Putin’s People cover art

Putin’s People

How the KGB Took Back Russia and then Took on the West

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Putin’s People

By: Catherine Belton
Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
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About this listen

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘An outstanding exposé of Putin and his criminal pals … [A] long-awaited, must read book’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Books about modern Russia abound … Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia’ THE TIMES

A chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB’s renaissance, Putin’s rise to power, and how Russian black cash is subverting the world.

In Putin’s People, former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs.

Through exclusive interviews with key inside players, Belton tells how Putin’s people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies, took over the economy, siphoned billions, blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers, shut down opponents, and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West.

In a story that ranges from Moscow to London, Switzerland and Trump’s America, Putin’s People is a gripping and terrifying account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray, with stark consequences for its inhabitants and, increasingly, the world.

‘A fearless, fascinating account … Reads at times like a John le Carré novel … A groundbreaking and meticulously researched anatomy of the Putin regime, Belton’s book shines a light on the pernicious threats Russian money and influence now pose to the west’ Guardian

©2020 Catherine Belton (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Freedom & Security Presidents & Heads of State Russian & Soviet Espionage War Switzerland Imperialism

Critic Reviews

"Putin's People is meticulously researched and superbly written; terrifying in its scope and utterly convincing in its argument. It is a portrait of a group of men ruthless in their power, and careless of anyone else. This is the Putin book that we've been waiting for." (Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland)

"Catherine Belton is quite simply the most detailed and best-informed journalist covering Russia. One hears so much grand punditry about the country, but if you want to know the terrifying facts, from the nexus of KGB, business and crime which was Putin's petri-dish, to the complex reality of the relationship with Trump, and if you want to see how all this combines into a whole new system, then this is the book for you." (Peter Pomerantsev)

"A ground-breaking investigative history of the rise of Vladimir Putin, a revealing examination of how power and money intersect in today’s Russia. Catherine Belton has pulled away the curtain on two decades of hidden financial networks and lucrative secret deals, exposing the inner workings of Putin & Co. in remarkable and disturbing detail. A real eye-opener." (David E. Hoffman, author of The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia)

What listeners say about Putin’s People

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    4 out of 5 stars

Very comprehensive account of Putin

Very informative but difficult to remember who is who. The names are intertwined with Putin who is the ultimate modern dictator.
Manipulative powerful, smart,brazen and a formidable opponent to anyone who crosses him.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Wordy and a bit overly detailed, but interesting.

This book goes through a lot of names that can weigh down the listening, and is a bit like listening to a history textbook with heaps of similar sounding Russian names, but if you can make it through the first bit, it does have some quite interesting information about the ride of putin, and later on his relation to Trump!

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excellent

Well written, well narrated and informative book. At the start it's hard to get into because of all the unfamiliar Russian politicians/ businessman the book refers to but as the book progresses it all falls into place.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Putins people. A must read for believers in democracy

Brilliant incisive and timely. The narration for so quick I had to slow it down to digest the information. Listened to it twice

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Good voice actor

Interesting and good voice actor. It feels like you’re listening to a long form BBC news report

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Exceptionally detailed

Exceptionally thorough full of intrigue and detail. Only problem is keeping control of the Russian names.

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Makes one wonder ?

Very well put together ,both the author and narrator , first class reading .

Its no wonder that millions of people starve, whilst a few (leaders),rip the money from them .

When you see the current Russian leader in the media, he looks sort of harmless .
But he is no better than Stalin, Hitler or any other tyrant /dictator ,he's been evil and dishonest from the time he was a young KGB operative .

The World is a beautiful place ,certainly not enhanced by some world leaders and their Golden Castles etc.

After reading this and other books like this one ,I see no hope for the population of the World as it is .

Our World will survive ,but its the people who govern it ,,,,who need to change .

We don't need any more dictators ,killers, murderers and thieves running countries .


This book is well worth reading



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Enjoyable Listen (but)

This was a good listen but I had to buy the hard copy book as it was very hard to follow the names of Russian references. Listen in conjunction with the hard copy was a real success and this has a fascinating and scary amount of information.

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A most pertinent tale of Russian geopolitics today

A well researched & informative account of how we got to where we are in the world today. a gripping read, well delivered and brimming with information we all need to understand. Excellent

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