Szalona miłość. Chcę takiego jak Putin

Barbara Włodarczyk

A reporter’s attempt to answer
the question that has bothered the West
for decades: Why did Russians fall so in
love with their president – desperately and
unconditionally?


Selling Points
 An original and multi-narrative telling of
contemporary Russia.
 Each chapter offers a different – and at
times extreme – perspective on history
and the present days.
 A portrait of one of the most significant
and influential politicians in the world.
 Włodarczyk draws our attention to some
of the lesser-known facts of Putin’s story –
his relationships with women and other
aspects of his personal life.
 A polyphonic book, fresh and deviating
from the conventional ways Russia is
talked about in the West.
 Włodarczyk’s writing gives us insight
into the Russian perspective on the world
and 20th-century history.
 An experienced and widely known
journalist, a Polish television
correspondent in Moscow for several
years.

Description
The thirteen dispatches gathered in this
volume constitute a bold and ambitious
attempt to answer a key question: What

is behind Vladimir Putin’s unflagging
popularity in Russia? In order to
understand this phenomenon, we need to
dive into the past, to the 1990s, known as
the Great Depression in Russia – a period
of crisis, humiliation, and the general
collapse of all state institutions. It was in
this context that there appeared a littleknown
politician, Putin, who proposed
a new narrative: a return to the story
of the Russian superpower, mighty and
independent from the West. And so
was born the legend that resonates in
Russian society to this day. Włodarczyk,
with the instincts of the best journalists,
has turned her gaze on a wide range of
people – she talks to them, observers
their world, tries to understand their
diverse, and sometimes radical, points
of view. Their stories form a portrait of
the dictator, but also of modern Russia –
complicated, varied, and sharply divergent
from what is commonly understood in
the West. Required reading for anyone
who wants to understand contemporary
international politics.
“If you want to make sense of this
phenomenon and better understand
the Russian soul, then you must pick up
a copy of Włodarczyk’s new book. For
everyone interested in international
relations and all who want to make sense
of the modern world – essential reading.
Highly recommended!”.
Piotr Bejrowski, Histmag
“Of course, not all Russians are supporters
of Putin. We find some such people in Mad
Love as well, but this viewpoint is after
all easier to grasp than the feeling that
the majority of the country holds for their
president”.
Anna Piątkowska, Gazeta Krakowska

Target Market
Readers of historical books and reportage.
People interested in contemporary Russian
and international politics.

Release date: 2021
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-83-08-07585-2


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Other covers

Mad Love. I Want a Guy Like Putin. Reportage from Russia

Barbara Włodarczyk

A reporter’s attempt to answer
the question that has bothered the West
for decades: Why did Russians fall so in
love with their president – desperately and
unconditionally?


Selling Points
 An original and multi-narrative telling of
contemporary Russia.
 Each chapter offers a different – and at
times extreme – perspective on history
and the present days.
 A portrait of one of the most significant
and influential politicians in the world.
 Włodarczyk draws our attention to some
of the lesser-known facts of Putin’s story –
his relationships with women and other
aspects of his personal life.
 A polyphonic book, fresh and deviating
from the conventional ways Russia is
talked about in the West.
 Włodarczyk’s writing gives us insight
into the Russian perspective on the world
and 20th-century history.
 An experienced and widely known
journalist, a Polish television
correspondent in Moscow for several
years.

Description
The thirteen dispatches gathered in this
volume constitute a bold and ambitious
attempt to answer a key question: What

is behind Vladimir Putin’s unflagging
popularity in Russia? In order to
understand this phenomenon, we need to
dive into the past, to the 1990s, known as
the Great Depression in Russia – a period
of crisis, humiliation, and the general
collapse of all state institutions. It was in
this context that there appeared a littleknown
politician, Putin, who proposed
a new narrative: a return to the story
of the Russian superpower, mighty and
independent from the West. And so
was born the legend that resonates in
Russian society to this day. Włodarczyk,
with the instincts of the best journalists,
has turned her gaze on a wide range of
people – she talks to them, observers
their world, tries to understand their
diverse, and sometimes radical, points
of view. Their stories form a portrait of
the dictator, but also of modern Russia –
complicated, varied, and sharply divergent
from what is commonly understood in
the West. Required reading for anyone
who wants to understand contemporary
international politics.
“If you want to make sense of this
phenomenon and better understand
the Russian soul, then you must pick up
a copy of Włodarczyk’s new book. For
everyone interested in international
relations and all who want to make sense
of the modern world – essential reading.
Highly recommended!”.
Piotr Bejrowski, Histmag
“Of course, not all Russians are supporters
of Putin. We find some such people in Mad
Love as well, but this viewpoint is after
all easier to grasp than the feeling that
the majority of the country holds for their
president”.
Anna Piątkowska, Gazeta Krakowska

Target Market
Readers of historical books and reportage.
People interested in contemporary Russian
and international politics.

Release date: 2021
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-83-08-07585-2


Other covers