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The Return: Russia's Journey from Gorbachev to Medvedev
Russia has long been a source of puzzlement— and sometimes alarm—for Western observers. Since shaking off communism two decades ago, the country has seemed wobbly at best, thoroughly corrupt and threatening at worst. But in recent years, as noted scholar Daniel Treisman shows in this compelling account, Russia has re-emerged as a pivotal nation in world affairs. In The Return, Treisman cuts through the myths and misinformation, as well as ongoing academic and journalistic debates, to present a portrait of a strong and independent country that is returning to the international community on its own terms.
Drawing on two decades of research, interviews, and insider observation, The Return provides the first comprehensive history of post-communist Russia. From Gorbachev to Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev, it traces the twists and turns of the country’s evolution, uncovering the causes behind Russia’s plunge into depression in the 1990s and resurgence since 2000. Rather than a nation frozen in ancient authoritarian traditions, as Russia is often portrayed, Treisman shows a society modernizing rapidly, with a government that, although less than democratic, is sensitive to public opinion but which has been repeatedly buffeted by economic forces—the collapse of Soviet planning, the gyrations of oil prices—that have alternately boosted and drained the leaders’ popularity. Knocked off balance once again by the global financial crisis, the Kremlin’s current bosses must now struggle to reignite the growth on which the stability of their regime depends.
As Russia grapples with its economic difficulties, the West will have to come to terms with the new Russia. With its UN Security Council veto, thousands of atomic warheads, continental dimensions, and vast mineral resources, Moscow sits at the epicenter of the toughest challenges the world will confront in the next generation—from Islamic terrorism and nuclear proliferation to energy security and global warming. To enlist Russia’s cooperation in solving the problems of the twenty-first century, Western leaders will need to look beyond common misconceptions to see the country as it is rather than as it has often been imagined or depicted.
Based on extensive research by an expert with intimate knowledge of the country, the book provides insight into the prospects for democracy in Russia, the challenges and opportunities of doing business there, the wars in Chechnya, and the motives behind Moscow’s foreign policy. The Return is the ultimate accounting of what Russia is today, how it got there, and where it’s going.
Drawing on two decades of research, interviews, and insider observation, The Return provides the first comprehensive history of post-communist Russia. From Gorbachev to Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev, it traces the twists and turns of the country’s evolution, uncovering the causes behind Russia’s plunge into depression in the 1990s and resurgence since 2000. Rather than a nation frozen in ancient authoritarian traditions, as Russia is often portrayed, Treisman shows a society modernizing rapidly, with a government that, although less than democratic, is sensitive to public opinion but which has been repeatedly buffeted by economic forces—the collapse of Soviet planning, the gyrations of oil prices—that have alternately boosted and drained the leaders’ popularity. Knocked off balance once again by the global financial crisis, the Kremlin’s current bosses must now struggle to reignite the growth on which the stability of their regime depends.
As Russia grapples with its economic difficulties, the West will have to come to terms with the new Russia. With its UN Security Council veto, thousands of atomic warheads, continental dimensions, and vast mineral resources, Moscow sits at the epicenter of the toughest challenges the world will confront in the next generation—from Islamic terrorism and nuclear proliferation to energy security and global warming. To enlist Russia’s cooperation in solving the problems of the twenty-first century, Western leaders will need to look beyond common misconceptions to see the country as it is rather than as it has often been imagined or depicted.
Based on extensive research by an expert with intimate knowledge of the country, the book provides insight into the prospects for democracy in Russia, the challenges and opportunities of doing business there, the wars in Chechnya, and the motives behind Moscow’s foreign policy. The Return is the ultimate accounting of what Russia is today, how it got there, and where it’s going.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 24, 2021
Russia is back in the headlines and on the world stage. This is a good book to start to know why and how.
Stocked with good research, a strength of this book is that it was written by a career political scientist. Professor Daniel Treisman uses experience from years of studying Russia, as well as political economy, comparative politics and statistics, to come up with a balanced take on contemporary Russia. The reader will be informed of the decline and fall of the Soviet Union, the age of Boris Yeltsin, the war in Chechnya, Russia's economy and society in the 1990s, and the advent of Putin and Medvedev, then Putin again.
