About the book: 2014 / Meaningful books about Vladimir Putin are few and far between, because, of all world leaders, the man his friends call “Vlad” managed to remain a mystery. This highly personal biography of the Russian leader is the result of six years of research carried out by the book's author, Chris Hutchins, a successful, inquisitive journalist and most published biographer. Its co-author, Alexander Korobko, is a freelance international journalist and television producer. The book's author, Chris Hutchins, has traveled throughout Russia meeting people who know Vladimir Putin well, including those who knew him as a little boy, a teenager, and a young intelligence officer long before how he entered the world stage as Russia's leader. Putin's unique abilities as a politician amazed the whole world. A British diplomat who attended Tony Blair's meeting with Vladimir Putin when he was elected President describes how Putin "outplayed" the British Prime Minister, who was considered a more experienced politician at the time. In just eight years, Putin raised his country from economic ruins and, in doing so, restored his nation's self-respect. However, this book is not only about politics, but simply about a person. Who are his friends? What makes him laugh? Cry? How rich is he? What does his wife say about him? What does he really think about oligarchs? Who does he turn to when he finds himself in a difficult situation??