{"title":"Paul Starobin","description":"\u003cp\u003ePaul Starobin’s works delve into the intricate landscapes of \u003cem\u003ePolitics \u0026amp; Current Affairs\u003c\/em\u003e, offering readers insightful explorations of power, influence, and historical events. His writing often uncovers the layers beneath geopolitical narratives, providing a nuanced perspective on contemporary issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a strong sense of place and context, Starobin’s books also reflect elements of \u003cem\u003eTravel \u0026amp; Adventure\u003c\/em\u003e, taking readers on compelling journeys through regions shaped by political turmoil and cultural intersections. His storytelling combines thorough research with vivid narration, inviting reflection on the forces that shape our world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-most-wicked-conspiracy-by-paul-starobin-9781541742307","title":"A Most Wicked Conspiracy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the feverish, money-making age of railroad barons, political machines, and gold rushes, corruption was the rule, not the exception. Yet the Republican mogul 'Big Alex' McKenzie's audacity was remarkable. Charismatic and shameless, he arrived in the recently purchased Alaskan territory with a federal district judge in his pocket, intent on claiming stewardship over any ambiguously claimed gold mines and promptly draining them of all of their ore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWorking-class miners who had rushed to the frozen tundra to strike gold were appalled at his open greed and disregard for maintaining even the pretense of good faith. \u003cem\u003eA Most Wicked Conspiracy\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of McKenzie's misdeeds, the resistance of the wronged miners, and the way the scandal captured the national spotlight — with the press eager to show how America's political and economic life was in the grip of domineering, self-dealing, seemingly-untouchable party bosses in cahoots with robber barons, Senators, and even Presidents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese events resonate well into the 21st century. At the core is an eternal question: should the law be a tool of the rich and the powerful for the accomplishment of their nefarious schemes, or an impartial force for justice from which no person can escape?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072121716972,"sku":"9781541742307","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25501633482736.jpg?v=1765078873"},{"product_id":"putins-exiles-by-paul-starobin-9798987053607","title":"Putin's Exiles","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe future of Russia lies outside the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSince Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, some one million Russians have fled the country and gone into exile. Motivated by opposition to the war, by guilt for their country's deeds, by personal hatred for the Czar-like Putin, and by a vision of a better Russia, shorn of autocracy, the exiles have mounted an organised resistance to Putin's rule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe resistance includes followers of the imprisoned Putin opponent Alexi Navalny, dissident Russian Orthodox priests, and journalists feeding Russians back home the kind of coverage that Kremlin-controlled media censors. Most aggressively, some exiles are actively aiding the Ukrainian fight against Russia's armed forces in hopes of hastening Russia's defeat and Putin's demise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Starobin, a veteran analyst of Russia, travels to places like Armenia and Georgia to meet with exiles and has conversations with prominent figures throughout Europe and America, as he takes measure of this rebellion – and its potential to fix a nation plagued by revanchist imperial dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePutin's Exiles\u003c\/em\u003e is an indispensable work for anyone trying to understand Russia today – to go beyond Putin's propaganda and the tightly controlled narrative inside the country, and look outside its borders to the diaspora of Russian exiles, who are imagining and fighting for the future of their country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487470928108,"sku":"9798987053607","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7e824c5e79ccd8e6ffe40505801c4b0a.jpg?v=1775776281"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/paul-starobin.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}