Patriot

Description:

'A brave and brilliant book' Guardian
'Charisma and courage dazzle on every page' Sunday Times
'Patriot will be seen as a historic text' Economist

Patriot is the exhilarating life story of one of the most fearless and inspiring figures of our time, who became a beacon to millions and the sole political threat to Vladimir Putin.

This is Alexei Navalny's life in his own words: his Soviet childhood, political awakening, his marriage and beloved family, his total commitment to taking on a corrupt regime and his enduring love of Russia and its people. His 2020 poisoning by the Russian security services was a global news event. In 2024 he died in a brutal Siberian prison. He began writing Patriot whilst recovering from his poisoning; it ends with his prison diaries, seen here for the first time.

We witness the growth of his nationwide support. We see his many arrests and harassment and, in stunning detail, the attempt on his life. We understand why he felt he had to return to Russia. In prison, he shows a spirit and a sense of humour that cannot be crushed.

Patriot is as dramatic as its author's life - passionate that good and freedom will prevail. It is Alexei Navalny's final letter to the world, a rousing call to continue his work, an unforgettably positive account of a life that will inspire every reader.

'A worthy testament to Navalny's courage, defiance and humour' Financial Times
'This book is a gospel' Vanity Fair
'Inspiring, emboldening - a voice that will not be forgotten' New Yorker

Review: Charisma and courage still dazzle on every page. His voice is so vivid - fearless, playful, funny, clear-eyed - that while reading Patriot I kept finding myself forgetting he was dead * Sunday Times *
Funny, fiery, reflective and tragic, laced with Navalny's trademark wry humour and idealism -- Alexandra Alter * New York Times *
Inspiring, emboldening - a voice that will not be forgotten -- David Remnick * New Yorker *
A brave, passionate and intimate read about everything from family to activism * i *
A worthy testament to the author's resistance to Putin 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 * Financial Times *
The late Russian activist's memoir is an insightful, sharp, and even humorous account of fight against Putin's regime - and a warning to the world ... A brave and brilliant book -- Luke Harding * Guardian *
This book is a gospel ... [Navalny] is not going to be the political leader for future generations of Russians. But he might be the moral example - some kind of Russian messiah * Vanity Fair *
Alexei Navalny never loses faith that his cause is worth suffering for ... [Patriot] is a testament to a famed dissident's extraordinary battle against despair as the Russian authorities gradually increase their crackdown against him * Independent *
[A] gripping posthumous account of Navalny's long confrontation with Putin ... Compelling, impressive * Telegraph *
Patriot, by the murdered Russian opposition leader, will be seen as a historic text ... 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 * Economist *
One might expect a work by an anti-corruption activist and political prisoner ... to read like a righteous diatribe. It does not. Patriot reveals less about Navalny's politics than it does about his fundamental decency, his wry sense of humour and his (mostly) cheery stoicism under conditions that would flatten a lesser person * New York Times *
The memoir is a chance to commune with the mind of a dissident ... As a I read, I grieved, not just for Navalny the man, but for the idea of a person like him * Atlantic *
Patriot is a plea to keep resisting Putin ... Honest, full of penetrating wit and with a nice ear for mockery, [Navalny] wielded cheerfulness as a weapon and never lost faith that the right side must eventually prevail * Washington Post *
Navalny writes with a fierce moral clarity ... direct, precise and, in the face of unimaginable isolation, mordantly funny * New Yorker *

Author Biography:

Alexei Navalny (Author)
ALEXEI NAVALNY was a Russian opposition leader, an anti-corruption campaigner, and political prisoner who won international recognition and respect. His many international honours included the Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament's annual human rights prize. He died in 2024.