“It is always important to read Garry Kasparov, who warned us about the dangers of Putinism long before many others. He is a rare figure: a Russian democrat who is realistic about his country, yet still hopeful for the future.” Anne Applebaum

“Garry Kasparov has the ability to process information like a supercomputer and possesses the eloquence of an outstanding orator. Only a mind and heart like his could analyze the last 25 years of Russia's history in the world and arrive not only at an indictment of the West's complicity but also a clear call to action from the West.” Masha Gessen

“Garry Kasparov is a genius in chess and politics, and understands the depravity of Putin's regime better than anyone. This book is a clear and precise observation of the current chaos due to the West's inaction towards Putin, and a warning of what will happen if we fail to act in the future. Every head of state and voter should read it.” Bill Browder

“Garry Kasparov has written a passionate indictment of both the kleptocracy of Russia and the complacency of Western democracies towards Putin. This threat has become our central challenge in foreign policy, and Kasparov's arguments are essential for understanding how we must confront it.” Francis Fukuyama

The rise of Vladimir Putin – a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB – to the presidency of Russia in 1999 was a stark signal that the country was moving away from democracy. However, in the years that followed – as America and other global powers continue to pursue a strategy of appeasement towards him – Putin has evolved not only into a dictator but into an international threat. With vast resources and a nuclear arsenal, Putin sits at the center of a global assault on political freedoms and the modern world order.

For Garry Kasparov, none of this is news. He has been a fierce critic of Putin for over a decade, and also led the pro-democracy opposition in the farcical 2008 presidential elections. Yet all these years, as he sees his dire predictions about Putin's intentions come true, he realizes a darker truth: Putin's Russia, like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, identifies itself as an adversary of the free nations of the world.

As Putin grows ever more powerful, the threat he poses escalates, from local to regional and ultimately to global. In this book, Kasparov shows that the collapse of the Soviet Union did not mark an endpoint in history – only a change of era, as the Cold War ended and brought a new spring. But now, after years of complacency and poor judgment, winter is coming again.

Through the intelligence, arguments, and hopes he expresses for his country, Kasparov's Winter Is Coming reveals what Putin is: an evident existential threat.