MixedThe GuardianUnger’s argument is that Trump had been targeted by the Russian mafia, possibly acting together with political structures, for three decades. Much of the book alternates between the backstories of Trump and Vladimir Putin, like narrative strands in a novel destined to meet in the denouement. In one half we have Trump swimming in dirty money as he runs his early business empire; in the other a portrait of mafia don Semion Mogilevich, plus a recap of Putin’s rise to power ... As far as can be made out from the book, Unger did not travel to Russia himself, nor did he carry out more than a handful of his own interviews. As a former Moscow correspondent, most of the information, sources and colourful nuggets made familiar reading. There were also a few minor but grating errors when it came to Moscow geography and chronology ... My main problem with the book is the subtitle’s promise to deliver the \'untold story\' of Trump and Putin. Given the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign to see the text for review, and the leaks of the book’s \'bombshell\' revelations to tabloid newspapers, it now feels like an exaggeration worthy of Trump himself ... Though engaging, this fresh look at Donald Trump’s links to Russia adds little to the story
