InTheLongHangover,ShaunWalkerpresentsadeeplyreported,bottom-upexplanationofRussia’sresurgenceunderPutin.BycleverlyexploitingthememoryoftheSovietvictoryoverfascisminWorldWarII,Putin’sregimehasmadeordinaryRussiansfeelthattheircountryisgreatagain.WalkernotonlyexplainsPutin’sgoalsandthegovernment’sofficialmanipulationsofhistory,butalsofocusesonordinaryRussiansandtheirmotivations.HechartshowPutinraisedvictoryinWWIItothestatusofanationalfoundingmythinthesearchforaunifyingforcetohealadividedcountry,andshowshowdangeroustheramificationsofthishavebeen.ThisbookexploreswhyRussia,unlikeGermany,hasfailedtocometotermswiththedarkestpagesofitspast:Stalin’spurges,theGulag,andthewardeportations.ThenarrativeroamsfromthecorridorsoftheKremlintothewildsoftheGulagsandthetrenchesofEastUkraine.ItputstheannexationofCrimeaandthenewlyassertiveRussiainthecontextofthedelayedfalloutoftheSovietcollapse.TheLongHangoverlookstoalostgeneration:themillionsofRussianswholosttheircountryandthesubsequentattemptstorestoretothemasenseofpurpose.
