"Roxburgh paints a...compelling portrait. He is sympathetic to what motivates Putin but critical of what Putin has become during his years in power...engrossing." - "Foreign Affairs" "A solid foreign correspondent narrative of Putin's behavior" - Bill Keller, "The New York Times""The considerable value of this book lies in [Roxburgh's] painstaking and empathetic effort to understand how Mr. Putin came to power, why many Russians still support him today, and how the West's approach to Russia has helped to shape his rule... Mr. Roxburgh persuasively argues" - "Wall Street Journal" "Roxburgh is a talented journalist and writer...a useful history of the Putin era....with views from Russian politicians, and some of the key players from the world of international politics, it is a book firmly rooted in fact and analysis. This means that Roxburgh's approach is refreshingly free from some of the usual polemic, and he is to be congratulated for giving credit where credit is due and for underlining Putin's role in stabilising Russia after the free-fall of the Yeltsin years." - "Good Book Guide" ..".an old Russian hand. [Roxburgh] takes us behind the curtain of the Kremlin press section....he is at his best in a chapter on fraught Georgian-Russian relations, capturing the culpability on all sides." - Stephen Kotkin, "TLS" "[A]lively and absorbing study.... [Roxburgh] is especially well placed to tell the story of how the west's early enthusiasm for Putin turned sour." - Luke Harding, "Guardian" "[Written] with admirable even-handedness and insight...The Strongman is not only political history; it is informed by the author's close acquaintance with many of the prime players...Every chapter of this book is worth reading." - Mary Dejevsky, "Independent" "Well researched and with many personal observations by an admired and insightful journalist, this will appeal to contemporary Russophiles and Putin watchers." - "Library Journal"

Angus Roxburgh is one of Britain's most distinguished foreign correspondents. An author and renowned journalist, he was the Sunday Times Moscow Correspondent in the mid-1980s and the BBC's Moscow correspondent during the Yeltsin years. He is the author of The Second Russian Revolution and Pravda: Inside the Soviet Press Machine.