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Once Upon a Time in Russia: The Rise of the Oligarchs—A True Story of Ambition, Wealth, Betrayal, and Murder
by
Ben Mezrich (Goodreads Author)
The bestselling author of Bringing Down the House (sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and the basis for the hit movie 21) and The Accidental Billionaires (the basis for the Academy Award–winning film The Social Network) delivers an epic drama of wealth, rivalry, and betrayal among mega-wealthy Russian oligarchs—and its international repercussions.
Once ...more
Once ...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
June 2nd 2015
by Atria Books
(first published June 2015)
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(showing 1-30)
Jun 09, 2015
Sammy Loves Books
rated it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
library-audio,
non-fiction
This is the True Story of The Rise of the Russian Oligarchs. These are their actual images and their properties.
What an Amazing tale of wealth and murder as communism comes to an end in Russia. A handful of men were savvy enough to jump on this privatization of previously state owned businesses. These few men rose to obscene wealth by purchasing companies for millions that were valued at billions within years of purchase.
Boris Berezovsky
Boris rose through the ranks by first purchasing a car comp ...more
3 stars. Once Upon a Time in Russian is scary and fascinating – and at times a bit tedious. The author has compiled information about a number of oligarchs in post-soviet Russia, and their role and tactics in shaping Russian politics from the mid 1990s to 2000 during the Yelstin presidency. By the second half of the book, Putin ascends to the presidency and -- while he is not painted as a heroic figure – he is shown as wrestling some power out of the hands of the oligarchs – essentially to asse
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The fall of the USSR led to a rush to capitalise on the new state system as it rapidly became privatised. One such man, Boris Berezovsky, a former mathematician, became a billionaire buying state television on top of his car empire. He used the media to get Boris Yeltsin re-elected, giving him political leverage in the process. He took on an eager young protégé, Roman Abramovich, and together became even richer by controlling Russia’s oil and aluminium markets. They were part of a small group ca
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This book is a real page-turner, written with the breathless feel of a political thriller. It could also be viewed as a cautionary tale about completely unfettered capitalism. The Russian oligarchs, who rose in the 1990s after communism in the old Soviet Union fell apart, are profiled in their ruthless grab for money and power as state-held businesses were privatized. These were smart, unprincipled men who made billions, but who had to employ bodyguards in order to go about their daily lives. Th
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A stranger than fiction tale of the oligarchs that took control of an unbelievable amount of Russia's GDP as it transitioned to capitalism. Mezrich does a poor job of telling the story, primarily concerned with Boris Berezovsky, somehow managing to deflate this incredible tale.
I was fortunate to get my hands on an advanced paperback copy of “Once Upon a Time in Russia”, and I’m glad I did. Ben Mezrich does a great job of pulling the reader in right away, with a mysterious meet of top oligarchs in Russia in July 2000. Then Mezrich takes you back to 1994 to tell the story of Boris Berezovsky. Then fluidly brings in Roman Abramovich later in the book. I really liked how the author fully described the decision points that each oligarch had to make at critical points in th
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An excellent history of the oligarchs and their silent coup to govern Russia. They thought they had another Yeltsin when they backed Putin, but instead they got an old style president that wanted all the power back in the hands of the state. Reads like a crime novel.
“Once Upon a Time in Russia” by Ben Mezrich, published by Atria Books.
Category – History/Russia Publication Date – June 02, 2015
If you are looking for an eye opener about the fall of communism and the rise of “democracy/capitalism” in Russia, this is about as good as you will get.
This true story revolves around the life of Boris Berezovsky who worked his way up from a car salesman to one of the richest men in Russia and maybe the world. He made his fortune by backing the right man (Boris Yeltsi ...more
Category – History/Russia Publication Date – June 02, 2015
If you are looking for an eye opener about the fall of communism and the rise of “democracy/capitalism” in Russia, this is about as good as you will get.
This true story revolves around the life of Boris Berezovsky who worked his way up from a car salesman to one of the richest men in Russia and maybe the world. He made his fortune by backing the right man (Boris Yeltsi ...more
For NetGalley.
