About the Author

Marc Bennetts is a British journalist based in Moscow, where he has lived for the past fifteen years. He has reported from Russia, Iran, and North Korea for the Guardian, The Times, the Observer and the New York Times, among other publications. He spent eighteen months as a reporter for Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. His first book, Football Dynamo, examined Russian culture through the country's national sport.

Reviews

'Electrifying'

* Booklist *

'Strongly written, well-researched and timely... Kicking the Kremlin should be read now.'

* TLS *

'This book gives a fascinating peek at the shifting political landscape in one of the world's most opaque nations.'

* Press Association *

'A compelling account of how a disparate set of political groups came together to create the largest anti-government protests Russia has seen in living memory. Bennetts doesn't attempt any grand theologising nor does he impose his own politics on the account - which in this case is welcome.'

* New Statesman *

'A lively, sardonic account of Putin's reign and those opposed to it'

* Metro *

'Bennetts' entertaining book Kicking the Kremlin could hardly have come at a better time... Bennetts is well-placed to write the book. The huge variety of his interviews, through which he elicits a pleasing selection of anecdotes, as well as accusations of being a foreign spy, show his familiarity with the country and its people.'

* We Love This Book *

'An engagingly grim, frequently absurdist portrait of Vladimir Putin and the popular protests against him.'

* Kirkus Reviews *

'Dark, compelling, and illuminating. Bennetts meets priests, lawmakers, spin-doctors, ordinary Russians, left-wing agitators, and riot cops in this vivid first-hand portrait.'

-- Luke Harding, Guardian correspondent and author of Mafia State

'Colourful and authoritative. The best account of Russia's protest movement and Putin's ferocious crackdown.'

-- Angus Roxburgh, author of The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the Struggle for Russia

'Vivid and insightful. Bennetts captures a transitional moment in Russian history. Years from now, when researchers are seeking to explain the second Putin era, they would do well to use this reportage.'

-- Daniel Kalder, author of Lost Cosmonaut

'Bennetts has done an excellent job of drawing together the scattered beads of a sobering story.'

-- Susan Richards, author of Lost and Found in Russia: Encounters in a Deep Heartland