Authoritarian Russia

[Gel'man] combines a deep knowledge of Russian political actors, processes, and institutions with a careful reading of relevant comparative politics literatures. He wears his learning lightly and the book is very readable. The result is a book that is both one of the best short introductions available to Russian political development and one of the most sophisticated.

Gel'man is one of the most astute observers of Russia's political development. In this excellent monograph he has analyzed Russia's post-Community regimes, bringing together thorough research with a broad synthesis of recent theoretical work on authoritarianism. The produce is a valuable statement of Russia's political situation, offering both sobering analysis of the Putin elite and some hope for the future.

Provides an insightful account of political decision-making in Russia since the start of transition and largely advances our understanding of the logic behind regime change in the country. . . An excellent and very timely attempt to understand what is behind regime change in Russia. Provides deep insights into Russian policy-making and definitely deserves readers' attention. It greatly contributes to the scholarship on political transition and will be especially intriguing to political scientists and to everyone interested in Russian politics.

The empirical analysis of Authoritarian Russia is a rich synthesis of Russia's post-Soviet developments and recent theoretical advancements in the study of democratization and its authoritarian competitors.

One of the best and most readable up-to-date introductions to the history of post-Soviet Russia's regime developments available on the market today . . . Anyone interested in why Russia's leadership acts the way it does should read this book.

Few observers have the intellectual prowess or practical on-the-scene experience that Gel'man brings to his assessment of Russian political realities. The informed student of Russia takes any work by Gel'man seriously, and he does not disappoint in this important and insightful book. This volume should be mandatory reading for all students of Russian politics.

An insightful and clearly explained analysis of political developments in Russia . . . a relatively short but sophisticated account of Russia's political development since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, explaining why democracy failed to take root. It is a hugely readable book and avoids getting bogged down in detail (there is a lot to cover) whilst leaving you with the confidence that this is the work of someone with a deep knowledge of the Russian political system.

With this book, Vladimir Gel'man brings together his deep knowledge of the dynamics of the Russian regime and his serious grounding in political science to provide an interpretation of the evolution of the regime since 1991. The result is a masterful synthesis.