Description: In Perfect Storm, Russia analyst Thane Gustafson reinterprets the broader story of Russia's failed opening to the West, focusing on its economic, technological, and social aspects, and the role these played in its ultimate failure. Walking through the longer history of Russia's failure to integrate long before the invasion of Ukraine, Gustafson helps to put in context the more dramatic events of 2022-2024, when vast swathes of the Russian economy found themselves cut off from the West. Perfect Storm tells the story of Russia's opening to the West, from its achievements and disappointments to the complexity of the post-invasion sanctions regime and Russia's possible futures under a new generation of leaders.
Review Quotes: "Vladimir Putin's clash with the West, and his embrace of China, is often cast as a story of grand strategy imperial ambition. This wise and timely book by Thane Gustafson, a world expert on the geopolitics of energy, shows that it is a human tragedy too: the failure of a 30-year dream of Russian opening to Western businesses, technologies and ideas of what makes a good society." -- David Rennie, Geopolitics editor and columnist, The Economist
"Thane Gustafson offers a detailed appraisal of how Russia's complex relations with the West ruptured under Vladimir Putin and a clear-eyed assessment of how they might be restored beyond Putin. This deeply insightful book is a 'must read' for anyone seeking to understand the current Russian challenge and its prospects. And Gustafson proves again why he is one of the most astute and accomplished observers of modern Russia." -- Fiona Hill"Russia's brief opening to the West and how it came undone by war and sanctions is a complex story of social and economic ties that now lie in ruins. Thane Gustafson masterfully explains this period with nuance and depth, and he argues that Russia's future, despite all that has happened, still one day lies with an eventual return to Europe and the West." -- Tom Nichols, Staff writer at The Atlantic and Professor Emeritus, U.S. Naval War College"Thane Gustafson contributes insightfully and eloquently to the debate over Russia's estrangement from the West by emphasizing political economy, and not the usual set of security variables. He also comes around to a guardedly hopeful prognosis for Russia after Putin which will surprise some readers." -- Timothy J. Colton, Morris & Anna Feldberg Professor of Government Chair, Harvard University"Thane Gustafson's insightful book is 'an attempt to tell the broader story of Russia's flawed opening to the West in its economic, technological and social dimensions, and the roles these played in its ultimate failure'." -- SurvivalGustafson's book is an illuminating account of the recent history of the economic relationship between Russia and the West and a valuable addition to the literature.-- Christine Abely, The Russian Review "A thorough, informed study of the use and abuse of a scattershot economic weapon that falls somewhere between jaw-jaw and war-war." -- Irish Times"A masterful, deeply researched, and timely exploration of Russia's tumultous three-decade journey from post-Soviet openness to renewed isolation." -- Bernd Christoph Strohm, Perspectives on Politics"Today's economic warfare is rooted in three decades of failed attempts to draw Russia closer to the west, Thane Gustafson, a professor at Georgetown University, argues in Perfect Storm... traces how the euphoria that greeted American-style capitalism's arrival in Russia masked a brooding resentment at the Soviet empire's defeat... Gustafson holds out hope that what remains from Russia's opening to the west could help the sides reconcile once Putin is finally gone." -- Max Seddon, Financial Times"A book about power-how it is accumulated, distributed, and eventually exhausted... one of the most rigorous and balanced diagnoses of Russia's institutional trajectory." -- Tatiana Mitrova, via LinkedIn"What became of the third pillar of the new Eurasia, Russia's economic engagement with the West? That is the subject of Perfect Storm by Thane Gustafson, a professor of government at Georgetown University... [with] impressive credentials for addressing the subject." -- Michael Mandelbaum, Jerusalem Strategic Tribune"Insightful... [Gustafson] explains how both sides' unrealistic expectations for economic cooperation after 1991 contributed to the deterioration of overall ties between the West and Russia, culminating in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine." -- Angela Stent, Survival"In this illuminating book, Gustafson...traces Russia's opening to the West...and its subsequent reclosing." -- Maria Lipman, Foreign Affairs