The Oligarchs. Wealth And Power In The New Russia.
(David E. Hoffman.)
This fascinating book gives a unique insight into the background of Russia?s new breed of businessman ? the Oligarchs. It is not a piece of sensationalist literature, instead a careful study, researched over a number of years, and made particularly credible because of Hoffman?s six-year personal experience of life in post-Soviet Russia. The oligarchs? rise and fall is detailed through the examples of six of the most powerful men ? Alexander Smolensky, Yuri Luzhkov, Anatoly Chubais, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky ? and Hoffman also provides an interesting opening chapter which describes the political and economic situation after the fall of Communism, setting the scene for the oligarchs? appearance.
There are many misconceptions about these shrewd businessmen, both in Russia and abroad, and this book helps to dispel the myths and form an educated opinion. We see how the cracks in the Soviet government and the general stagnation of the country allowed these men to exploit opportunities, and at times one must marvel at the ingenious methods employed to get a foothold in the newly-forming capitalist market. Each man has a different tale and a different path to wealth and power which is astonishing for anyone from a Western European country.
This book is a serious piece of work for those looking for hard facts, and indispensible for anyone attempting to understand modern Russian politics, but at the same time it is written in a style which is easy to read and appealing to anyone interested in the recent history of this most intriguing country.
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