Putin's Russia. The Rise of a Dictator

Author of more than six acclaimed graphic novels and well known for his economical drawing and clear, explanatory narrative, Cunningham shows how the West and its leaders have been culpable in aiding Putin's rise - Obama being a particular example.

Areas covered include Brexit and Trump; the crackdown on human rights, especially on homosexuality in Russia; and the poisonings - among them, journalist Anna Politkovskaya in Russia, Alexander Litvinenko in London, Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. By putting all these events into a timeline, Cunningham aims to show that Putin is opportunistic rather than the master manipulator people make him out to be: 'He's essentially a gangster and not a particularly smart one. We need to demythologise Putin if we are to beat him.'