Since it was published in 2011, the book does not cover Russia's reclamation of Crimea. That would be a good addendum if a later edition of the book will be published.
Stocked with good research, a strength of this book is that it was written by a career political scientist. Professor Daniel Treisman uses experience from years of studying Russia, as well as political economy, comparative politics and statistics, to come up with a balanced take on contemporary Russia. The reader will be informed of the decline and fall of the Soviet Union, the age of Boris Yeltsin, the war in Chechnya, Russia's economy and society in the 1990s, and the advent of Putin and Medvedev, then Putin again.
Since it was published in 2011, the book does not cover Russia's reclamation of Crimea. That would be a good addendum if a later edition of the book will be published.
April 18, 2013
This was the best political science/history book that I've read in a long time. This book ranges from the rise of Gorbachev and the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise and reign of Putin. Daniel Treisman's mastery of the subject is absolute, and he employs it to bust several prominent narratives about contemporary Russia: 1) that the USSR's collapse in the 1980s was inevitable (I already disagreed with this narrative); 2) that Gorbachev was the responsible leader, and Yeltsin a populist drunk (I fully believed this); 3) that Russia's growth in the '00s was fuelled mainly by oil prices and that Putin did little to reform the country (I fully believed this too); 4) that the transition from communism to market capitalism was grossly mishandled (it wasn't flawless, but the government was usually choosing between equally bad options); 5) that "the Oligarchs" ran the country for several years until Putin cracked down (their influence seems to have been grossly over-exaggerated). And much more besides. Treisman is a terrific writer as well -- authoritative and engaging. I wish more books were this well research and this well written.
July 25, 2013
The purpose of this book is to de-mystify to an extent misconceptions surrounding Western perceptions regarding the fall of the Soviet Union, the transition to a market economy, and Russia as a kleptocracy. Treisman succeeds in this by revealing Russia's political, economic, and criminal justice systems to be in a transitional state not unlike many other developing nations, and that the problems plaguing Russia are not particularly unique to Russia. This book isn't exactly riveting, but for people wanting a deeper and more nuanced understanding of Russia's current political state, I'd recommend it.
January 26, 2025
A comprehensive study of Russia from Gorbachev to Putin and Medvedev that is significantly marred by the author's commitment to free market capitalism. This commitment causes him to gloss over the real human suffering caused by Russia's transition to capitalism in order to craft a narrative of the "increased economic freedom" enjoyed by babushkas who saw their pensions disappear and their sons killed by gangsters. The chapter on the hypocrisy of NATO was quite good, though.
July 9, 2021
The biggest problem for this book is that it was published at the wrong time. That is obviously not something Treisman could predict, but writing as he does in 2010, he did not anticipate the events of Putin's return to the presidency and what that entailed (though he did suggest Putin coming back was an option, albeit not a serious one). That said, it's an interesting, somewhat optimistic, look at post-Soviet Russia and what things could have been like.
The book is divided thematically: the first four chapters each cover Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev, and then the remaining six tackle themes of Russia. Treisman is cautiously supportive of Russia, and indeed comes across as trying to counter stereotypes of the country that are widespread in the West, though he sometimes goes a little too far. However that he does try to counter some of the widely-held assumptions is good as it forces critical thinking on the topics, and one chapter looks at the Russian perspective on events of the past 20 years (up to that point). It is here where he really shines, and makes the reader think about major events in a very different view.
Overall it's a dated work that thought Russia could become a democratic state and that Putin would fade into the shadows, much like Gorbachev and Yeltsin did, so not really relevant to the modern reader. But it's good to get an idea of how Russia could have gone.
