marisbest2's review against another edition
5.0
"We speak of freedom of association, but freedom is association"
tag_gregory's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
What an important and insightful book. I thought, having lived thru the Trump years that I knew what was going on but reading Snyder’s book, I realize my grasp was only superficial. He managed to point out events I don’t remember as well as some events that seemed unconnected and strung them all together into a comprehensive and frightening whole. There was just so much here:
-Coining the term Schzio-Fascism to describe the way current neo-Nazi groups twist everything around to make themselves into the victims.
-Sado-Populism to describe the way politicians like Trump intentionally hurt their own supporters the most while still convincing them it’s okay because everyone else is hurting too.
-The rise of the gay/trans/pedophile panic conspiracies, which originated in Russia and then migrated to be the centerpiece of US Culture wars.
-That *EVERYTHING* goes back to Ukraine. Literally.
I think it’s even more important to read this book now, in 2023, than back in 2018 when it was published. The developments of the ensuing 5 years have proven how on point Snyder was. I would love it if the author would do and updated volume that includes chapters on how the 2020 election, COVID, Trump’s January 6th Insurrection, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the 2024 midterms fit into this framework. Or maybe that’s a whole book in itself.
Now, with the understanding we have from Snyder’s recitation of how we got here, the question remains: how do we fix it all?
100% Recommend!
-Coining the term Schzio-Fascism to describe the way current neo-Nazi groups twist everything around to make themselves into the victims.
-Sado-Populism to describe the way politicians like Trump intentionally hurt their own supporters the most while still convincing them it’s okay because everyone else is hurting too.
-The rise of the gay/trans/pedophile panic conspiracies, which originated in Russia and then migrated to be the centerpiece of US Culture wars.
-That *EVERYTHING* goes back to Ukraine. Literally.
I think it’s even more important to read this book now, in 2023, than back in 2018 when it was published. The developments of the ensuing 5 years have proven how on point Snyder was. I would love it if the author would do and updated volume that includes chapters on how the 2020 election, COVID, Trump’s January 6th Insurrection, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the 2024 midterms fit into this framework. Or maybe that’s a whole book in itself.
Now, with the understanding we have from Snyder’s recitation of how we got here, the question remains: how do we fix it all?
100% Recommend!
__karen__'s review against another edition
5.0
If you read only one book to better understand Putin’s world view and his invasions of Ukraine, this is the book I’d recommend. It’s well-organized, easy to read (not academic), and only moderately long. I listened to the audiobook and found it extremely insightful.
ryanmeckel's review against another edition
5.0
Phenomenal breakdown and analysis of how Russia views itself in the world and how it came to be what it is today. While it's quite a dense book, it's absolutely worth reading if you have any interest in Russia/Ukraine/US/Europe relations.
nuggetworldpeace's review against another edition
3.0
In many ways, this is a wildly enlightening (and terrifying) book about Russian cyber warfare and disinformation underlying the rise of the Far Right in places all around the world, but it was so hard to read for me. The information is interlaced with such bias that it's hard not to step back and wonder if this narrative is altogether balanced. I think a lot of the information, on its own, would be damning enough on their own. It's pretty shocking how egregiously bad Russian forces have been in the modern era, e.g. blatantly lying about its bloody involvement in Ukraine, possibly accelerating the refugee crisis in Syria just as they rally up anti-refugee sentiment in the EU, and producing so much false media in support of Brexit/Trump. But it's one thing to say that Russia has pushed for things and another to create theories and connections that blame Russia entirely. I'm definitely not an expert but I'd figure there are a lot of forces at play, economic/social/etc., that has led to the rise of the Far Right, not just Russia.
Some takeaways I did enjoy - the part about the Russia's attempt to absorb the Ukraine was super informative. It's scary to imagine a world without good investigative journalism, or where good journalism is drowned out by lies on social media or on state news. The parallels between Putin and Trump's language and nationalistic narratives (the so-called "politics of eternity") are also poignant, I think.
Some takeaways I did enjoy - the part about the Russia's attempt to absorb the Ukraine was super informative. It's scary to imagine a world without good investigative journalism, or where good journalism is drowned out by lies on social media or on state news. The parallels between Putin and Trump's language and nationalistic narratives (the so-called "politics of eternity") are also poignant, I think.
shawnwhy's review against another edition
4.0
in depth description of Putin's Political view, his methods of manipulation and how it effects other countries, I kind of wonder how he is able to persuade all the far right people to go with his instructions. everybody also give Bannon alot of respect it seems.
shulmaniel's review against another edition
5.0
The great value in this book is that he reads the sources in Russian, German, and Polish that the rest of us can't. It's really an achievement of information distillation.
bilexia's review against another edition
4.0
Sooo I don’t usually read history or political theory, but this book is far more accessible than you would expect. It basically proposes a theory to understand the politics of Putin and Trump and how they were able to come into power.
It was an easy read, a bit repetitive at times but I recommend it for anyone who wants to understand more about the current political context
It was an easy read, a bit repetitive at times but I recommend it for anyone who wants to understand more about the current political context
fiction_addiction_cl's review against another edition
5.0
One of the seminal books that helped me understand the interconnectedness of events in the present world. Starting with Russia, then Ukraine and Europe to the United States, all of this at times when truth is questioned and creating fiction is how politics is performed. The book delves into history in such an engaging way that the reader is instantly sucked into a vortex of events expounded by the author. The book was published in 2018 but it is so eerily prescient about the war in Ukraine and the figure of Putin. A must read for those who are trying to make an effort to comprehend the reasons behind the present events and dispel the myths enshrouding them. Engrossing!