Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump

Russian Roulette chronicles Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the years of events leading up to it. The book follows key players including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and various figures in American politics and intelligence agencies. The authors, veteran investigative journalists Michael Isikoff and David Corn, present their findings based on interviews with intelligence officials, FBI agents, and others close to the investigation. Their reporting traces connections between Trump's business ventures in Russia, Russian intelligence operations, and the American political landscape. The narrative covers cyber operations, international business deals, and political maneuvering across multiple countries and years. The complex web of relationships between American and Russian figures forms the backbone of this detailed account. At its core, Russian Roulette examines questions about democracy, power, and international influence in the modern digital age. The book serves as both a political history and a warning about the vulnerabilities in electoral systems.

Readers found the book provided extensive detail on Russian interference in the 2016 election, backed by documented sources and interviews. Many noted its investigative journalism approach and clear chronological structure. Liked: - Detailed coverage of key meetings and events - Clear explanation of complex relationships between figures - Well-sourced claims and thorough research - Readable narrative style despite dense subject matter Disliked: - Some felt it had an anti-Trump bias - Several readers wanted more analysis of post-2016 events - A few found the large cast of characters hard to follow - Some criticized its focus on known public information rather than new revelations Ratings: Goodreads: 4.18/5 (8,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (1,800+ ratings) Representative review: "Meticulous reporting that connects the dots between various players and events, though it mostly confirms what was already reported in the media" - Goodreads reviewer

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The Road to Unfreedom by Timothy Snyder The text analyzes Putin's political philosophy and Russia's influence campaigns across Europe and America.

From Cold War to Hot Peace by Michael McFaul This first-hand account from a former U.S. ambassador to Russia documents the deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations and Putin's strategic objectives.

🔹 The book's co-author Michael Isikoff previously broke the Monica Lewinsky story in 1998 while working as an investigative journalist for Newsweek. 🔹 Russian Roulette reveals that Donald Trump first visited Moscow in 1987 at the invitation of the Soviet ambassador, who suggested Trump should build a hotel there—14 years before his first Miss Universe pageant in Russia. 🔹 The authors trace the origins of Russian interference in U.S. elections back to 2014, when Russian intelligence agencies first began collecting data on American voters through social media platforms. 🔹 The book details how the infamous Steele dossier was initially commissioned by The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news website, before being taken over by the Democratic National Committee. 🔹 Upon its release in March 2018, Russian Roulette debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list and remained on the list for several weeks, despite receiving no promotion from the Trump administration.