Perfect Storm

Reviews / Votes

Vladimir Putin's clash with the West, and his embrace of China, is often cast as a story of grand strategy imperial ambition. This wise and timely book by Thane Gustafson, a world expert on the geopolitics of energy, shows that it is a human tragedy too: the failure of a 30-year dream of Russian opening to Western businesses, technologies and ideas of what makes a good society. * David Rennie, Geopolitics editor and columnist, The Economist * Thane Gustafson offers a detailed appraisal of how Russia's complex relations with the West ruptured under Vladimir Putin and a clear-eyed assessment of how they might be restored beyond Putin. This deeply insightful book is a 'must read' for anyone seeking to understand the current Russian challenge and its prospects. And Gustafson proves again why he is one of the most astute and accomplished observers of modern Russia. * Fiona Hill * Russia's brief opening to the West and how it came undone by war and sanctions is a complex story of social and economic ties that now lie in ruins. Thane Gustafson masterfully explains this period with nuance and depth, and he argues that Russia's future, despite all that has happened, still one day lies with an eventual return to Europe and the West. * Tom Nichols, Staff writer at The Atlantic and Professor Emeritus, U.S. Naval War College * Thane Gustafson contributes insightfully and eloquently to the debate over Russia's estrangement from the West by emphasizing political economy, and not the usual set of security variables. He also comes around to a guardedly hopeful prognosis for Russia after Putin which will surprise some readers. * Timothy J. Colton, Morris & Anna Feldberg Professor of Government Chair, Harvard University * Thane Gustafson's insightful book is 'an attempt to tell the broader story of Russia's flawed opening to the West in its economic, technological and social dimensions, and the roles these played in its ultimate failure'. * Survival * Gustafson's book is an illuminating account of the recent history of the economic relationship between Russia and the West and a valuable addition to the literature. * Christine Abely, The Russian Review *