Aage Storm Borchgrevink

The Rise and Rule of a Kremlin Warlord

Putin. Krigsherren i Kreml

How did the leader of our great neighboring country become so powerful and dangerous? Over the past twenty years, Aage Storm Borchgrevink has kept a close eye on Russia and President Putin. Now, he uses his extensive knowledge about the man and the country to write about Putin as a political leader. Putin has long been feared by many, but few expected the brutal invasion of Ukraine. Aage Storm Borchgrevink has written a concise and vivid biography of the Russian president. The book is a story about modern Russia – from Putin’s family tragedies during the Second World War, through his childhood in Leningrad, and up to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was also a crucial event for KGB agent Putin. After a flicker of freedom in the 90s, Putin tightened his grip and built a Russia characterized by prosperity for the few and ambitions for reemerging as a global superpower.

Borchgrevink aage krigsherrenikreml kagge

‘A hyper-relevant, well-written, and terrifying thriller about the dark times we live in.’

- Dagbladet, six of six stars
‘Outstanding… A book we can learn a lot from.’ - Morgenbladet
Borchgrevink aage olav bakken
Photo: Olav Bakken

Aage Storm Borchgrevink has worked as advisor at the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC), a human rights committee, since 1992 with a special focus on Russia, the Balkans, Belarus and the Caucasus. His strong engagement has given him a unique network and personal relations to many who fight for — or who have died for — democracy and human rights in these regions. Borchgrevink has written both fiction and non-fiction books. His literary debut was the novel Arkivene (2000), shortlisted for the P2-listeners Award for best Norwegian novel and for the Natt&Dag Award. In 2012 he published A Norwegian Tragedy: Anders Berhing Breivik and the Massacre at Utøya, which was translated into several languages, and won The Critics Award for best Norwegian Non-Fiction. In 2019 he published the non-fiction book The Giant: From Statoil to Equinor. In 2022 he published Putin: The Rise and Rule of a Kremlin Warlord, this book was shortlisted for The Brage Prize for best Norwegian non-fiction book and was highly acclaimed by the critics.