The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power

by Bruce Berglund

Genres: Sports, History

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 20, 2026

About the author

A proud son of Duluth, Minnesota, who has spent long stretches in Kansas and Michigan and shorter stints in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia. I'm now back in Prague, where I teach history and writing.

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berglund paints a compelling picture of the strategies employed by Russia--at both the individual and state level--in the pursuit of national success in sports. I would have appreciated even deeper analysis of certain aspects of the use of sport in both the Soviet and Putin eras, but as is, The Moscow Playbook is a digestible and fun read!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to read more Russian history and also sports and politics intersections, especially ones about American sports