David Satter, who has written about Russia for almost four decades, is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He divides his time between Washington, D.C., and London.

“The circumstantial evidence is compelling. It is set out in David Satter’s book with concision, authority and an undertow of quiet rage.”—Giles Whittell, Times“A darkly impressive account of post-Soviet Russia, skillfully moving between detective-style close-ups of key events and sweeping analysis.”—Peter Pomeranzev, author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible“David Satter blends masterful journalism and rigorous scholarship in a disturbingly illuminating book on the origins, nature and future of the Putin autocracy. Required reading for all those who refuse to indulge in wishful thinking about a rogue state claiming to be a respectable superpower.”—Vladimir Tismaneanu, author of The Devil in History: Communism, Fascims and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century“This very timely new book by David Satter, one of our finest analysts of contemporary Russia, provides crucial insights into Vladimir Putin. The negligible value he and his cohorts place on human life is chillingly illustrated. Here you will find a gripping account of the deliberate lethal gassing of hundreds of innocent hostages held captive by terrorists, demonstrating that seizing and holding power by any means is Putin’s stock in trade.”—Richard V. Allen, senior fellow Hoover Institution and former national security adviser to Ronald Reagan“Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship was enabled by those who ignored the lessons of history and the warnings of people like David Satter, who was right early and often during the fall of Russian democracy and the rise of Putin’s police state. Few can speak with so much authority and conviction on the triumphs and tragedies of modern Russia.”—Garry Kasparov, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, former world chess champion“David Satter has the courage to ask what role the Russian authorities themselves had in the worst terrorist outrages there and - unlike others who did the same - has survived to tell the tale. If he is right that grand provocation had a key political role under both Yeltsin and Putin presidencies—and the evidence is persuasive—then Russia is a country from Dostoyevski’s worst dreams. The Less You Know, the Better you Sleep is an uncompromising, cogent, disturbing account of a country whose authorities’ nihilism may yet lead it to disaster.”—Radek Sikorski, former Polish foreign minister

David Satter, who has written about Russia for almost four decades, is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He divides his time between Washington, D.C., and London.

“The circumstantial evidence is compelling. It is set out in David Satter’s book with concision, authority and an undertow of quiet rage.”—Giles Whittell, Times“A darkly impressive account of post-Soviet Russia, skillfully moving between detective-style close-ups of key events and sweeping analysis.”—Peter Pomeranzev, author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible“David Satter blends masterful journalism and rigorous scholarship in a disturbingly illuminating book on the origins, nature and future of the Putin autocracy. Required reading for all those who refuse to indulge in wishful thinking about a rogue state claiming to be a respectable superpower.”—Vladimir Tismaneanu, author of The Devil in History: Communism, Fascims and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century“This very timely new book by David Satter, one of our finest analysts of contemporary Russia, provides crucial insights into Vladimir Putin. The negligible value he and his cohorts place on human life is chillingly illustrated. Here you will find a gripping account of the deliberate lethal gassing of hundreds of innocent hostages held captive by terrorists, demonstrating that seizing and holding power by any means is Putin’s stock in trade.”—Richard V. Allen, senior fellow Hoover Institution and former national security adviser to Ronald Reagan“Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship was enabled by those who ignored the lessons of history and the warnings of people like David Satter, who was right early and often during the fall of Russian democracy and the rise of Putin’s police state. Few can speak with so much authority and conviction on the triumphs and tragedies of modern Russia.”—Garry Kasparov, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, former world chess champion“David Satter has the courage to ask what role the Russian authorities themselves had in the worst terrorist outrages there and - unlike others who did the same - has survived to tell the tale. If he is right that grand provocation had a key political role under both Yeltsin and Putin presidencies—and the evidence is persuasive—then Russia is a country from Dostoyevski’s worst dreams. The Less You Know, the Better you Sleep is an uncompromising, cogent, disturbing account of a country whose authorities’ nihilism may yet lead it to disaster.”—Radek Sikorski, former Polish foreign minister

David Satter, who has written about Russia for almost four decades, is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He divides his time between Washington, D.C., and London.

“The circumstantial evidence is compelling. It is set out in David Satter’s book with concision, authority and an undertow of quiet rage.”—Giles Whittell, Times“A darkly impressive account of post-Soviet Russia, skillfully moving between detective-style close-ups of key events and sweeping analysis.”—Peter Pomeranzev, author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible“David Satter blends masterful journalism and rigorous scholarship in a disturbingly illuminating book on the origins, nature and future of the Putin autocracy. Required reading for all those who refuse to indulge in wishful thinking about a rogue state claiming to be a respectable superpower.”—Vladimir Tismaneanu, author of The Devil in History: Communism, Fascims and Some Lessons of the Twentieth Century“This very timely new book by David Satter, one of our finest analysts of contemporary Russia, provides crucial insights into Vladimir Putin. The negligible value he and his cohorts place on human life is chillingly illustrated. Here you will find a gripping account of the deliberate lethal gassing of hundreds of innocent hostages held captive by terrorists, demonstrating that seizing and holding power by any means is Putin’s stock in trade.”—Richard V. Allen, senior fellow Hoover Institution and former national security adviser to Ronald Reagan“Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship was enabled by those who ignored the lessons of history and the warnings of people like David Satter, who was right early and often during the fall of Russian democracy and the rise of Putin’s police state. Few can speak with so much authority and conviction on the triumphs and tragedies of modern Russia.”—Garry Kasparov, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, former world chess champion“David Satter has the courage to ask what role the Russian authorities themselves had in the worst terrorist outrages there and - unlike others who did the same - has survived to tell the tale. If he is right that grand provocation had a key political role under both Yeltsin and Putin presidencies—and the evidence is persuasive—then Russia is a country from Dostoyevski’s worst dreams. The Less You Know, the Better you Sleep is an uncompromising, cogent, disturbing account of a country whose authorities’ nihilism may yet lead it to disaster.”—Radek Sikorski, former Polish foreign minister