- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; First Edition edition (4 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747595674
- ISBN-13: 978-0747595670
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 389,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The New Cold War
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More About the Author
Product Description
Oleg Gordievsky, Literary Review
'An outstanding piece of research and testimony to its author's thorough knowledge and understanding of Russia in general, and its last seventeen years in particular.'
Review
'Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what is happening in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union today.' Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag 'It is high time for the West to analyse the facts and work out a counter-strategy.' Vladimir Bukovsky, Soviet political dissident and Russian presidential candidate 'We can only hope that, like Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton in 1946, this book will be a wake-up call for Western civilization.' Mart Laar, former Prime Minister of Estonia 'Absorbing an invaluable primer for students of the Russian situation and a cautionary tale for those who prefer to treat Russia as it pretends to be rather than as it is.' David Satter, author of Darkness at Dawn
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The author makes a convincing case that a cadre of former KGB officers are now the owner-operators of Russia. He makes no secret of his past as an anti-Soviet campaigner and as such, he clearly finds this a disturbing development. This book is a polemical exploration of this thesis and the conclusions that might be drawn from it. As a sometime vistor to Russia with Russian friends I had hoped and expected Russia to evolve towards a "normal" capitalistic society but it's clear that at present at least, it is proceeding in the opposite direction. Lucas goes a long way to explaining why but perhaps does not go far enough in exploring the mindset and motivations of Putin and his allies. Nevertheless, a fine and enlightening read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The end of the Cold War has been one of the watershed moments of the twentieth century. The tension between the Soviet Union and its allies on one hand, and the Western capitalist democracies on the other, has completely dominated all of international relations for almost half a century. The collapse of the Soviet Union had spurred hopes that the days of bipolar world and the constant threat of total nuclear holocaust are finally behind us. For some time it looked that Russia and a myriad other post-Soviet republics are firmly on a path of joining the West in emulation the institutions and practices of modern liberal democracies. Russia in particular, despite all of its massive economic troubles, seemed to be opening more and more and getting increasingly integrated in the international institutions and treaties. However, the beginning of the twenty-first century saw a dramatic reversal in political and personal freedoms within Russia and an increasing hostility and open challenge to the Western nations on international front. This renewed Russian belligerence and repression of political freedoms is the consequence of the arrival of Vladimir Putin on the scene, and his systematic attempts to reverse what is perceived by many in Russia as the whole scale national decline into chaos and lawlessness.
All of these developments and many others that are not so familiar to the western observers are chronicled with an unprecedented detail and thoroughness by Edward Lucas in "The New Cold war." Edward Lucas is one of the best journalists who specialize in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. He relies heavily on his own journalistic contacts and experiences to weave a powerful and informative narrative of Putin's Russia and the power structures and mechanism that it employs. The picture is oftentimes very brutal and ugly, but this is just a reflection of the facts on the ground.
The second part of the book deals with the geopolitical threats that the resurgent Russia poses to its neighbors and the West. This part of the book is much shorter than the part that deals with internal Russian affairs, and the information is not as fresh and original. This is all rather unfortunate, since the book's title and the premise imply that the main focus of this book is on new Russia's foreign affairs and dealings, and how this constitutes a threat to the World on par with the Cold War. The reader takes home the message that Russia, despite its very sketchy and unsavory domestic and international politics is nowhere near to its erstwhile power to disrupt the peace and stability in the World. This may indeed be the accurate picture of the true potential and importance of Russia right now, but if the author wanted to alert the public to Russia's international aspirations then this book falls short. I truly hope to find the answer to this dilemma, and would like to read a book that is in fact entirely devoted to Russia's current diplomatic relations.
All of these developments and many others that are not so familiar to the western observers are chronicled with an unprecedented detail and thoroughness by Edward Lucas in "The New Cold war." Edward Lucas is one of the best journalists who specialize in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics. He relies heavily on his own journalistic contacts and experiences to weave a powerful and informative narrative of Putin's Russia and the power structures and mechanism that it employs. The picture is oftentimes very brutal and ugly, but this is just a reflection of the facts on the ground.
The second part of the book deals with the geopolitical threats that the resurgent Russia poses to its neighbors and the West. This part of the book is much shorter than the part that deals with internal Russian affairs, and the information is not as fresh and original. This is all rather unfortunate, since the book's title and the premise imply that the main focus of this book is on new Russia's foreign affairs and dealings, and how this constitutes a threat to the World on par with the Cold War. The reader takes home the message that Russia, despite its very sketchy and unsavory domestic and international politics is nowhere near to its erstwhile power to disrupt the peace and stability in the World. This may indeed be the accurate picture of the true potential and importance of Russia right now, but if the author wanted to alert the public to Russia's international aspirations then this book falls short. I truly hope to find the answer to this dilemma, and would like to read a book that is in fact entirely devoted to Russia's current diplomatic relations.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Being a Russian myself, I am struggling between the [obvious] scary truths about modern Russia that the author lays out in the book and the sensationalist and often contradicting nature of these truths (e.g.: I particularly recommend you to contact a few different sources with regards to the Georgian president Saakashvilli and the war in Osetia - I was THERE at the time)... I am not an advocate of the current Russian regime, quite the opoposite in fact, but I urge you to take Mr. Lucas's claims with a pinch of salt and do your own research into the facts that are mentioned in the book before deciding that East-West is indeed getting locked in a "Cold War" yet again. It is definitely worth being mindful of the Putin's regime, especially with regards to the energy "wars", but I question factual accuracy of this publication.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wake up the West
I have just completed reading this extremely interesting, well written and slightly scary book. My main "criticism" is that though it is "revised" (2009) there are quite a number... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Brian Lait
Histerical book, it is almost funny
When I picked up this book I could guess what I was getting into, but I was curious to read an extreme viewpoint to know what sort of views are out there. I got that in loadfuls. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2010 by Pelagea
A great read
A fascinating insight into how Russia operates in the modern world and the challenges she poses for the West. I found this book to be very well written and a delight to read. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2008 by M. Ward
Is Russia assembling a new & expanded Axis of Evil?
Russia is heading in an ominous direction that poses a threat to its own citizens, neighboring states and the world as a whole. Read more
Published on 18 May 2008 by Pieter
Russia is scary
This boook is a really great read and shows how we in Eurorpe really have to pay attention to whats going on with our newly powerful and manipulative nieghbour.
Published on 6 April 2008 by T. M. Chassay
The real Russia
I really enjoyed this book. A fascinating insight into the challenges facing Europe and the United States in their relationship with Russia. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2008 by Jonathan Jensen
An interesting book but with a lot of rhetoric and lacking clarity
Although usually I do not bother to buy anymore books having cold war in the title this time knowing the author as a distingue Central and Eastern Europe editor of The Economist I... Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2008 by eugen
Poor - very much a rushed job
This book is poorly written and was evidently rushed out so that it was on the shelves before Putin stepped down this year. By poorly written, I mean that it is sloppy. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2008 by Evgenian
An Important Book
While every reader might not agree with every idea Lucas puts forward in this important book (Mr Berezovsky will certainly have a few words to say, I'm sure! Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2008 by T. R. Cowdret
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