Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped

For readers of Putin's People by Catherine Belton comes the stunning story of Russia's slide back into a dictatorship led by Vladimir Putin – and how the world is now paying the price.

• 'Brave, trenchant and convincing' – Sunday Times
• 'Ferocious and unforgiving' – Financial Times

The rise of Vladimir Putin, a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB, to the presidency of Russia in 1999 was a clear signal that the country was veering away from democracy. Over the years, as America and other leading powers have chosen to appease him, Putin has transformed from a national leader into a dictator and an international threat. Armed with vast resources and a nuclear arsenal, Putin stands at the center of a worldwide assault on political liberty and the modern world order.

Garry Kasparov's Perspective

For Garry Kasparov, this trajectory is no surprise. A vocal critic of Putin for over a decade, Kasparov even led the pro-democracy opposition during the farcical 2008 presidential election in Russia. However, years of watching his warnings about Putin's intentions come true have brought Kasparov to a sobering realization: Putin's Russia, much like ISIS or Al Qaeda, defines itself in opposition to the free countries of the world.

A Growing Threat

As Putin's power has expanded, so has the scale of the threat he poses. What began as a local menace has grown into a regional and, ultimately, global danger. In this urgent and compelling book, Kasparov argues that the collapse of the Soviet Union was not the end of an era but merely a shift in seasons – the Cold War melting into a fragile new spring. Now, after years of complacency and misjudgment, winter has returned.

A Call to Action

With the force of Kasparov's world-class intelligence, deep conviction, and enduring hope for his home country, Winter Is Coming lays bare the truth: Vladimir Putin is an existential danger hiding in plain sight. This is a call to recognize the stakes and act before it’s too late.