The book is divided thematically: the first four chapters each cover Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev, and then the remaining six tackle themes of Russia. Treisman is cautiously supportive of Russia, and indeed comes across as trying to counter stereotypes of the country that are widespread in the West, though he sometimes goes a little too far. However that he does try to counter some of the widely-held assumptions is good as it forces critical thinking on the topics, and one chapter looks at the Russian perspective on events of the past 20 years (up to that point). It is here where he really shines, and makes the reader think about major events in a very different view.
Overall it's a dated work that thought Russia could become a democratic state and that Putin would fade into the shadows, much like Gorbachev and Yeltsin did, so not really relevant to the modern reader. But it's good to get an idea of how Russia could have gone.
November 27, 2022
This book can really be separated into three parts. The first (and longest) summarises each Russian leader from Gorbachev to Medvedev. As a brief summary, I would say Treisman is quite harsh on Gorbachev, sympathetic to Yeltsin and ambivalent to first-term Putin and Medvedev. This section is a good introduction of you're only passingly familiar with these individuals.
The second section deals with Russia and Chechnya. I'm not familiar with this conflict so don't have much to comment.
The final section deals with gauging how Russia has managed the transition from a Soviet, centrally planned economy toward open market democracy and it's relationship with NATO. Treisman gives an interesting analysis by essentially attempting to present the process from both sides - on the one hand presenting NATO as a disingenuous bad actor, and on the other presenting Russia as a potential threat acting somewhat obstinately.
I have to say it's hilarious to see the various items listed which demonstrate a country's failings to fully embrace liberal democracy and compare it to modern day America.
I've read other reviews that lament this book being ahead of its time but I disagree. I highly doubt we could expect an honest appraisal giving the climate we currently have around Russia in the West.
The second section deals with Russia and Chechnya. I'm not familiar with this conflict so don't have much to comment.
The final section deals with gauging how Russia has managed the transition from a Soviet, centrally planned economy toward open market democracy and it's relationship with NATO. Treisman gives an interesting analysis by essentially attempting to present the process from both sides - on the one hand presenting NATO as a disingenuous bad actor, and on the other presenting Russia as a potential threat acting somewhat obstinately.
I have to say it's hilarious to see the various items listed which demonstrate a country's failings to fully embrace liberal democracy and compare it to modern day America.
I've read other reviews that lament this book being ahead of its time but I disagree. I highly doubt we could expect an honest appraisal giving the climate we currently have around Russia in the West.
May 20, 2018
Comprehensive, measured, and relentlessly factual. Russia is not sui generis, Tresiman firmly believes, and so he employs or improvises systems of measurement for most aspects of Russian history since 1990. But this book is not merely arithmetic. Treisman also has a gift for seeing what others saw--and what they missed--at the moment they were making decisions and evaluations. When some facts are simply irreconcilable with others, he lets the competing narratives speak for themselves. This results in a brilliant chapter (the ninth) in which he neatly outlines the views of moderate Russian and American foreign policy thinkers, and identifies how similar they in fact are. Tragically, even that does not lead to any easy solutions to the problems of US-Russian relations; empathy can only take us so far.
March 15, 2017
A Very interesting book overall.
The content of the book is very nice. The author tried his best to give a balanced view of the Russia that has returned and he does a good job at this. At some point, it could be said that he takes Russia's side, but this is required, considering the fact that it would be in contrast to the flood of negative images depicted by the Western media. I highly recommend the book for anyone willing to gain an insight into today's Russia.
On its readability, it's not so awesome. There were some parts of the book that were quite technical and not so easy to digest. Fortunately, there were numerous other parts of the book that "flowed" and would leave you gasping for more
The content of the book is very nice. The author tried his best to give a balanced view of the Russia that has returned and he does a good job at this. At some point, it could be said that he takes Russia's side, but this is required, considering the fact that it would be in contrast to the flood of negative images depicted by the Western media. I highly recommend the book for anyone willing to gain an insight into today's Russia.