It recently came to my attention, having read quite a number of Russian classics over the years, that they all seem to be “gray.” Following that thought, I discovered that ofttimes for me, mysteries or thrillers are “red,” books of encouragement are “blue,” fantasies register “orange,” and so on. However, stories of long ago Russian history and of the days of the Soviet Union are “gray.” The people seem sad, lost, hopeless, forlorn—leaving me feeling “gray.” Once Upon a Time in Rus ...more
It recently came to my attention, having read quite a number of Russian classics over the years, that they all seem to be “gray.” Following that thought, I discovered that ofttimes for me, mysteries or thrillers are “red,” books of encouragement are “blue,” fantasies register “orange,” and so on. However, stories of long ago Russian history and of the days of the Soviet Union are “gray.” The people seem sad, lost, hopeless, forlorn—leaving me feeling “gray.” Once Upon a Time in Rus ...more
Mawkishly entertaining, history noir and at the end you have no idea how much to believe or how much it just matches your confirmation bias. If you're a part of the "RT News is more trustworthy than NPR" crowd you will hate the portrayal of Putin and his Russia, on the other hand if you think he is a budding Bond villain the book is highly satisfying.
Once Upon a Time in Russia bills itself as a story of the rise of the oligarchs in the subtitle, and as “the behind-the-scenes, true story of two larger-than-life billionaire oligarchs” in particular—Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich—in the introduction. But this is Berezovsky’s story. Abramovich plays a surprisingly small row, arguably less important than Georgian strongman and Berezovsky’s right-hand muscle Badri Patarkatsishvili, former-FSB agent Alexander Litivenko, and Bond villain Russ
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Ben Mezrich has written a number of "fictionalized" non-fiction books, including "Accidental Billionaires" about the founding of Facebook and some very good poker books. his writing style can be polarizing...he writes scenes depicting what he thinks happened in real life as if he had been present at the time. sometimes this is annoying, such as when he clearly speculates about what was going through the mind of a Russian agent as he died. mostly, the style helps make the story move along in an e
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A meticulously researched and totally compelling account of Russian oligarchs spoilt by an unnecessarily fiction-like approach. The subject matter itself is fascinating, and clearly and succinctly related. I learnt a great deal and gained a much more complete understanding of what happened in the newly capitalist Russia by the end of the book. Mezrich concentrates on Berezovsky and Abramovich but many other characters populate the narrative giving a rounded view of how these oligarchs achieved t
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When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the country embarked on a painful transition from communism to capitalism. Oligarchs took over, seizing political power and propping up the ailing President Boris Yeltzin. They created monopolies, cornered markets, and controlled the media. When Yeltzin’s health deteriorated, they devised a plan to replace him with Vladimir Putin.
They knew not what they were doing. The man they put in power ultimately turned against them. And he brought his own style of KGB sav ...more
They knew not what they were doing. The man they put in power ultimately turned against them. And he brought his own style of KGB sav ...more
It was Ok. I'm glad that I read it, and it covers a fascinating time and series of events. However, I felt like the balance between storytelling and historical portrayal was awkward. I fully understand and accept that a book told in this style has to include some conjecture to capture the thoughts, motivations, and state of mind of the main characters, but in this case I just didn't find it very believable.
I was also disappointed that key moments in the story (assassinations and major business d ...more
I was also disappointed that key moments in the story (assassinations and major business d ...more
I first rated this book a 3 then changed to 4. I would give a 3.6 if it was an option and I'll tell you why. You will love this book if you are familiar with the Russian culture and the way business is done there. I am not. I bought the book to know more about Roman abramovich since I'm a football lover and not much is talked about him in the press. The author explains to you in the first half of the book the many dirty works done in russia to gain power giving you an idea of how business is con
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First time reading Ben Mezrich -- I didn't realize the genre was "creative nonfiction", and I have to say that in places it seemed really audacious to describe thoughts inside a real person's head that you don't have evidence for. I also was disappointed that despite the sub-title "The Rise of the Oligarchs," this is really the story of Boris Berezhovsky with others mentioned but not really explored. Nonetheless, it was a helpful story to integrate many smaller news items I've absorbed over the
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Russia has always intrigued and fascinated me in equal regards especially so after the rise of Putin. This book detailing the rise of the capitalism and oligarchs eventually looks at the collapse of the Oligarchs under Putin through the lens of a particularly strong Oligarch Berezovsky who failed to understand the real power of Putin and paid the price for it
Coupled with snippets of news read here and there in the form of Litivinenko poisoning, the drawn out legal proceedings between Berezovsky ...more
Coupled with snippets of news read here and there in the form of Litivinenko poisoning, the drawn out legal proceedings between Berezovsky ...more
"Let the bodies hit the floor. Let the bodies hit the floor..."-Drowning Pool.
