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The Descent: Witnessing Russia's Spiral into Madness Under Putin
An extraordinary first-hand account of Russia's descent into totalitarianism, paranoia and madness.
Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, moved to Russia in the chaotic yet free final years of President Yeltsin's rule. Twenty-five years later, The Times pulled him out of Russia over concerns for his security following his arrest in Moscow at a protest against the war in Ukraine.
From the “wild” 1990s in Moscow to narrowly escaping death under fire in Ukraine, The Descent is 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, both real and imagined, 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.
Bennetts meets a vast array of characters, from 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.
Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, moved to Russia in the chaotic yet free final years of President Yeltsin's rule. Twenty-five years later, The Times pulled him out of Russia over concerns for his security following his arrest in Moscow at a protest against the war in Ukraine.
From the “wild” 1990s in Moscow to narrowly escaping death under fire in Ukraine, The Descent is 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, both real and imagined, 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.
Bennetts meets a vast array of characters, from 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.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 26, 2026
About the author
Marc Bennetts
13 books11 followersMarc 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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 15, 2026
I can see lots of reviewers of this book have said that it’s got nothing new to say about what’s happened in Russia - but I still think it’s worth reminding ourselves. It’s desperately sad to read.
June 29, 2026
When I read this in the preface -
Bennetts' anger at what Putin has done to Russia seems to overwhelm every conversation he recounts. The people he meets either agree with him or the conversation decays into name calling and arguments. Bennett is very manichean about today's Russia; if people aren't completely aligned with his views, they're morally corrupt.
This is not to defend what Putin has done in Russia. It's that I rarely find that people are so starkly black and white. He kinda lost me when he cut off his mother-in-law; must be tough for his wife and daughter.
Between Bennetts' self-assigned position as moral arbiter and the non-linear/up-and-back narrative (again, another thing about which he warned readers in the preface), it is difficult to extract facts from Bennetts' tirades. For me, this book was a slog and difficult not to DNF.
When I began this book, one of my biggest challenges was to control my hatred: without doing so, I would have likely produced 80,000 words of unreadable bile. I hope I have avoided that trap but I make no apologies for any anger that has spilled over onto these pages.I knew I was in for a ride. And note to future readers -- he doesn't avoid the trap.
Bennetts' anger at what Putin has done to Russia seems to overwhelm every conversation he recounts. The people he meets either agree with him or the conversation decays into name calling and arguments. Bennett is very manichean about today's Russia; if people aren't completely aligned with his views, they're morally corrupt.
This is not to defend what Putin has done in Russia. It's that I rarely find that people are so starkly black and white. He kinda lost me when he cut off his mother-in-law; must be tough for his wife and daughter.
Between Bennetts' self-assigned position as moral arbiter and the non-linear/up-and-back narrative (again, another thing about which he warned readers in the preface), it is difficult to extract facts from Bennetts' tirades. For me, this book was a slog and difficult not to DNF.
June 21, 2026
Bennetts rarely if ever seems to connect with or understand the people who are at the center of the book he wrote. Most interactions with them rarely last more than a few interchanges before being derailed by arguments, name calling, and general hostility. Those that dont rarely lead to second or third meeting, as Bennetts just seems to disgusted or morally superior to connect to them on any deep level, so he doesn’t actually have much of depth to say. Often, a person who could have been a fascinating source of information is squandered so he could throw some antagonizing accusation at them, instead of trying to get some trust or showing some basic tact.
It’s okay to not want to develop connections with radicals and racists - but not if you want to write a book about them with anything new or deep to say.
If you already know that Russian nationalistic populism is schizophrenic, racist, self contradictory, and will lead to nothing more than the enrichment of oligarchs at the expense of the rest - which you probably already do - you basically got the gist of his insights that come from this own supposed witnessing. The historical recap was good enough.
It’s okay to not want to develop connections with radicals and racists - but not if you want to write a book about them with anything new or deep to say.
If you already know that Russian nationalistic populism is schizophrenic, racist, self contradictory, and will lead to nothing more than the enrichment of oligarchs at the expense of the rest - which you probably already do - you basically got the gist of his insights that come from this own supposed witnessing. The historical recap was good enough.