On its readability, it's not so awesome. There were some parts of the book that were quite technical and not so easy to digest. Fortunately, there were numerous other parts of the book that "flowed" and would leave you gasping for more
April 6, 2019
I don't even know how to rate this. The first half was great. It provided thought provoking questions and an interesting assessment of Gorbachev, Yeltstin, Putin and Medvedev. Yet the second fucking half of the book was pure statistics. I skipped so much because who the fuck cares about goddamn numbers?! Should have known better than to read a book by an economist. Reading paragraph after paragraph of of sheer numbers, POLLING DATA, jesus christ who cares!!!
September 9, 2025
i loved this book until i realised it's not fiction but reality 😔
June 14, 2014
This is an intriguing if often vexing book on Russia since the fall of communism. Though the inside cover calls it the, “first comprehensive history of post-communist Russia” it’s an awkward history. Triesman is a political scientist, not a historian, and the book is organized as such. The first four chapters are on Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Putin, and Medvedev. The next chapters are on aspects of Russian life and politics. The upshot is that many subjects end up getting covered repeatedly. First you hear about Chechnya with Yeltsin, and then later in its own chapter.
It would probably be unfair to call Triesman an apologist for Putin, but he definitely thinks the criticism of Putin goes too far. Sometimes he makes salient points, as when he compares Russian politics to many Latin American nations, arguing that it’s more similar than people realize. (He might take this argument too far, though). He also makes a decent case on the Russian interpretation of the Georgia crisis. How would America act, he noted, if US peacekeepers were killed in a nation experiencing internal turbulence due to the government there cracking down on its ethnic minority (who happened to be the same ethnicity as your nation?) and violating the rights of those minorities? Odds are we probably wouldn’t be too damn happy about it. However, Triesman really overdoes it. He notes that Putin has a $60,000 watch, but then says a half-sentence later that there is no clear reason to think he has more than a few hundred thousand dollars. (Really? Doesn’t the watch indicate we might be underestimating his true wealth? More damningly, Triesman really glosses over the strange deaths of his most serious critics. That gets barely a passing mention. He notes the theory that Putin’s government helped cause the bombings in ’99, but he doesn’t really try to delve into it. So yeah….the first sentence of his paragraph might be a bit too nice on Triesman. Still, I don’t really think he’s an apologist; more than he’s just reacting against a narrative that he feels is too strongly being laid down – and for the most part Triesman makes an interesting argument. He also does offer plenty of criticisms of Putin, ranging from overall governmental ineffectiveness to acknowledging (if downplaying) the more serious issues listed above. I will note, however, that reading this right after Russia’s seizing of Crimea sure gives a different slant on things.
It would probably be unfair to call Triesman an apologist for Putin, but he definitely thinks the criticism of Putin goes too far. Sometimes he makes salient points, as when he compares Russian politics to many Latin American nations, arguing that it’s more similar than people realize. (He might take this argument too far, though). He also makes a decent case on the Russian interpretation of the Georgia crisis. How would America act, he noted, if US peacekeepers were killed in a nation experiencing internal turbulence due to the government there cracking down on its ethnic minority (who happened to be the same ethnicity as your nation?) and violating the rights of those minorities? Odds are we probably wouldn’t be too damn happy about it. However, Triesman really overdoes it. He notes that Putin has a $60,000 watch, but then says a half-sentence later that there is no clear reason to think he has more than a few hundred thousand dollars. (Really? Doesn’t the watch indicate we might be underestimating his true wealth? More damningly, Triesman really glosses over the strange deaths of his most serious critics. That gets barely a passing mention. He notes the theory that Putin’s government helped cause the bombings in ’99, but he doesn’t really try to delve into it. So yeah….the first sentence of his paragraph might be a bit too nice on Triesman. Still, I don’t really think he’s an apologist; more than he’s just reacting against a narrative that he feels is too strongly being laid down – and for the most part Triesman makes an interesting argument. He also does offer plenty of criticisms of Putin, ranging from overall governmental ineffectiveness to acknowledging (if downplaying) the more serious issues listed above. I will note, however, that reading this right after Russia’s seizing of Crimea sure gives a different slant on things.
