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Name: The Man Without A Face
Rating: 4.3 (318 reviews)
Author: Masha Gessen

Masha Gessen

The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin

4.3 (318 ratings)

24 mins

Brief summary

'The Man Without A Face' by Masha Gessen is a biography of Russian President, Vladimir Putin. It delves into his past, rise to power and the impact he has had on Russia and the world.

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Political Figures Biographies Russia

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The Man Without A Face
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What’s in it for me? Find out how Russia’s Vladimir Putin consolidated his power in devious ways.

Vladimir Putin wasn’t ever supposed to lead Russia.

For much of his life, he was an anonymous paper pusher, a bureaucrat among thousands in Russia’s enormous spy network. Even when he was tapped as president, most Russian politicians had little idea who he was.

But now Putin is more than widely known; he’s widely feared, not only within Russia but also globally. While first presenting an incorruptible face, Putin has matured into a nefarious, greedy politician whose flagrant abuses of democracy and silencing of dissent have shocked the world.

After reading these blinks, you’ll discover:

how Putin became president of Russia almost by accident;
how evidence shows Putin may have used terrorist attacks to further his own goals; and
how Putin’s kleptomaniacal tendencies nabbed him a Super Bowl ring.

Young Vladimir Putin was a fighter, quick to anger, but dreamed of being a spy.

The story of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin begins in the desolate years following the end of World War II. Leningrad, today’s Saint Petersburg, was a bombed-out shell, its people equally damaged. It was in this bleak environment that Putin’s aggression and violent tendencies took form.

The Putin family suffered during the war: Putin’s soldier father had damaged, disfigured legs and two children had died. Fortunately, they still had somewhere to live, an uncommon luxury. In 1952, Vladimir Putin was born.

The family lived in a small, 20-square-meter room, with a stove in the communal hallway and a makeshift toilet in the stairwell. Putin called this place home until he was 25 years old.

As a boy, Putin was easily angered. He channelled a lot of his aggression in his practice of the martial art Sambo, yet still was frequently involved in fights; as a result of this, he was excluded from the Communist youth organization, called the Young Pioneers.

Putin’s young life wasn’t only hardship, however. Despite their close living quarters, the family had a telephone, a television and even a summer cabin. How could they afford these luxuries?

When Putin’s father had served as a soldier in in World War II, he had ties with the then state secret police, the NKVD. After the war, he remained in active reserve, so kept his factory job – and in exchange for giving information to the secret police, he received additional pay.

It was around this time that Putin too became interested in spy work. When he was 16 years old, Putin approached the KGB, the Soviet intelligence agency, about a job.

However, he was told that before he could join, he needed a college degree or army experience. So despite not being an exemplary student, Putin applied to Leningrad University and was accepted.

Putin was bored with his job as a KGB bureaucrat; yet he witnessed the fall of the Wall himself.

After he graduated from Leningrad University in 1975, Putin’s dream of working for the secret service became a reality. For most of his career with the KGB, however, he was a paper pusher, not a spy.

He spent four years in the 1980s working for the KGB in East Germany; what’s more, he was posted to Dresden, not Berlin. His work consisted of collecting newspaper clippings and writing reports.

With the Soviet Union crumbling, Putin played his cards close to see who would emerge victorious.

When Putin returned to Russia, he found a country changing rapidly and profoundly. The pinnacle was when the KGB, in cooperation with government hardliners, attempted a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev.

Gorbachev had, as part of his reform program called “glasnost” (openness), freed imprisoned dissidents, rescinded hardline policies made under Stalin, and gave Russians access to previously banned books and Western radio.

In the chaotic 1990s, ordinary Russians suffered while Putin and Co. amassed small fortunes.

After the failed coup, both Putin and Sobchak took advantage of Russia’s political and financial chaos to line their own pockets.

In May 1991, Russia suffered a food shortage. Putin negotiated with a German company to import meat to Russia; yet in return, as Russia had no cash, he agreed to export some $92 million worth of natural resources.

President Yeltsin saw in Putin a loyal, energetic and eager leader, and anointed him next in line.

Once communism was over, the hopes the Russian populace put in President Yeltsin quickly soured.

Even though life improved somewhat, with people able to travel abroad, buy more products and enjoy a freer press, the economic situation was grim and the inequality gap had widened tremendously. By 1998, Russia had defaulted on its foreign debt.

The threat of Chechen terrorism played into Putin’s hands, and from it he gained more powers.

A series of terrorist bombings gave Putin the chance to reinforce his presidential credentials by responding with ruthless and deadly force.

In September 1999, hundreds of Russians died in a string of apartment bombings. The blame was thrown at native Chechens, who sought independence from Russia.

Putin’s climate of fear silenced opposition, yet some whistleblowers still tried to take him on.

Putin’s policies created a climate of fear. Some entrepreneurs were able to take advantage of the profits amid privatization, yet those who disagreed with Putin were quickly cut down, losing their fortunes or their freedom. Some even lost their life.

Entrepreneur Vladimir Gusinsky created a media empire, establishing Russia’s first independent television channel. Yet Gusinsky didn’t support Putin’s presidential campaign, and aired a program that implied the involvement of the secret police in the 1999 apartment bombings.

Friends of Putin go far, controlling much of Russia’s wealth. Enemies find themselves in jail.

When Putin first entered politics in the 1990s, he was viewed as incorruptible. This first impression soon changed drastically.

Putin has an estimated $40 billion in assets, including a palace on the Black Sea worth $1 billion, all of it accumulated through unabashed thievery and shady business deals. But how did he do it?

Activists or anyone opposed to Putin’s rule were quickly quieted or moved out of the way.

It could be that only in the 1990s was Russia a quasi-democratic country. As he came to power, Putin crushed this democratic progress and placed restraints on a free media.

In March 2000, Putin was elected president with 53 percent of the vote and without a campaign.

The few people who have seen beyond Putin’s mask find the politician narcissistic and heartless.

You can’t have missed the press photos of Putin conquering nature, riding bare-chested on horseback. It is crucial for him to appear strong and powerful at all times.

Other shots have Putin subduing wild animals like Siberian tigers or polar bears, but environmental bloggers or locals claim that these animals were taken from a zoo or captured days before.

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What is The Man Without A Face about?

A biography of Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Man Without A Face shines a clear light on one of contemporary history’s more shadowy political figures. The book charts Putin’s almost accidental rise to Russia’s highest office, starting from his benign beginnings in the state secret police. His vindictive personality, overwhelming greed and disdain for democratic norms continue to transform Russia today.

The Man Without A Face Review

The Man Without A Face (2012) by Masha Gessen sheds light on the enigmatic life of Vladimir Putin, exploring his rise to power and the implications of his leadership. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Through meticulous research and interviews with insiders, it offers a rare glimpse into the secretive world of Russian politics.
Gessen's insightful analysis of Putin's character and motivations allows readers to better understand the impact of his decisions on both Russia and the world.
The book's engrossing narrative keeps readers captivated, ensuring that even those with minimal knowledge of Russian politics will find it compelling.

Best quote from The Man Without A Face

The only thing smaller than the pool of candidates seems to have been the list of qualifications required of them.

—Masha Gessen

Who should read The Man Without A Face?

Anyone interested in Russia’s place in global politics
Anyone curious about the life of a notorious world leader
Anyone fighting for accountability and transparency in politics

About the Author

Masha Gessen is a Russian-American journalist and activist.

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Politics Biography & Memoir

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