The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin

As the world struggles to confront a bolder Russia, the importance of understanding the formidable and ambitious Vladimir Putin has never been greater. This gripping narrative of Putin's rise to power recounts Putin's origins—from his childhood of abject poverty in Leningrad to his ascent through the ranks of the KGB, and his eventual consolidation of rule in the Kremlin.

On the one hand, Putin's many domestic reforms—from tax cuts to an expansion of property rights—have helped reshape the ...