This book was the idea of Will Murphy, the incomparable editor at Random House. A couple of weeks after the death of Alexander Litvinenko, Will called to ask whether I saw a book in the assassination. The following discussion led to our agreement on a broader theme: what a string of untimely deaths in Russia said about the country. Will is a writer’s editor. He set a tight deadline, and made me swear I would meet it, but he did not say a word when I missed that date and two additional deadlines. Will edited the manuscript with his usual smart and elegant touch. Whatever success has been achieved is largely due to Will’s inspiration and support.
With Will’s idea in hand, I telephoned my friend Noel Greenwood. Noel, a former senior editor with the Los Angeles Times, is a freelance book editor and writer’s coach with whom I worked on my first book. I knew that I would need his counsel and skill to pull off the feat that Will demanded. After some hesitation on whether it was possible to write a serious book on Russia in a year, Noel signed on. He gave me the confidence to pull away from a third-person journalistic voice and write a more personal book. We worked as a tag team from beginning to end. It simply would not have been possible to write this book without Noel. His imprint is on every page.
Tom Wallace is the most loyal and supportive agent in New York. He never expressed a doubt that the book could and would meet Will’s expectations. Tom, himself a talented longtime editor, read the manuscript twice in its entirety, and supplied excellent commentary that much improved the book.
At Random House, I also thank Jennifer Hershey, Jack Perry, Evan Camfield, Vanessa Mickan, and London King. Lea Beresford and Courtney Turco are wonderful professionals.
My wife, Nurilda, made me swear that I would not write another book after The Oil and the Glory, at least not soon—not after she and our girls had to spend a summer in Kazakhstan on their own so I could finish that book in isolation at Stanford University. But, after a bottle of pinot noir and a long chat at Cru, a wine bar near our home, Nuri wholeheartedly agreed that I must write the book. Then she supported the project more than one could hope for as I was absent either physically or mentally for a year while completing the manuscript. This book is as much Nuri’s as mine. I also thank our daughters, Alisha and Ilana, for tolerating my absences and remaining cheerful throughout.
Nino Ivanishvili provided a home, meals, and wise advice in Moscow. I have known Nino for sixteen years—almost since I first arrived in the former Soviet Union—and throughout she has been among the smartest journalists in the field. Fred Harrison was a great friend and a key supporter of this book, even though we met for the first time when I arrived in London to begin the research. Fred is responsible for my getting some of the most important interviews in the book. My longtime colleagues Guy Chazan, Alan Cullison, Mike Collet-White, Monica Whitlock, Jenny Norton, and Ian McWilliam opened up their Rolodexes so I could reach the people I needed. Mary Gordon provided the names and numbers of bankers in Moscow. The owners and senior investigators at certain London detective agencies were vital in my cracking Mayfair; they have asked that their names not appear in this book, so I thank them anonymously.
Anna Chernyakovskaya was my aide-de-camp in Moscow. Anna deftly and tactfully opened up the Russian capital so that I could learn about the lives of the people profiled in this book, and about the transformation that had occurred to the city since the last time I was there. The book could not have been completed without her.
Alexander Politkovsky and Marina Litvinenko were extremely generous with their time and with introductions to others.
It is easy to make false assumptions and clumsy factual mistakes. The manuscript was read in its entirety by Guy Chazan, Tom De Waal, Carter Page, and Tom Wallace. All rescued me from errors of fact and judgment; Carter expressed serious disagreement with some of my conclusions. I take responsibility for any errors that remain.
Dolores LeVine has supported whatever I’ve attempted. She did so again with this book. Thanks so much. Avery LeVine was wholeheartedly enthusiastic about the project at all times. In various ways, the book was helped immensely by Heidi Bradner, Zhenya Harrison, Doug Mazzapica, Michael McFaul, Jennifer Morgan, Seymour Philips, and Rick Webb.