Oh my gosh. What to say? Mezrich's book is a well written non-fiction narrative style book on the wealthy Oligarchy that came into being with the fall of Russia, Yeltsin's rule and the fall again when Putin came, rather unexpectedly, into power. It reads a lot like Scarface. If you told Quentin Tarantino was the orchestrator, I'd believe you. The book is really good, but wow, just wow. The plotting, murder, and mayhem ...more
Oh my gosh. What to say? Mezrich's book is a well written non-fiction narrative style book on the wealthy Oligarchy that came into being with the fall of Russia, Yeltsin's rule and the fall again when Putin came, rather unexpectedly, into power. It reads a lot like Scarface. If you told Quentin Tarantino was the orchestrator, I'd believe you. The book is really good, but wow, just wow. The plotting, murder, and mayhem ...more
Informative and researched. It follows one oligarch intensively and is written within a style as if it were fiction material. Because there is so much of stats and exact information, I found this style, the mode of the telling, as a trifle off-putting. But the tale itself is reality beyond easy belief. The years after the U.S.S.R. collapse AND the individual outcomes themselves, all riddled with violence and nasty intimidation grown huge and quickly to fill the voids of anarchy.
Not Ben Mezrich's best work here. I love his earlier books. This book isnt a bad book, its just not what I had come to expect. Even the title of the book is kind of cheesy. I wasn't rooting for any of the characters in this book like I was in most of his earlier works. That made it hard for me to care which way the ending really fell. His last few chapters were a little anticlimactic for me for this reason.
I wrote a whole long review and then GR ate it...
And I refuse to write it again, so go here and you'll get the gist of this book. Plus pictures!
It was good. I would recommended it.
Screw you GR.
Copy courtesy of Atria Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
And I refuse to write it again, so go here and you'll get the gist of this book. Plus pictures!
It was good. I would recommended it.
Screw you GR.
Copy courtesy of Atria Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fascinating account of the rise of the Oligarchs and the ridiculous wealth they amassed (talk about the top tenth of the one per cent!) reads like a suspense novel, really enjoyed it and learned how much George W Bush misread Putin's soul!
Very talented writer. It reads like a fictional documentary.
Fascinating insight into Russian power players lives. Good read from start to finish.
I finished up Ben Mezrich's Once Upon a time in Russia. Overall pretty entertaining. I think he gets pretty aggressive with his fact turned into fiction. For true people in history, it's a little annoying when he writes what they were thinking as they were dying. "Source???" He's done that on a few previous books, particularly Bringing Down the House, where he took some pretty big liberties from what "insiders" tell me.
One of the most interesting chapters was on the sinking of Russian Submarine ...more
One of the most interesting chapters was on the sinking of Russian Submarine ...more
really interesting read on the evolution of the Russian economy after the fall of communism. A few very lucky men wound up being on the receiving end of all the all the Russian state owned industry and services. With these few events a few rich men became ultra rich almost over night.
Fantastic writing outlining the chaos and immense business opportunities during the 90's privatization in Russia. Non-fiction thriller at its best. It is a delight to look up about the characters online after reading the book.
If you want to understand how a nation, as large and mineral resource rich as Russia, managed to give it all away to a rather dubious bunch of businessman at cut down prices, this is an easy book to read.
It was entertaining and alarming in equal measure.
It illuminates the violence which came with early capitalism and the complete lack of proper state control - until the politicians began to implement their own shameless human rights abuses in the interests of power.
The assassination of Alexander ...more
It was entertaining and alarming in equal measure.
It illuminates the violence which came with early capitalism and the complete lack of proper state control - until the politicians began to implement their own shameless human rights abuses in the interests of power.
The assassination of Alexander ...more
Enjoyed learning a piece about Russian culture. Story hype had me expecting a Formula 1 race, but it read like riding a Greyhound bus through rural Arizona.
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Ben Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality.
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionair ...more
More about Ben Mezrich...
With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionair ...more
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Jul 07, 2015 04:29PM
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