The Descent
Witnessing Russia's Spiral into Madness Under Putin
Published on 26. March 2026
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-3994-2169-0 (ISBN)
Description
**Named one of the Economist 'Best Books of the Year So Far' May 2026**
An extraordinary first-hand account of Russia's descent into totalitarianism, paranoia and madness.
Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, moved to Russia in the chaotic final years of President Yeltsin's rule. Twenty-five years later, The Times pulled him out of Russia over concerns for his security following his arrest in Moscow at a protest against the war in Ukraine.
From the "wild" 1990s in Moscow to narrowly escaping death under fire in Ukraine, The Descent is a unique and personal diary of how Russia spiraled into violent insanity. Bennetts witnessed the often-terrifying events in Russia up close, observing how the Kremlin's ubiquitous propaganda warped minds and fomented hatred of Putin's foes, at home and abroad, even among people close to him. After leaving Russia, he travelled in war-torn Ukraine, where he came face-to-face with the appalling consequences of this madness.
Bennetts meets a vast array of characters, from pro-war Russian politicians, influential Russian Orthodox Church officials and aggressive Kremlin activists to opposition figures and a Siberian shaman who tried to "exorcise" Putin, as well as Russians who took up arms to fight Moscow's invading forces. In this extraordinary panorama, Marc Bennetts shows in frightening detail how a society can lose its mind, and how easily a power-hungry leader can reshape an entire country in his own malevolent image.
An extraordinary first-hand account of Russia's descent into totalitarianism, paranoia and madness.
Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, moved to Russia in the chaotic final years of President Yeltsin's rule. Twenty-five years later, The Times pulled him out of Russia over concerns for his security following his arrest in Moscow at a protest against the war in Ukraine.
From the "wild" 1990s in Moscow to narrowly escaping death under fire in Ukraine, The Descent is a unique and personal diary of how Russia spiraled into violent insanity. Bennetts witnessed the often-terrifying events in Russia up close, observing how the Kremlin's ubiquitous propaganda warped minds and fomented hatred of Putin's foes, at home and abroad, even among people close to him. After leaving Russia, he travelled in war-torn Ukraine, where he came face-to-face with the appalling consequences of this madness.
Bennetts meets a vast array of characters, from pro-war Russian politicians, influential Russian Orthodox Church officials and aggressive Kremlin activists to opposition figures and a Siberian shaman who tried to "exorcise" Putin, as well as Russians who took up arms to fight Moscow's invading forces. In this extraordinary panorama, Marc Bennetts shows in frightening detail how a society can lose its mind, and how easily a power-hungry leader can reshape an entire country in his own malevolent image.
Reviews / Votes
A brilliant, deeply reported and deeply felt account of how Putin's Russia descended into delusion, madness and evil from a reporter with a better understanding and experience of Russia than almost any observer writing today. * Owen Matthews * Haunting and insightful...(a) pitch-perfect account of how his adopted country descended into evil and madness. -- Edward Lucas * The Times * Vivid...a particularly fine addition to the genre * Financial Times * To understand how Vladimir Putin dominates Russia, you must study how his propaganda works. Other books have explored the country's disinformation state, but this one charts its evolution into a wartime dictatorship. * Economist * An unflinching journey in the dark night of the Russian mind under Putin - written by a top British reporter who knows it with an unrivalled quarter-century of intimacy. * Peter Pomerantsev * Bennetts blends informed analysis of Russia's descent into autocracy under Putin with the kind of personal insights that only come from living in the country for a quarter of a century. * Peter Conradi * A brilliant book from one of our most experienced Moscow correspondents. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Russia's slide into fascism. * Anna Reid * Bennetts paints an intimate portrait of Russian thinking that is worth a thousand think-tank reports from London or Washington. * Tom Parfitt * (A) vivid...heartbroken memoir. * Publishers Weekly * A compelling portrait of twenty-first century Russia under Putin, and its slide into madness and murder. There's vivid reporting from Ukraine & some wonderful personal reminiscences and dark humour. Recommended. -- Luke Harding, author of 'Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival' Bennetts charts Russia's evolution into a full-on wartime dictatorship. -- The Economist [Bennetts] is vulnerable, often emotional and sometimes naive, anything but a detached observer... roaming the streets of Moscow arguing with people from all walks of life. -- The New Statesman A fascinating, hard-hitting diary... Bennetts portrays Russia's terrifying descent into violence. -- The HeraldMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Product notice
With dust jacket
Illustrations
None
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
468 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-2169-0 (9781399421690)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2026
Bloomsbury Continuum
€16.99
Available for download
E-Book
03/2026
Bloomsbury Continuum
€16.99
Available for download
Person
Marc Bennetts is a foreign correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times. He reported from Russia for the newspaper until he was forced to leave in May 2022, three months after the invasion of Ukraine and following his arrest at an anti-war protest in Moscow. He had lived in Russia for 25 years. Since leaving, he has reported extensively for The Times on the war in Ukraine. He is also the author of Kicking the Kremlin, a portrait of opposition figures in Russia. The book was republished in paperback in 2016 as I'm Going to Ruin Their Lives by Oneworld. He has also previously written for the Guardian, Politico, Newsweek and Esquire, among other publications.