A riveting account of Vladimir Putin's rule since his return to the Russian presidency.

With a new Afterword.

Whether as president or prime minister, Vladimir Putin has dominated Russian politics since Boris Yeltsin relinquished the presidency in his favour in May 2000. But the future for Putin - and Russia - is far from certain.

In Kremlin Winter, Robert Service, acclaimed biographer of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky and one of our finest historians of Russia, brings his deep understanding of that country to bear on the man who leads it. He reveals a premier who cannot take his supremacy for granted, yet is determined to impose his will not only on his closest associates but on society at large and on the international stage. It is a riveting insight into contemporary Russia as it faces a blizzard of difficulties both at home and abroad.

'Substantial, well-documented . . . One of our most accomplished, erudite and prolific historians of modern Russia' Rodric Braithwaite, New Statesman

'The book has many qualities, not least in ambitious breadth, covering domestic politics, foreign policy, economics and military matters . . . makes for comprehensive introductory reading for those new to the subject. And in the way of any good book, it will be provocative for those already well versed in it' Literary Review