, 2002
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Having lived and worked in Russia for many years I experienced first-hand many of the changes of the 90's. However, this book provided many insights, often quite provocative into what was really happening in the 90's and many of the key players in Russia at that time. Particularly insightful are the backgrounds on the oligarchs as it helps us better understand their thinking, their drive and their ambition. Would Russian democracy have collapsed in 1996 without them? Perhaps it would have, though this is something we shall never know. Was Putin put in place by Berezovsky and then thrown to the wind as their interests diverged? Quite possible given the nature of Russian politics and the behaviour of oligarchs. What the book does demonstrate is the inextricable link between business and politics in Russia, something made very visible by colourful characters such as Berezovsky but which appears less so now with dour(relatively) characters such as Abramovich and Potanin.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to a sequel in three to five years when the events of 2000 onwards can be evaluated with hindsight.