{"product_id":"the-descent-witnessing-russias-spiral-into-madness-under-putin-hardcover","title":"The Descent: Witnessing Russia's Spiral Into Madness Under Putin - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMarc Bennetts\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn extraordinary first-hand account of Russia's descent into totalitarianism, paranoia and madness.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMarc Bennetts, foreign correspondent for \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, moved to Russia in the chaotic final years of President Yeltsin's rule. Twenty-five years later, \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e pulled him out of Russia over concerns for his security following his arrest in Moscow at a protest against the war in Ukraine. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the \"wild\" 1990s in Moscow to narrowly escaping death under fire in Ukraine, \u003ci\u003eThe Descent \u003c\/i\u003eis a unique and personal diary of how Russia spiraled into violent insanity. Bennetts witnessed the often-terrifying events in Russia up close, observing how the Kremlin's ubiquitous propaganda warped minds and fomented hatred of Putin's foes, at home and abroad, even among people close to him. After leaving Russia, he travelled in war-torn Ukraine, where he came face-to-face with the appalling consequences of this madness. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBennetts meets a vast array of characters, from pro-war Russian politicians, influential Russian Orthodox Church officials and aggressive Kremlin activists to opposition figures and a Siberian shaman who tried to \"exorcise\" Putin, as well as Russians who took up arms to fight Moscow's invading forces. In this extraordinary panorama, Marc Bennetts shows in frightening detail how a society can lose its mind, and how easily a power-hungry leader can reshape an entire country in his own malevolent image.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarc Bennetts\u003c\/b\u003e is a foreign correspondent for \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e. He reported from Russia for the newspaper until he was forced to leave in May 2022, three months after the invasion of Ukraine and following his arrest at an anti-war protest in Moscow. He had lived in Russia for 25 years. Since leaving, he has reported extensively for \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003eon the war in Ukraine. He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eKicking the Kremlin\u003c\/i\u003e, a portrait of opposition figures in Russia. The book was republished in paperback in 2016 as \u003ci\u003eI'm Going to Ruin Their Lives \u003c\/i\u003eby Oneworld. He has also previously written for the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePolitico\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNewsweek \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, among other publications.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.11 x 9.38 x 5.99 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 26, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54027311743309,"sku":"9781399421690","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/3304\/7117\/files\/hZ0zrQfObE9781399421690.webp?v=1780512625","url":"https:\/\/belfastbooks.us\/products\/the-descent-witnessing-russias-spiral-into-madness-under-putin-hardcover","provider":"belfastbooks.us","version":"1.0","type":"link"}