A Foreign Affairs Best Book of 2022

A Financial Times Politics Book of the Year 2021

A fascinating account of Russia's famous dissident and the politics he embodies.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of the world media. His immediate detention at passport control set the stage for an explosive showdown with Vladimir Putin.

But Navalny means very different things to different people. To some, he is a democratic hero. To others, he is betraying the Motherland. To others still, he is a dangerous nationalist. This book explores the many dimensions of Navalny's political life, from his pioneering anti-corruption investigations to his ideas and leadership of a political movement. It also looks at how his activities and the Kremlin's strategies have shaped one another.

Navalny makes sense of this divisive character, revealing the contradictions of a man who is the second most important political figure in Russia-even when behind bars. In order to understand modern Russia, you need to understand Alexei Navalny. This updated version includes new material following Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

About the Author
Jan Matti Dollbaum is a postdoctoral researcher at Bremen University, specialising in activism and civil society in Russia. Morvan Lallouet is a PhD candidate at the University of Kent, researching Navalny and the Russian opposition. Ben Noble is Associate Professor of Russian Politics at University College London and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House.

Reviews

'Anyone reading [Navalny] from the safety and comfort of Britain will be daunted, humbled - and outraged.'

-- Edward Lucas, The Times

'At a moment when Alexei Navalny has emerged as a global figure in his fight from captivity for Russian democracy, Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet, and Ben Noble have provided the world with a tremendous service by writing the first comprehensive account of the country's most important opposition leader. Filled with facts and devoid of hyperbole, the book offers a complete portrayal of Navalny, as an anti-corruption activist, politician, and protestor. Navalny: Putin's Nemesis, Russia's Future? is a must read for anyone who wants to learn what Alexei Navalny actually does and believes, and what he might do to shape Russia's future.'

-- Michael McFaul, author of 'From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin's Russia'



Book Information
ISBN 9781787388642
Author Jan Matti Dollbaum
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd