In this accessible and jargon-free exploration of contemporary Russia and the rise of Putin, who has so expertly manipulated the nation’s sense of identity by emphasising Russia’s victory in the Second World War, the author provides an insightful and comprehensible window into the Russian psyche. He knows Russia well and has a firm grasp of how ordinary Russians view the world. His first-hand knowledge of the country gives authority to the book, and it’s a clear-sighted and comprehensive attempt to explain Putin and the country he rules so successfully. I found the examination of the situation in Ukraine particularly useful and I now understand the conflict there much more fully. Walker’s journalistic skills allowed him to gain the confidence of many interviewees throughout the country, thus gathering many points of view and enabling him to give a balanced and thorough account. Essential reading for anyone interested in modern Russia.

In the Long Hangover, journalist Shaun Walker takes us on a journey through Russia under Vladimir Putin. At first blush, it’s nothing that I haven’t heard before—Putin uses the Soviet past to both legitimize his rule and conduct his foreign policy activities including Ukraine and to a lesser extent Syria. This is done through a creative retelling of the Soviet past that minimizes the bad, while accentuating the good.

Where the Long Hangover differs is how it impacts the people whether it’s an average Russian or a public official. While every country engages in mythmaking, the writer seems to give the Russian case a special place in that in Russia there may be two truths that are becoming harder and harder to separate in what was and the myth that never was.