Patriot

Reviews

"Patriot is by turns funny, fiery, reflective and tragic, laced with Navalny’s trademark wry humor and idealism....a gutting personal account from a husband and father facing the reality that he will never be with his family again."—Alexandra Alter, The New York Times

"Extraordinary... This is a brave and brilliant book, a luminous account of Navalny's life and dark times. It is a challenge from beyond the grave to Russia's murder-addicted rulers.... sharp, playful and lacking in self-pity. Nothing crushes him." —Luke Harding, The Guardian

"Patriot...will be seen as a historic text....Much like Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Notes from a Dead House” (1862)... and Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963), Patriot transcends its place and time. Its value lies not in what it tells you about the cruelties of Mr. Putin’s regime, but in what it reveals about the human spirit....[Patriot] is a passionate account of Russia’s extreme violence and a moving reflection on endurance and accepting death.... In a dictatorship, Navalny’s only weapon was his life."—The Economist

"A chance to commune with the mind of a dissident....[with] slicing clarity.... Navalny himself [had]...such reserves of fortitude...such a sense of self...such an ability to laugh but also believe."—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic

"[Patriot] records the Russian dissident’s brave career and dark final days... Gripping... compelling, impressive... his enthusiasm is so infectious... a remarkable achievement.... [with] deep pathos." —Con Coughlin, The Telegraph

"Honest, full of penetrating wit... as cheerful and empathetic as Putin is malevolent and threatening. [Navanly] wielded cheerfulness as a weapon and never lost faith that the right side must eventually prevail." —Will Englund, The Washington Post

"A worthy testament to the author's resistance... and a heartbreaking account of Russia's collapse into war and repression... [Patriot is] the best example left to us of Navalny's defiance, courage, humour, and love for a country he believed could become 'the beautiful Russia of the future'."—Max Seddon, Financial Times

"Every page is alive.... Long after Putin draws his last breath, people will read this aptly titled book, an inestimable record of a heroic life, one that will inspire generations to come. A true profile in courage, written with verve and wit.—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"So brilliant Putin had to kill him.... soul-jarring"
—Owen Matthews, The Sunday Times (London)

"Alexei Navalny's memoir is a gospel...Like a beautifully crafted novel....Uplifting.... Terrifying.... [His prison diaries are] horrifying, but impossible to stop reading.... He remained unfailingly radiant." —Mikhail Zygar, Vanity Fair

"A testament to resilience... Alexei Navalny never loses faith.... He tracks the boredom, isolation, exhaustion, suffering and absurdity of prison life, while working in asides about everything from 19th century French literature to Billie Eilish. But Patriot also reads as a testament to a famed dissident’s extraordinary battle against despair as the Russian authorities gradually increase their crackdown against him, and even shares advice on how to confront the worst and still not lose hope."—Hillel Italie and Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press

"My confession to you is that I did not intend to read all of the book.... [But] I read every word of it. I couldn't stop reading... incredibly moving."—Rachel Maddow, in an interview with Yulia Navalnaya Expand reviews