‘Nobody But Putin’, ‘How The West Lost To Putin’, ‘President Putin’s Mistake’- the next bestsellers? These are just two in a startling series of books about Putin written by Western experts and authors – or so it may seem. Something strange has been happening in Russia.
I'm pretty sure @lukeharding1968 hasn't written a book called "Nobody but Putin" (!!) pic.twitter.com/EQVSLZpH4x
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 8, 2015
Under the name of ‘Project Putin’, Russian publisher Algorithm has released several books in praise of the Russian president and his regime. In a 20-tome opus, Algorithm’s ‘Project Putin’ series goes deep into the life and times of Vladmir Putin. It seeks to provide an insight into his life, and the philosophy that underlines his rule. The books revel in glowing praise of Putin’s rule – perhaps it is unsurprising that they were not written by who it is claimed.
An innovative new publishing model!! cc @lukeharding1968 pic.twitter.com/0k3VztfZ71
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) August 9, 2015
The Russian publishing giant could soon face significant legal claims from a number of Western writers and experts. Works have been attributed to such names as Henry Kissinger, Nobel laureate, America’s 56th Secretary of State, and one-time National Security Adviser. Journalist Luke Harding has had the sensationalist ‘Nobody But Putin’ pinned to his name.
@shaunwalker7 Nope, I didn't write "Nobody but Putin"! I suspect Henry Kissinger didn't pen his "book" either. In which case, who did?
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) August 8, 2015
Shockingly, the director of Algorithm, Sergei Nikolayev, admitted that some of the authors had their works wrongly used in the creation of these new books.
@lukeharding1968 Michael Bohm didnt write the book too. Its his interviews,speeches and blog notes.I think all books in this series are same
— velvetdust (@velvetdust) August 8, 2015
It remains to see whether or not the ‘Project Putin’ series will spawn a raft of bestsellers. With all the controversy, they will mostly likely fly off the shelves – though probably as the result of legal action.
[via The Guardian, The Moscow Times]
