The USSR at the moment of collapse -- The making of money and power : the establishment of Putin's Circle, from the KGB to St. Petersburg, 1985-1996 -- Putin in St. Petersburg, 1990-1996: accusations of illicit activities -- Putin in Moscow, 1996-1999 -- Putin prepares to take over: from Prime Minister to Acting President, December 1999-May 2000 -- The founding of the Putin System: his first hundred days and their consequences, May-August 2000 -- Russia, Putin, and the future of kleptocratic authoritarianism

The raging question in the world today is who is the real Vladimir Putin and what are his intentions. Karen Dawisha's brilliant work provides an answer, describing how Putin got to power, the cabal he brought with him, the billions they have looted, and his plan to restore the Greater Russia