"A disturbingly illuminating book on the origins, nature and future of the Putin autocracy." —Vladimir Tismaneanu, author of The Devil in History
In December 2013, David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War. The Moscow Times said it was not surprising he was expelled, "it was surprising it took so long." Satter is known in Russia for having written that the apartment bombings in 1999, which were blamed on Chechens and brought Putin to power, were actually carried out by the Russian FSB security police.
In The Less You Know, The Better You Sleep, Satter tells the story of the apartment bombings and how Boris Yeltsin presided over the criminalization of Russia, why Vladimir Putin was chosen as his successor, and how Putin has suppressed all opposition while retaining the appearance of a pluralist state. As the threat represented by Russia becomes increasingly clear, Satter's description of where Russia is and how it got there will be of vital interest to anyone concerned about the dangers facing the world today.
"Vladimir Putin's dictatorship was enabled by those who ignored the lessons of history and the warnings of people like David Satter, who was right early and often during the fall of Russian democracy and the rise of Putin's police state. Few can speak with so much authority and conviction on the triumphs and tragedies of modern Russia." —Garry Kasparov, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, former world chess champion