March 8, 2012
This was an interesting look at Russia that avoids some of the pitfalls we have in looking at this country, whether by imparting a strange mythical view upon what we see in Russia's history or by demonizing people in descriptions.
The author looks at many different aspects of Russian politics and uses facts and data to support what is said. There are a hundred pages of footnotes in the back of the book.
The first four chapters cover Russian history from the end of the Soviet Union to the present, and does a great job with an easy-to-read description of the history. I had a harder time with chapters 5-7 because it was so detailed and I tended to get bogged down in sections, but there were some very good points to be made there. Once I got to chapter 8 and the discussion of the Chechens, though, I sped through the rest of the book and was fully engaged.
I like the book because it takes a step back from the usual descriptions of the Russian leaders of today and of the past. It poses a very different view of the inner workings of Russian government, and challenges our understanding and viewpoints. It gives us an idea of why public support in Russia moves, and points out some curious things about Russian elections that I previously had not known.
I would recommend reading a few books on Russian history from Yeltsin to the present first to get some background, and then would recommend diving into this book.
The author looks at many different aspects of Russian politics and uses facts and data to support what is said. There are a hundred pages of footnotes in the back of the book.
The first four chapters cover Russian history from the end of the Soviet Union to the present, and does a great job with an easy-to-read description of the history. I had a harder time with chapters 5-7 because it was so detailed and I tended to get bogged down in sections, but there were some very good points to be made there. Once I got to chapter 8 and the discussion of the Chechens, though, I sped through the rest of the book and was fully engaged.
I like the book because it takes a step back from the usual descriptions of the Russian leaders of today and of the past. It poses a very different view of the inner workings of Russian government, and challenges our understanding and viewpoints. It gives us an idea of why public support in Russia moves, and points out some curious things about Russian elections that I previously had not known.
I would recommend reading a few books on Russian history from Yeltsin to the present first to get some background, and then would recommend diving into this book.
August 7, 2018
If you have a poor background knowledge of the USSR and how it came apart and who was doing what, then you are going to find this book terribly complex and confusing. I found that even though it was in chronological order from Gorbi to Putin I was often confused and lost at what roles the characters in the book were playing. It would have helped if the author had explained or outlined the structure of the government of the USSR more clearly as well as how it functioned; this might have helped to clarify some of the confusion of what part each character was playing. Daniel Treisman, the author, does a piss poor job of keeping you on the time line of Russian political history, I was confused as to if some of the major events he speaks about happened before or after others. It would have been nice to have a timeline sketched in an appendix as well as a list of people who were important in the government and whose names frequent the pages of this book. This would have helped readers who only had a rough understanding of what happened in the late 80s and 90s. In short it can be hard to follow. HOWEVER, it is very thorough and I will return and read it again after I have done some extra reading to try and get a better handle on the general timeline of the Soviet Union’s demise. The research is good, the book has good material, it’s just perhaps not an entry level book for this topic.
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August 22, 2011In 2004, Daniel Treisman co-authored articles in Foreign Affairs and elsewhere in which he declared that Russia is a “normal country” that almost everyone was getting wrong. Russia was not a “uniquely menacing” petro-state mischievously cozying up to rogue regimes, punishing domestic critics, and ramming through fixed election outcomes. It was instead a “typical middle-income, capitalist democracy.” Like Brazil, Croatia, or Malaysia, Russia has relatively clean elections, a rising level of consumer purchasing power, and reasonable crime statistics. Read more...
May 2, 2014
At times this was a real struggle - a dense reminder of political science courses from days past. But the last few chapters in particular are well written, well reasoned, and incredibly prescient given the current state of affairs in Ukraine and Russia. I strongly feel that I have a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the forces that are driving current events in that part of the world, and for that I am grateful that I read this book.
November 17, 2011
We never know quite what to make of Russia but this book helps. Treisman offers a clear-eyed view of the nation's economy and political life giving plenty of reasons to be guardedly optimistic about the future. He mentions the religious resurgence but does not go into any detail. I'd keep an eye on that.
March 8, 2014
Excellent. Must read, especially in the current context.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews