Once Upon a Time in Russia

Undeniably readable. -- Wall Street Journal, Best Business Books from 2015 [A] fascinating and often chilling read.-- The Sport (UK) A harrowing and truly Russian tale about the river of greed and corruption that gushed out of post-Communist Russia, carried men to power and opulence, drowned them in murder and betrayal, and led to the rise of Vladimir Putin.--Lev Golinkin, author of A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka Ben Mezrich knows how to find a good story. In his latest, the Boston-based writer has a corker.-- Boston Globe Compelling...-- Maclean's Mezrich turns his keen journalistic eye to Russia...and...the oligarchs... Mezrich focuses on two such men, a mentor and his young protege, who accumulated staggering wealth before personal differences tore apart their relationship... Mezrich's ability to tell a true (and well-documented) story in a way that makes it look and feel like the most involving of narratives is nearly unparalleled. He is one of the few writers whose name on a piece of nonfiction guarantees not only quality but also interest, no matter the subject, and this fine book is one more example of just how talented a storyteller he is.-- Booklist (Starred Review) Mezrich's most incredible story yet. A true-life thriller... a fascinating read.-- Palo Verde Valley Times The real-life tale of ... Putin's ascendency to power. After the fall of communism in Russia, a small new class developed, that of the oligarchs... the ambitious and opportunistic businessmen who led the wild and lawless economic conversion from state-run industries to market capitalism.... Mezrich's well-written account of this era of Russian history illuminates the tumultuous conversion of communism to capitalism.-- Jacksonville News Unputdownable.-- Mail on Sunday With his knack for turning narrative nonfiction into stories worthy of the best thriller fiction, Ben Mezrich is one of our favorite writers.-- Omnivoracious Wolf Hall on the Moskva!-- Bookpage.com Assassination plots, intimidation tactics, political maneuvering and money in unfeasibly large quantities... Based on a year of interviews with high-profile sources, it fleshes out almost 20 years of history with journalistic color and anecdotes. -- GQ Mezrich relates the story in the form of a true-life novel. The bestselling author has used the device before, including in The Accidental Billionaires, which provided the basis for The Social Network... Interviews, first-person sources, court documents, and newspaper accounts as the basis for his narrative... make the story more accessible.-- Financial Times