Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible

By: Peter Pomerantsev

Narrated by: Leighton Pugh

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

A journey into the glittering, surreal heart of 21st century Russia: into the lives of Hells Angels convinced they are messiahs, professional killers with the souls of artists, bohemian theatre directors turned Kremlin puppet-masters, supermodel sects, post-modern dictators and oligarch revolutionaries.This is a world erupting with new money and new power, changing so fast it breaks all sense of reality, where life is seen as a whirling, glamorous masquerade where identities can be switched and all values are changeable. It is home to a new form of authoritarianism, far subtler than 20th century strains, and which is rapidly expanding to challenge the global order.

An extraordinary audiobook - one which is as powerful and entertaining as it is troubling - Nothing is True and Everything is Possible offers a wild ride into this political and ethical vacuum.

Winner of the £10,000 Ondaatje Prize, described by judge Kate Adie as an ‘exuberant exposure’, with the ‘grotesque pursuit of money conveyed in glittering, trenchant prose’.

©2015 Peter Pomerantsev (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic Reviews

""" riveting portrait of the new Russia."" (Tina Brown)""Pomerantsev is one of the most brilliant observers of Putin's Russia ... an electrifying, terrifying book."" (Anne Applebaum)""Unflinching, tragic and profound."" (AD Miller, author of SNOWDROPS)"

A chilling insight .into Putin's Russia....

just read to Timothy Snyder's ' the road to Unfreedom." Got this book to get an inside pic of Putin's Russia. Fuck! a must read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

post modern distopia

Convincing argument that Russia is a cross between a fuedal and post modern state. A nightmarish reality where even the wealthy can fall foul of the mafia like state. All in a country with an economy half that of California but with a nuclear arsenal to rival anyone. Scary stuff. Enjoyable and educational listen told through the experiences of different people.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Parallel Universe

I found this a compelling reading of life in Putin's Russia. The world weary TV producer introduces us to a cast of characters each with a story to tell. There is much that is sad and sometimes shocking . A cracking pace prevents it from becoming mournful . Useful for anyone interested in politics, journalism and the Russians .

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Clash of cultures within one civilisation

A fascinating look into how Russia has essentially used contemporary and western culture to reconstruct the same Soviet system. It's not so much an evolution but adaptation to bolster their former glory.

Peter Pomerantsev is a veteran reporter for Russia, and his tongue and cheek yet informative look into the country is engaging, concerning and at times just plain insane.

The book itself meanders through a variety of topics, mostly based on the writer's experiences of working on various television programmes for state sponsored networks, therefore doesn't strictly stick to the nitty gritty political system. It dabbles in the entertainment world as well as various corruption scandals making it not as heavy listen as expected. Worth the listen.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Hard to believe but true portrayal of today Russia

This is incredibly detailed portrait of modern Russia which is hard to comprehend by Western people. Must read for everyone who care about the future of the world. As it will be shaken badly by the fall of the giant bear.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

F*cking helllll

A must read for everyone in the West. All your worst fears about Russia are true and if you don't have any you must stop being so naive...

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

The aim, to own all forms of political discourse.

!984 and Brave New world were a warning, that Russia has developed into a lesson in how to rule by schizophrenia and is now spreading to the rest of the world, the west thinks itself immune to corruption, but all are corruptible given the right amount of money and Russia is pumping money into the west to legitimise the illegitimate the cleptocracy, the criminal government that rules by fear, murder and chaos, where the ignorant and the malicious can create ever more absurd conspiracy theories or twisted tales that contravene all logic and are repeated or recreated by media and government to suit the political and military gains of a degenerate government. If it sounds familiar it is because Trump is the retarded child of this new conflagration of megalomaniac rulers.

An excellent read that through the use of anecdotes and personal tales lets you glimpse into the world where corruption and abuse of power are and have been the norm for this country for nearly a century and now is a master of this form of social deception and manipulation that gives gain to the few to obliterate the many without any concern for morality or compassion, power for the sake of money in industrial quantities.

7 of 12 people found this review helpful

Really boring and generally pointless

So disappointed with this book.

Lots of words, yet very little said, certainly very little of interest, I actually found it quite painful.

Great book, terrible performance

Whoever approved doing voices while reading a non-fiction book should never produce an audiobook before. I cringed every time the narrator spoke in high pitched voice pretending to be a young Russian girl or did his impression of a Russian gangster. Why bother changing your voice when quoting Larry King, when it sounds NOTHING like Larry King? This was a very unnecessary exercise, which made listening to this amazing book really, really hard.

fascinating and well writen

a beautifully written and structured dive into a fascinating world. all I hesitate over is that its hard to tell whether the patriarchal vibes are entirely a product of Russian culture or if the authors is also to blame in some very small part. an unfair cricisum though as women's role in Russian society is given a lot of attention.
I highly recommend it to any who are interested in Russia geopolitical wold vew.