In the era of Russia’s war in Ukraine, who would be a ‘Putinversteher?’ (‘Putin-understander’) is the disdainful German term used for someone trying to negotiate the perilous path between Putin-apologist and Putin-denouncer. Understanding Vladimir Putin means grasping how Putin himself sees the world he is operating upon. Philip Short, a former BBC foreign correspondent in Moscow, has committed himself to this path, and more power to him, say I.

Some readers will fault him for his failure to match the ‘evil genius’ rhetoric of most Australian media reports on Putin. But anyone seriously interested in Russia and Ukraine should read this book, regardless of their preconceptions. True, its heft – the paperback is almost six centimetres thick – may deter some, but that is largely the result of Short’s thoroughness. He examines the evidence for each of the specific allegations that have been made of Putin’s personal responsibility for political assassinations and other acts of malfeasance, for which thankless effort we should all be grateful. All I can say to a potential reader is: give it your best shot, preferably resting the book on a flat surface. Do not attempt to read it in bed unless you have very large hands.