Unredacted

Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy

By: Christopher Steele

Narrated by: Christopher Steele

Narrated by Christopher Steele. The intelligence officer behind the explosive “Steele Dossier” steps out of the shadows, revealing a searing new report on the threat Putin and Trump pose to democracy, based on alarming intelligence exposed in these pages for the first time

“Putin is now desperate to have Donald Trump back in the White House. If he succeeds in helping Trump get reelected, I am convinced that the global political order will be utterly changed. We shall have entered a new historical era of strategic chaos, a ‘new world disorder.’ The consequences of Trump winning the 2024 election are catastrophic.” –from Unredacted

To a unique degree, Christopher Steele has been an eyewitness observer of modern Russian history. He was a British diplomat and intelligence professional in Moscow when the Soviet Union was collapsing. Steele was there when the putsch against Mikhail Gorbachev took place and when Boris Yeltsin took over the newly independent Russia. After Vladimir Putin came to power, Steele rose to become one of British government’s leading Russia experts and played a central role in the investigation into the Kremlin-ordered murder of Alexander Litvinenko. Then, in 2016, he wrote a series of explosive reports about the then presidential candidate Donald Trump and his links to Russia. Now known to the world as the “Steele Dossier,” these intelligence documents drew the world’s attention to Russia’s relationship with Trump—and reluctantly thrust Steele into the center of a global maelstrom.

Since Trump’s election, he has quietly continued his work. Indeed, Steele has had even better access to sources of information and intelligence on Russia—ones that have given him a privileged view of what’s going on inside the Kremlin, and how much we in the West should worry about it.

In Unredacted, Steele shares for the first time what that inside view looks like, how he came to the point of gaining such a level of insight, and what Western governments—and all of us—can and should do to counter this generational threat.

Steele's honest pursuit of the truth in defense of democracy.

Excellent book and such important info in this age if misinformation. Hope more read it.

Urgent revelations

Former head of the Russia desk in the UK’s MI6 tells the true story behind the headlines. I trust the guy; see no reason not to. That Putin has compromising videos on Trump is hard to disbelieve. It alone explains Trump’s strange behavior towards Russia. Private meetings with not even an American interpreter present? Great book by someone who loves democracy more than MAGA does.

the subject matter

it was very interesting and the narrator was excellent. I would recommend it to others.

Highly relevant

Key takeaways: the Steele dossier was highly credible. Russia is acting increasingly boldly and should not be underestimated. Due to his blunder in Ukraine, Putin is increasingly desperate, which makes him increasingly desperate.

I don’t know how well this book will age, and I do wish the author had just voiced the introduction then left it to a pro voice actor to do the rest.

That said, the first half of the book reads a bit like a classic John Le Carre novel, albeit with the juicy parts explicitly omitted. The story of how the dossier was sourced was very interesting. The story of how it made it into the public mainstream is pretty disappointing, particularly as it illustrates the moral cowardice of people entrusted to look after the national interest. Certainly a worthwhile listen for anyone who follows international affairs. No new revelations about Trump, but he has never concealed his nature from the public.

Excellently Written About Such an Important Topic

Hard to put into words why this one works so well — it just does. Steel's qualifications are of the highest caliber and his experience in the world he describes backs his credibility. Steele narrates his own book, and that alone makes it worth your time. There's no posturing, no dramatizing, just a calm, authoritative voice laying out what he knows and why it matters. You finish it feeling like you actually understand something you didn't before.