The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin

The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin is a 2012 book by Masha Gessen about Vladimir Putin and his rise to power and reign. It intertwines both a psychological and conspiratory approach written in clear and engaging language. Gessen is a Moscow native who understands the culture and psychology of Russia. Her family left Russia when she was a teenager, but she returned for a 10-year stay as an independent journalist. Gessen's analysis of Putin is mostly speculative, but she carefully investigates his own revealing accounts of his life, and she uses interviews with people who knew Putin, before he rose to power, to form her conclusions.[1]

The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin
Paperback edition cover – March 2013
AuthorMasha Gessen
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectThe rise and reign of Vladimir Putin
PublishedMarch 2012
PublisherRiverhead Books
Media typeHardcover
Pages342
ISBN9781594488429
Websitehttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/306492/the-man-without-a-face-by-masha-gessen/9781594486517/

Content
External video
Presentation by Gessen on The Man Without a Face, March 8, 2012, C-SPAN

The book describes Vladimir Putin's early life, including his relationship with his parents and his school life under a communist government. Gessen uses Putin's early years to show the reader how he was shaped into the man he became. The book covers controversies and wars Putin was involved in, such as the First Chechen War and contains stories about former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. It goes on to explain the relationship between him and his wife. It then discusses controversies in the government and Putin's eventual rise to power in the Kremlin.

Reviews and reception

There were multiple reviews for the book. The CIA reviewed it.[2] It sold well, but had mixed reviews. Along with positive reviews came mixed ones[2] Many had said Gessen had a biased view or there had been books about Putin that had been written better. CIA officer John Ehrman's review stated: "As a biography it is satisfactory, but no more than that" and "little of what Gessen has to say is new." He described her images as "effective as anti-Putin propaganda".[2]

The book was shortlisted for the 2013 Pushkin House Russian Book Prize.[3]

References
  1. Keller, Bill (March 16, 2012). "Reclaiming the Kremlin: New Books About Vladimir Putin in Power". The New York Times.
  2. "The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin and Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  3. "The 2013 shortlist". Pushkin House. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
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