Book Review 001: The Man Without a Face — The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin
by Tyrone Lingley
Sometimes the best read comes unexpectedly. Not a recommendation from a friend, “Heather’s Pick” from Chapters or even a suggested read from a trusted author/blogger. Just a pure collision course when curiosity meets opportunity (also interpreted as someone leaving a book lying around). Over the holidays, I sat down in front of a warm, natural gas powered fireplace and on the coffee table before me lay Masha Gessen’s stark portrait of an improbable leader, Vladimir Putin.
I don’t claim to be overly informed on Putin’s life or Russian history for that matter, this isn’t a review of historical accuracies or political correctness. It is a review based on entertainment value to the reader — and this book delivers in spades.
My Putin knowledge base consisted of the invasion of Ukraine, the treatment of Pussy Riot and regular nightly news cameos. But I have always been curious about the man who reportedly saved a camera crew from a loose tiger by shooting it with a tranquilizer dart. How did a scrappy kid from Leningrad with almost no governmental experience go from low-level KGB operative to being the guy whose on the tip of every international observer’s tongue?
Masha Gessen will tell you.
“… the room exploded in laughter. The world’s largest landmass, a land of oil, gas, and nuclear arms, had a new leader, and its business and political elites had no idea of who he was. Very funny indeed.” The opening chapter takes you on a bizarre journey where Russian business oligarch Boris Berezovsky calculates Putin’s succession to become president. Although when retraced the story seems perfectly plausible, in real-time the fact that almost all of Russia’s political elite let a virtually unknown rise through the cracks to become their boss is mind-boggling. In her explanation Gessen writes, “Everyone could invest in this grey, ordinary man with what they wanted to see in him.”
In detailing Putin’s past, Gessen paints a wonderful piece of post-war Leningrad to set the stage for understanding his youth. “Imagine a boy who dreams of being a KGB officer when everyone else wants to be a cosmonaut.” Putin was in many ways a quick-tempered, schoolyard thug who instinctively allowed himself to be portrayed this way by the media. When most would try to hide or underscore this storyline, he relished in it. A red flag for some, apparently a virtue for others. The description and detailed accounts of Putin’s upbringing are incredibly insightful and allow you to relive reality for the average Russian during that time period.
In order to understand the stoic, cold-hearted man who is repeatedly accused of overseeing tragic political plays at the cost Russian lives, Gessen points to his indoctrination in the KGB. Even though the organization barely gave Putin anything to take much pride in besides merely belonging, he pledged complete allegiance to its ideals. Again, as a reader it is fascinating to be brought into the life of a KGB operative and realize just how drab it really is.
The book weaves it’s way through stories of strong-arm tactics, corruption and instilling fear in opponents, notably world chess champion Gary Kasparov who was shadowed by the KGB and sabotaged repeatedly while on a political tour. As a fairly informed North American, I was shocked at how deep and wide Putin’s control over Russian lives truly is. There is nothing democratic about his rule, in fact within the first week of his presidency he enacted laws that would centralize his power and dismantle privately owned media outlets. “Putin changed the country fast, the changes were profound, and they took easily. He seemed instantly to reverse Russia’s historical evolution. And for an excruciatingly long time, no one seemed to notice.”
The level of Putin’s corruption leaves you baffled, frustrated and in disbelief. A man whose modus operandi involves the murder of innocent children, the torture of dissidents and the poisoning of fellow KGB agents. Gessen likens him to a mafia boss, “Like all mafia bosses, he amassed wealth by outright robberies… Putin’s estimated net worth — $40 billion.” A man suffering from Plenexia, “the insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others.” Embarrasing public debacles include him stealing Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl ring and a glass Kalashnikov filled with Vodka worth $300 from the Guggenheim.
Yet, how many countries participated in the 2014 Sochi Olympic hosted by a bully with almost zero regard for life? Why did the international community at large take so long to recognize Putin for the villain he is?
Masha Gessen will tell you.
The Man Without A Face captivates with the simple story of the rise of Vladimir Putin, set against historical and cultural Russian contexts. But it’s the thorough analysis of Putin’s character and it’s evolution that allows you to understand the man that had a much larger vision than simply ruling a country. In the end, this “grey, ordinary man” turned the political game that was supposed to be played on him into a tyranny that has now become the world’s problem.