June 22, 2026
I really wanted to like The Descent more than I did.
I recently finished From Russia with Blood by Heidi Blake, and I suspect that influenced my expectations going into this book. I was hoping for something similar stylistically, which is probably unfair to Marc Bennetts because he is trying to tell a different story in a different way.
For me, the biggest issue was that the narrative felt somewhat disjointed. There were certainly interesting and important stories throughout the book, but I never felt fully pulled into a single narrative thread.
That said, Bennetts has an important story to tell. His observations about Russia under Putin are valuable, and there were plenty of moments that were enlightening and thought provoking.
I am curious what I would have thought of this book had I not read From Russia with Blood immediately beforehand. Perhaps I would have been more receptive to its style. Then again, I suspect I still would have landed at roughly the same rating.
Overall, an informative and worthwhile read, but one that never fully came together for me. Three stars.
I recently finished From Russia with Blood by Heidi Blake, and I suspect that influenced my expectations going into this book. I was hoping for something similar stylistically, which is probably unfair to Marc Bennetts because he is trying to tell a different story in a different way.
For me, the biggest issue was that the narrative felt somewhat disjointed. There were certainly interesting and important stories throughout the book, but I never felt fully pulled into a single narrative thread.
That said, Bennetts has an important story to tell. His observations about Russia under Putin are valuable, and there were plenty of moments that were enlightening and thought provoking.
I am curious what I would have thought of this book had I not read From Russia with Blood immediately beforehand. Perhaps I would have been more receptive to its style. Then again, I suspect I still would have landed at roughly the same rating.
Overall, an informative and worthwhile read, but one that never fully came together for me. Three stars.
June 4, 2026
Marc Bennetts went to Russia as a young journalist and ended up marrying and spending over two decades in the country with his family. What he witnessed was the country devolve from the possibility of democracy to the reign of an increasingly maniacal despot. This was a fascinating and terrifying glimpse from the inside of the country. It is very hard not to draw some parallels to happenings inside our own which whether meant or not created a scary cautionary tale. This book does jump around quite a bit in time (especially 2014 and 2022) and I wasn't always sure which time period was being discussed. This probably didn't matter in the long run but was a bit frustrating. Overall, if you want an overview of the situation in Russia leading up to the invasion of Ukraine, this is a good book to start. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy
What stood out most to me was how personal the book feels. The author’s conflicting emotions toward Russia add a layer of authenticity, making the narrative feel deeply human rather than purely historical or analytical.
Even as someone who has read extensively on this subject, I found a surprising amount of new and thought-provoking material. This is where the book distinguishes itself—rather than simply retelling familiar events, it offers a more nuanced and original perspective.
Even as someone who has read extensively on this subject, I found a surprising amount of new and thought-provoking material. This is where the book distinguishes itself—rather than simply retelling familiar events, it offers a more nuanced and original perspective.
Review of advance copy
I felt when reading it was unsettling. How can a civilised country descend into what Russia has become? I can’t answer that and I doubt anyone can. But I feel ashamed to be a human being after reading about the atrocities inflicted. Some say Russia is a brutal conspiracy but but you be the judge. Read the book and decide
June 24, 2026
Love how the book is written – although there's nothing really new in it.
It's a chronicle of how Russia went mad in 20-25 years.
Not much of an explanation/theory (from the author) on what caused it.
It's a chronicle of how Russia went mad in 20-25 years.
Not much of an explanation/theory (from the author) on what caused it.
June 9, 2026
Truly horrifying and scary.
July 3, 2026
Good primer to the topic weakened by the author's dogmatism in interviews. Overall a very good overview of Putin's Russia and the drivers behind the war.
May 30, 2026
As someone who lived in Moscow for 10 years, I have long been awaiting an account based equally on the every day and the symbiotic relationship of that with federal level politics. They are indivisible. If you want to know what it was like to live in Russia as a foreigner, and also understand the wider world as it changed on a sixpence around us, this is the book. For this reader, utterly readable and cathartic in equal measure.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews