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Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine, and the New Cold War
Imperial Gamble examines how Putin reached that conclusion by taking a critical look at the recent political history of post-Soviet Russia. It also journeys deeper into Russian and Ukrainian history to explain more fully what keeps them together and yet at the same time drives them apart.
Kalb argues that the post-cold war world today hangs on the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. So long as it is treated as a problem to be resolved by Russia, on the one side, and the United States and Europe, on the other, it will remain a danger zone with global consequences. The only sensible solution lies in both Russia and Ukraine recognizing that their futures are irrevocably linked by the geography, power, politics, and history that Kalb brings to life in Imperial Gamble.
Kalb argues that the post-cold war world today hangs on the resolution of the Ukraine crisis. So long as it is treated as a problem to be resolved by Russia, on the one side, and the United States and Europe, on the other, it will remain a danger zone with global consequences. The only sensible solution lies in both Russia and Ukraine recognizing that their futures are irrevocably linked by the geography, power, politics, and history that Kalb brings to life in Imperial Gamble.
230 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
17 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 2, 2018
Imperial Gamble by Marvin Kalb is a wonderful book. It provides context, insight, in a balanced way. He is neither enamored with Putin nor with the prospects for Ukrainian liberalization. I can't believe this book has been rated so few times on goodreads--it is one of the best I have read on modern Russia or Ukraine.
Through the first 100 pages, the audience learns the history of Ukraine and its connection to Russia from the 10th century to the present. This is important because Putin loves referencing Vladimir the Great (10th century prince of Kyiv), Catherine the Great (Russian tsarina who led conquest of Crimea), Khrushchev (who gave Crimea back to Ukraine in 1954), and many more historical figures to justify the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine. Understanding Putin’s narratives from a third-party observer can help outsiders make sense of Putin’s claims.
It is clear the author does not believe Ukraine is purely the victim in this most recent crisis. Putin is in large part to blame, but that does not mean that his actions have been completely indefensible. Ukraine has indeed been a historic part of Russia, inexorably intertwined. Believing that Ukraine can somehow join the “west” while leaving Russia behind is absurd.
This book delves into the nature of the Ukrainian identity and how separate it really is from Russia, the different segments of Ukrainian society, and whether Ukraine is really worth fighting for. Is it a strategic interest of the US? Should Americans fight for a country with such a strong history and present connection with anti-semitism and nazism?
I much prefer this book to Frontline Ukraine or Ukraine Crisis, and recommend it strongly to anyone interested in learning about the Ukraine conflict, Russia, and Putin. The way this book is set up with small anecdotes, literary references, and quotes scattered throughout is my favorite to read.
Through the first 100 pages, the audience learns the history of Ukraine and its connection to Russia from the 10th century to the present. This is important because Putin loves referencing Vladimir the Great (10th century prince of Kyiv), Catherine the Great (Russian tsarina who led conquest of Crimea), Khrushchev (who gave Crimea back to Ukraine in 1954), and many more historical figures to justify the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine. Understanding Putin’s narratives from a third-party observer can help outsiders make sense of Putin’s claims.
It is clear the author does not believe Ukraine is purely the victim in this most recent crisis. Putin is in large part to blame, but that does not mean that his actions have been completely indefensible. Ukraine has indeed been a historic part of Russia, inexorably intertwined. Believing that Ukraine can somehow join the “west” while leaving Russia behind is absurd.
This book delves into the nature of the Ukrainian identity and how separate it really is from Russia, the different segments of Ukrainian society, and whether Ukraine is really worth fighting for. Is it a strategic interest of the US? Should Americans fight for a country with such a strong history and present connection with anti-semitism and nazism?
I much prefer this book to Frontline Ukraine or Ukraine Crisis, and recommend it strongly to anyone interested in learning about the Ukraine conflict, Russia, and Putin. The way this book is set up with small anecdotes, literary references, and quotes scattered throughout is my favorite to read.
September 22, 2025
I decided to read Marvin Kalb’s Imperial Gamble because the subject of his excellent book is involved in a continuation of a war with its immediate neighbor that is fast approaching its fourth anniversary. This second version of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has the distinction of being the first large-scale "war” in Europe since World War II ended eighty years ago. A host of current world leaders, and the Europeans, many who lived through the Second World War and the resulting “Cold War,” are concerned that Putin’s aggression could lead to a third European conflict … a conflict that would be far worse than the other two combined. Like the Great War, this regional conflict began in Southeastern Europe and could quickly spread throughout the continent. If such were the case, the 21st century versions of the weapons of mass destruction, which would undoubtedly be used in that war, would be what finishes Europe, its NATO allies, and Russia once and for all … there would be nothing but “scorched earth,” remaining on both sides of the Atlantic. The situation is precarious because Putin is in no mood to negotiate an end to this second phase of his immense gamble which he started in February of 2022, unless the terms are wholly acceptable to him; Zelensky is “hanging tough” … so, the conflict drags on.
Mr. Kalb begins Imperial Gamble with a discussion of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. He explains that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West saw Russia as reduced to mediocracy, but Putin saw otherwise; his goal of restoring Russia’s greatness was rooted in the shadows of two Russian tsars, Peter the Great, and his counterpart, Catherine the Great. With his ascendance to power in August of 1999, Putin decided to restore Russia to its former glory, but the Russian dictator failed to realize there’s been a lot of water under the bridge in those 230 years since the end of Catherine’s reign; countries, and people who are leaders of those countries, cannot relive the past, however glorious it might have been. A quick Google search and a reading of this book will reveal the current war in Ukraine has its roots in the annexation of Crimea in 2014; Kalb states two American presidents, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama completely underestimated Putin … meanwhile, the “big war” that he predicted in Imperial Gamble is currently in its third year, and soon to begin its fourth.
Kalb elaborates on the title of his book throughout the text, but doesn’t mention it verbatim until Chapter 19; Putin's ultimate goal is the rebuilding of the now defunct Soviet Union and the repatriation of the ethnic Russians, who were displaced by the break up of the USSR … Putin’s “imperial gamble” of annexing Crimea was the beginning of his version of “repatriation” and “nation building.”
For a person interested in knowing how the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022 began, Imperial Gamble should be “number one” on the required reading list. Mr. Kalb explains that the immediate cause of the current European conflict was Putin’s “imperial gamble”; he considered Ukraine as Russia’s “mother country.” Putin is a student of history and knows Russian history began in Kiev; he has said on numerous occasions that Ukraine’s capitol city should, and will be part of a united Russia. So, regardless of what Trump thinks, or does, his mediocre efforts will be useless; the current American president is not a student of history, and fails to realize that as long as the former KGB agent holds the reins of Russian government, this war will not end until Ukraine is part of Russia. Marvin Kalb, himself a Russian scholar, states in his book that Putin “has thrown a dangerous challenge before the West, and the West must now find a magic formula for ending a small war before allowing it to become a big one.” 1 The “West” and four American presidents have obviously failed in this respect.
In keeping with his previous works, Marvin Kalb has written a book that is timeless; the author marvelously sums up Imperial Gamble by using a pragmatic approach to the Ukrainian dilemma, stating that country, “must be realistic about its goal of becoming an independent nation.2 The former network news correspondent and current senior fellow with the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, offers the reader, and no doubt members of the Ukrainian government a keen observation … “if Ukraine succeeds, somehow, in mastering its economic and political ills, and in balancing its pro-Western desires with its unavoidable geographic and historic links to Russia, then it might avoid sliding into the abyss of a failed state. But if not, its future would be dim indeed.”3
Marvin Kalb’s Imperial Gamble thoroughly explains how this latest European conflict would more than likely escalate, but he doesn’t cover it in detail since his book was published seven years before the second phase of Putin’s “imperial gamble” began. I’m surprised he hasn’t written an updated version as the stakes have significantly increased in regards to Putin's “imperial gamble.” Nevertheless, his excellent book is written in contemporary, “everyday” language, and is sprinkled with a few cliché’s here and there; it is written from a historical perspective, however, with that being said, the political situation in Ukraine is front page news. Imperial Gamble is interesting reading and is worthy of its five-star rating. *****
1. Imperial Gamble; Chapter 19, p. 240.
2. ibid. p.250
3. ibid. p. 244
Mr. Kalb begins Imperial Gamble with a discussion of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. He explains that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West saw Russia as reduced to mediocracy, but Putin saw otherwise; his goal of restoring Russia’s greatness was rooted in the shadows of two Russian tsars, Peter the Great, and his counterpart, Catherine the Great. With his ascendance to power in August of 1999, Putin decided to restore Russia to its former glory, but the Russian dictator failed to realize there’s been a lot of water under the bridge in those 230 years since the end of Catherine’s reign; countries, and people who are leaders of those countries, cannot relive the past, however glorious it might have been. A quick Google search and a reading of this book will reveal the current war in Ukraine has its roots in the annexation of Crimea in 2014; Kalb states two American presidents, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama completely underestimated Putin … meanwhile, the “big war” that he predicted in Imperial Gamble is currently in its third year, and soon to begin its fourth.
Kalb elaborates on the title of his book throughout the text, but doesn’t mention it verbatim until Chapter 19; Putin's ultimate goal is the rebuilding of the now defunct Soviet Union and the repatriation of the ethnic Russians, who were displaced by the break up of the USSR … Putin’s “imperial gamble” of annexing Crimea was the beginning of his version of “repatriation” and “nation building.”
For a person interested in knowing how the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022 began, Imperial Gamble should be “number one” on the required reading list. Mr. Kalb explains that the immediate cause of the current European conflict was Putin’s “imperial gamble”; he considered Ukraine as Russia’s “mother country.” Putin is a student of history and knows Russian history began in Kiev; he has said on numerous occasions that Ukraine’s capitol city should, and will be part of a united Russia. So, regardless of what Trump thinks, or does, his mediocre efforts will be useless; the current American president is not a student of history, and fails to realize that as long as the former KGB agent holds the reins of Russian government, this war will not end until Ukraine is part of Russia. Marvin Kalb, himself a Russian scholar, states in his book that Putin “has thrown a dangerous challenge before the West, and the West must now find a magic formula for ending a small war before allowing it to become a big one.” 1 The “West” and four American presidents have obviously failed in this respect.
In keeping with his previous works, Marvin Kalb has written a book that is timeless; the author marvelously sums up Imperial Gamble by using a pragmatic approach to the Ukrainian dilemma, stating that country, “must be realistic about its goal of becoming an independent nation.2 The former network news correspondent and current senior fellow with the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, offers the reader, and no doubt members of the Ukrainian government a keen observation … “if Ukraine succeeds, somehow, in mastering its economic and political ills, and in balancing its pro-Western desires with its unavoidable geographic and historic links to Russia, then it might avoid sliding into the abyss of a failed state. But if not, its future would be dim indeed.”3
Marvin Kalb’s Imperial Gamble thoroughly explains how this latest European conflict would more than likely escalate, but he doesn’t cover it in detail since his book was published seven years before the second phase of Putin’s “imperial gamble” began. I’m surprised he hasn’t written an updated version as the stakes have significantly increased in regards to Putin's “imperial gamble.” Nevertheless, his excellent book is written in contemporary, “everyday” language, and is sprinkled with a few cliché’s here and there; it is written from a historical perspective, however, with that being said, the political situation in Ukraine is front page news. Imperial Gamble is interesting reading and is worthy of its five-star rating. *****
1. Imperial Gamble; Chapter 19, p. 240.
2. ibid. p.250
3. ibid. p. 244
April 2, 2022
I started reading this book after the 2022 Ukrainian war. And suddenly I realised how this war have been played out at a different level since 2014 but also got a much in depth understanding as to why Putin thinks about Ukraine as he does and the special place Ukraine holds in the historical narrative of Russian Empire. And how Ukrainian crisis is not so simple as it looks. This acts as a great basis to understand the background of the conflict since 2015 to now that permeated to a larger war. And how Ukraine not only has suffered because of its geography, history but also poor leadership and corruption and the current government though commendable reflect the same narrative which each Ukraine president has done since it's Independence, appease with west while trying to decouple from Russia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2020
This book covers a lot of ground, from early history to current events, economy and local society and politics. It even project future conditions. Well worth reading. Kalb was in government and acted as an on the scene reporter covering events. Well worth reading.
May 6, 2018
Most informative. Excellent insights into Putin and Ukraine.
December 31, 2015
This was a wonderful way to focus on all of the Russian history I didn't understand, except for Massie's fabulous Catherine the Great biography. I spent a week in Kerch, Crimea, in June 1992 as part of a two-week exchange program. I wish I'd had this book for the clearly written history that Kalb provides.
This would have been 5 stars except I experienced a sense that the last couple of summary chapters were redundant. But--the 16-17 previous chapters were fascinating. His presentation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 started to feel like a great, suspense story. And all the truth! I'd recommend it heartily.
This would have been 5 stars except I experienced a sense that the last couple of summary chapters were redundant. But--the 16-17 previous chapters were fascinating. His presentation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 started to feel like a great, suspense story. And all the truth! I'd recommend it heartily.
January 1, 2016
A fascinating history of the relationship between Ukraine and Russia and how it's shaped the current crisis with a look into the lives and thinking of Putin and other main characters. A bit too much detail on occasion for my tastes but otherwise excellent.
April 27, 2022
Gran libro. Muy de actualidad con la guerra en Ucrania.
May 4, 2016
Continues to stay relevant as the crisis persists.
Read
March 31, 2017i saw this on amazon.com :
"Marvin Kalb, a former journalist and Harvard professor, traces how the Crimea of Catherine the Great became a global tinder box. The world was stunned when Vladimir Putin invaded and seized Crimea in March 2014. In the weeks that followed, pro-Russian rebels staged uprisings in southeastern Ukraine. The United States and its Western allies immediately imposed strict sanctions on Russia and whenever possible tried to isolate it diplomatically."
THIS IS A HUGE LIE! THIS IS/WAS NO RUSSIAN INVASION OF THE CRIMEA, THE DONBASS OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN UKRAINE. TOTAL BULLOCKS!
the only thing the russians did is send non-military aid after the free ukrainians liberated areas. the russians helped repair and restore a free internet and because the butchering, nato/amerikkkrap supported nazi-maidan, kept cutting off power lines from the north and west, russia threw a power line across the strait between the two countries at the north end of the black sea.
neither putin or russia has any interest in acquiring more real estate headaches -- they have enough of their own (11 time zones!) - thank you very much.
i have been following ukraine current events since my high school days (early 70's) when i learned about my late, great uncle's family was murdered by roving SS einzengruppen in WII in ukraine. they murdered anything that moved.
follow #antifa on G+ for more details and discussions with me and others
including the freed residents of crimea.
"Marvin Kalb, a former journalist and Harvard professor, traces how the Crimea of Catherine the Great became a global tinder box. The world was stunned when Vladimir Putin invaded and seized Crimea in March 2014. In the weeks that followed, pro-Russian rebels staged uprisings in southeastern Ukraine. The United States and its Western allies immediately imposed strict sanctions on Russia and whenever possible tried to isolate it diplomatically."
THIS IS A HUGE LIE! THIS IS/WAS NO RUSSIAN INVASION OF THE CRIMEA, THE DONBASS OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN UKRAINE. TOTAL BULLOCKS!
the only thing the russians did is send non-military aid after the free ukrainians liberated areas. the russians helped repair and restore a free internet and because the butchering, nato/amerikkkrap supported nazi-maidan, kept cutting off power lines from the north and west, russia threw a power line across the strait between the two countries at the north end of the black sea.
neither putin or russia has any interest in acquiring more real estate headaches -- they have enough of their own (11 time zones!) - thank you very much.
i have been following ukraine current events since my high school days (early 70's) when i learned about my late, great uncle's family was murdered by roving SS einzengruppen in WII in ukraine. they murdered anything that moved.
follow #antifa on G+ for more details and discussions with me and others
including the freed residents of crimea.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews