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Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories, and the Hunt for Putin's Spies
by Gordon CoreraWith intrigue that rivals the best le Carré novels, Russians Among Us tells the explosive story of Russia’s espionage efforts against the United States and the West—from the end of the Cold War to the present and the significant threat of hacking the 2020 electionSpies have long been a source of great fascination in the world of fiction, but sometimes the best spy stories happen in real life. Russians Among Us tells the full story of Putin’s escalating espionage campaign in the West, the Russian ‘deep cover’ spies who penetrated the US and the years-long FBI hunt to capture them. This book also details the recruitment, running, and escape of one of the most important spies of modern times, a man who worked inside the heart of Russian intelligence. In this thrilling account Corera tracks not only the history, but the astonishing evolution of Russian espionage, including the use of ‘cyber illegals’ who continue to manipulate us today and pose a significant threat to the 2020 election.Like a scene from the TV drama The Americans, in the summer of 2010 a group of Russian deep cover sleeper agents were arrested. It was the culmination of a decade-long investigation, and ten people, including Anna Chapman, were swapped for four people held in Russia. At the time it was seen simply as a throwback to the Cold War. But that would prove to be a costly mistake. It was a sign that the Russian threat had never gone away and more importantly, it was shifting into a much more disruptive new phase. Today, the danger is clearer than ever following the poisoning in the UK of one of the spies who was swapped, Sergei Skripal, and the growing evidence of Russian interference in American life. Russians Among Us describes for the first time the story of deep cover spies in America and the FBI agents who tracked them. In intimate and riveting detail, it reveals new information about today’s spies—as well as those trying to catch them and those trying to kill them.
Russians In Alaska: 1732-1867
by Lydia T. BlackIn this book, the author presents a comprehensive story of the Russian presence in America from the point of view of social anthropology and ethnohistory. Drawing on extensive archival research and especially on documents only recently declassified in Russia, she shows how the expansion into lands beyond Russia's Pacific shore was the culmination of a centuries-old movement of peoples originally from the Russian north, a movement more mercantile than military. Black counters the stereotypical depiction of the Russian period in Alaska as a time of unbridled exploitation of the Native inhabitants and pillaging of the land's resources. Without glossing over the harsher aspects of the Russian period in Alaska, or the sometimes mutual incomprehension that clouded the interactions of Native Americans and Russians, she presents a far more complicated--and certainly more accurate--portrait of their interrelationship. Going beyond governmental policies, she focuses on the actions of ordinary Russian men and women in Alaska, and neither romanticizes nor chastises their actions. She clearly sets forth who they were, precisely what they did, their aims, the immediate and distant consequences of their actions, and how imperial governmental considerations, dictated by geopolitical struggles of the time, affected their destinies.
Russians: The People behind the Power
by Gregory FeiferFrom former NPR Moscow correspondent Gregory Feifer comes an incisive portrait that draws on vivid personal stories to portray the forces that have shaped the Russian character for centuries-and continue to do so today. RUSSIANS explores the seeming paradoxes of life in Russia by unraveling the nature of its people: what is it in their history, their desires, and their conception of themselves that makes them baffling to the West? Using the insights of his decade as a journalist in Russia, Feifer corrects pervasive misconceptions by showing that much of what appears inexplicable about the country is logical when seen from the inside. He gets to the heart of why the world's leading energy producer continues to exasperate many in the international community. And he makes clear why President Vladimir Putin remains popular even as the gap widens between the super-rich and the great majority of poor. Traversing the world's largest country from the violent North Caucasus to Arctic Siberia, Feifer conducted hundreds of intimate conversations about everything from sex and vodka to Russia's complex relationship with the world. From fabulously wealthy oligarchs to the destitute elderly babushki who beg in Moscow's streets, he tells the story of a society bursting with vitality under a leadership rooted in tradition and often on the edge of collapse despite its authoritarian power. Feifer also draws on formative experiences in Russia's past and illustrative workings of its culture to shed much-needed light on the purposely hidden functioning of its society before, during, and after communism. Woven throughout is an intimate, first-person account of his family history, from his Russian mother's coming of age among Moscow's bohemian artistic elite to his American father's harrowing vodka-fueled run-ins with the KGB. What emerges is a rare portrait of a unique land of extremes whose forbidding geography, merciless climate, and crushing corruption has nevertheless produced some of the world's greatest art and some of its most remarkable scientific advances. RUSSIANS is an expertly observed, gripping profile of a people who will continue challenging the West for the foreseeable future.
Russian–American Nuclear Nonproliferation Dialogue: Lessons Learned and Road Ahead
by Vladimir A. Orlov Sergey D. SemenovThis book explores the history of the nuclear nonproliferation dialogue between Russia (USSR) and the United States. By looking into the particulars of bilateral cooperation on NPT, Cooperative Threat Reduction program, arms control, and other issues, the authors offer lessons to be learned in preventing nuclear confrontations in the future. The book has been prepared in coordination between Russian and American scholars and experts and is a result of a series of Track 2.5 events devoted to restoring the nonproliferation cooperation between Russia and the United States. Covering all the aspects of the bilateral partnership since 1960 until today, this book will interest scholars of great power conflicts and nonproliferation. The workshop and the consequent work on the monograph became possible thanks to generous organizational & financial support from Centre russe d`etudes politiques (Geneva) and the Center for Policy Studies in Russia (Monterey, USA).
Russia–EU Relations and the Common Neighborhood: Coercion vs. Authority (Post-Soviet Politics)
by Irina BusyginaExamining Russia–EU relations in terms of the forms and types of power tools they use, this book argues that the deteriorating relations between Russia and the EU lie in the deep differences in their preferences for the international status quo. These different approaches, combined with economic interdependence and geographic proximity, means both parties experience significant difficulties in shaping strategy and formulating agendas with regards to each other. The Russian leadership is well aware of the EU’s "authority orientation" but fails to reliably predict foreign policy at the EU level, whilst the EU realizes Russia’s "coercive orientation" in general, but cannot predict when and where coercive tools will be used next. Russia is gradually realizing the importance of authority, while the EU sees the necessity of coercion tools for coping with certain challenges. The learning process is ongoing but the basic distinction remains unchanged and so their approaches cannot be reconciled as long as both actors exist in their current form. Using a theoretical framework and case studies including Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine, Busygina examines the possibilities and constraints that arise when the "power of authority" and the "power of coercion" interact with each other, and how this interaction affects third parties.
Russia’s Coercive Diplomacy
by Brandon Valeriano Ryan C. ManessRussia's Coercive Diplomacy offers a highly original exploration of Russia's uses of power as it exerts its influence in a post-Soviet era. Russia's place in the world as a powerful regional actor can no longer be denied, and this study focuses on how its developing sources of power are utilized in a modern context. Valeriano and Maness challenge assumptions about the ways in which power is exerted, exploring Russia's utilization of coercive diplomacy in the arena of cyber power, energy power, and maritime power. How do Russian foreign policy practices impact the course of peace and stability the Eastern European, Caucasus, and Central Asian regions of post-Soviet space, as well as in cyberspace and the Arctic region? Should the United States fear the return of Russia as an energy superpower? Will cyber conflict dominate in the region and be a tool of the Russian foreign policy regime? Valeriano and Maness engage with these salient questions in this valuable contribution to the study of post-SovietRussia and its place in the modern world.
Russia’s Cultural Statecraft (Studies in Contemporary Russia)
by Tuomas Forsberg Sirke MäkinenThis book focuses on Russia’s cultural statecraft in dealing with a number of institutional cultural domains such as education, museums and monuments, high arts and sport. It analyses to what extent Russia’s cultural activities abroad have been used for foreign policy purposes, and perceived as having a political dimension. Building on the concept of cultural statecraft, the authors present a broad and nuanced view of how Russia sees the role of culture in its external relations, how this shapes the image of Russia, and the ways in which this cultural statecraft is received by foreign audiences. The expert team of contributors consider: what choices are made in fostering this agenda; how Russian state authorities see the purpose and limits of various cultural instruments; to what extent can the authorities shape these instruments; what fields have received more attention and become more politicized and what fields have remained more autonomous. The methodological research design of the book as a whole is a comparative case study comparing the nature of Russian cultural statecraft across time, target countries and diverse cultural fields. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Russian foreign policy and external relations and those working on the role of culture in world politics.
Russia’s Domestic Security Wars: Putin's Use Of Divide And Rule Against His Hardline Allies
by Peter ReddawayThe book is a case study of Putin’s use of the tactics of divide and rule in relation to, particularly, the hard-line elements among his supporters. It illustrates Putin's methods of staying in power vis-à-vis groups that might put too much pressure on him, or who might even try to oust him. The project also suggests that Putin’s survival tactics have brought Russia to a deeply corrupt, state-dominated form of authoritarianism, which lacks deep institutional roots and will probably lead in due course to some form of state collapse. This work will appeal to a wide audience including political scientists, academics, graduate students, and everyone who is interested in contemporary Russian politics.
Russia’s Foreign Energy Policy: Resources, Actors, Conflicts (Routledge Studies in Energy Policy)
by Kenan AslanliThis book examines Russia’s multidimensional foreign energy policy and the emerging and ongoing conflicts with energy-consuming and transit countries. Russia’s Foreign Energy Policy examines whether the interdependence patterns shaped through various channels (such as foreign trade, investment, finance, technology, and social interactions) between Russia and energy-importing countries could prevent energy-based conflict. Drawing on semi-structured expert interviews, Kenan Aslanli challenges the one-sided conventional wisdom that focusses on foreign policy ambitions and overlooks the peculiarities of the energy dimension. Instead, Aslanli highlights the complexity of contemporary energy affairs using a holistic approach that goes beyond geopolitics. He examines various energy types such as crude oil, natural gas, and nuclear and considers a diverse range of actors which include energy companies and international organizations. Using examples from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Aslanli demonstrates how the Russian strategy of using energy resources as a tool or energy weapon for foreign policy goals has a diminishing return in the long run. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy policy, foreign policy, and Russian studies more broadly.
Russia’s Foreign Policy
by David Cadier Margot LightThis edited volume analyses the evolution and main determinants of Russia's foreign policy choices. Containing contributions by renowned specialists on the topic, the study sheds light on some of the new trends that have characterised Russia's foreign policy since the beginning of Vladimir Putin's third presidential term.
Russia’s Iron Age
by William Henry ChamberlinRussia’s Iron Age by William Henry Chamberlin provides a comprehensive and incisive analysis of the Soviet Union during one of its most transformative and turbulent periods. With his keen journalistic eye and deep understanding of Russian history, Chamberlin explores the sweeping changes brought about by industrialization, collectivization, and the consolidation of power under Stalin.Focusing on the late 1920s and 1930s, the book examines the monumental efforts to modernize the Soviet Union through its Five-Year Plans, the ideological fervor driving these initiatives, and the human cost of these policies. Chamberlin delves into the dynamics of rapid industrial growth, the restructuring of agriculture, and the rise of a centralized, authoritarian state. He sheds light on the lives of ordinary citizens caught in the throes of these dramatic shifts, from workers in the factories to peasants in the collectivized farms.Drawing from his personal experiences as a journalist stationed in the Soviet Union, Chamberlin provides vivid descriptions of the country’s transformation and the tensions between ambition and repression. He critically assesses the successes and failures of the Soviet experiment, offering a balanced perspective that recognizes its achievements while condemning the brutality and suffering it inflicted.Russia’s Iron Age is a seminal work that captures the essence of a critical epoch in Soviet history. Chamberlin’s insightful narrative and rigorous analysis make this book a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Russia, the dynamics of revolutionary change, and the complex interplay of ideology, politics, and economics.This classic account remains as relevant as ever, offering readers a window into the challenges and contradictions of one of the 20th century’s most powerful and enigmatic nations.
Russia’s Military Modernisation: An Assessment
by The International Institute for Strategic StudiesThis new IISS Strategic Dossier examines the recent development of Moscow’s armed forces and military capabilities. It analyses the aspirations underpinning Russia’s military reform programme and its successes as well as its failures. The book also provides insights into Russia’s operational use of its armed forces, including in the intervention in Syria, the goals and results of recent state armament programmes, and the trajectory of future developments. This full-colour volume includes more than 50 graphics, maps and charts and over 70 images, and contains chapters on: Russia's armed forces since the end of the Cold War Strategic forces Ground forces Naval forces Aerospace forces Russia’s approach to military decision-making and joint operations Economics and industry At a time when Russia’s relations with many of its neighbours are increasingly strained, and amid renewed concern about the risk of an armed clash, this dossier is essential reading for understanding the state,capabilities and future of Russia’s armed forces.
Russia’s Relations with the GCC and Iran
by Nikolay KozhanovThis book offers insight into the motives behind Moscow’s behaviour in the Persian Gulf (with a specific focus on the GCC member states and Iran), considering Russia’s growing role in the Middle East and its desire to protect national interests using a wide range of means. The book explores the drivers and motivations of the Russian foreign policy in the Gulf region, thus, helping the audience to generate informed prognosis about Moscow’s moves in this area over the next years. In contrast to most studies of Russia’s presence in the region, this book considers the Russian involvement in the Gulf from two standpoints – the Russian and foreign. The idea of the book is to take several key problems of Moscow’s presence in the Gulf, each of these to be covered by two authors—Russian and non-Russian scholars, in order to offer the readers alternative visions of Moscow’s policies towards Iran and the GCC countries
Russia’s War on Ukraine: The Implications for the Global Nuclear Order (Contributions to Political Science)
by Polina Sinovets Adérito Vicente Julien TheronThis book explores how Russia’s War on Ukraine has changed the global nuclear order. The Russian aggression against Ukraine questioned the values of the liberal regimes and systems upon which the global nuclear order is built. At the heart of this nuclear order lies the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which remains until today the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime.In this context, the book examines new challenges and threats to the global nuclear order. It discusses the deterioration of nuclear norms, as well as the increasing number of the states further challenging the NPT regime by attempts to develop nuclear weapons. The book further sheds light on a growing number of states trying to resolve their territorial claims using the nuclear coercion and the umbrella function of their nuclear arsenals. The authors present the loopholes in the existing arms control system and the arms trade, which became obvious in the course of the war, and analyze the further split between the supporters of the NPT and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Srutinizing the deepening polarization of the supporters and the opponents of nuclear weapons, the book includes a new debate about the competing narratives on nuclear deterrence and disarmament. Finally, the volume discusses the development and the increase of new missiles and disruptive technologies such as hypersonic missiles, drones, and artificial intelligence.This book will appeal to students and scholars of international relations and political science in general, and security studies, military and defense studies, peace and conflict studies, and foreign policy in particular, as well as policy-makers interested in a better understanding of nuclear deterrence, the global nuclear order, and the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia�s Encounter with Globalization
by Elana Wilson Rowe Julie WilhelmsenRussian leaders and foreign policy actors remain focused on defending the sanctity of the country's borders and promoting its national interests. While a preoccupation with national interests and sovereignty is not unusual for any state, such concerns do not encompass the full complement of international political challenges in today's globalized and heavily interdependent world. By examining complex and ongoing issues of interdependence, the contributors to this volume analyze this increasingly important dimension of Russian politics. They do so largely by examining the domestic politics and processes that shape Russia's international engagement, asking how domestic policymaking processes condition and respond to Russia's approach to globalization. They explore how Russia's policy actors understand and seek to meet the political challenges of the 21st century. The thematic focus is on Russian engagement with areas of policy relating broadly to globalization, including energy, climate, health, finance, foreign direct investment and international terrorism.
Russia�s Postcolonial Identity
by Viatcheslav MorozovPushing postcolonial studies and constructivist International Relations towards an uneasy dialogue, this book looks at Russia as a subaltern empire. It demonstrates how the dialectic of the subaltern and the imperial has produced a radically anti-Western regime, which nevertheless remains locked in a Eurocentric outlook.
Russische Schockwellen: Der Krieg in der Ukraine und die Lage in den angrenzenden Regionen (Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Spannungsverhältnis der Regionen Südosteuropa und Mittlerer Osten)
by Olaf LeißeDieses Buch analysiert die Situation in den angrenzenden Ländern der Ukraine nach Beginn des russischen Angriffkriegs sowie die Bündnissysteme und Mächte in der Region. Es vereint ausgewiesene Expert*innen zu einzelnen Ländern und bietet einen Überblick über aktuelle innenpolitische Entwicklungen und außenpolitische Orientierungen. Dieses Buch ist an Studierende, Lehrende, Forscher*innen und Journalist*innen gerichtet, die sich ein fundiertes aktuelles Wissen zu den Folgen des Ukraine-Kriegs in Ländern der Region aneignen möchten. Im weiteren Sinne ist es für alle Bürgerinnen und Bürgern geeignet, die sich mit den Konsequenzen des Kriegs beschäftigen möchten.
Russkij Mir und Anderer Anfang: Alexander Dugins Heidegger-Rezeption als ontologische Rechtfertigung von Russlands kriegerischem Imperialismus
by Paul KlingenbergDie Arbeit befasst sich kritisch mit der Heidegger-Rezeption des Ideologen Aleksandr Dugin. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Interpretationen zeigt Klingenbergs Arbeit auf, dass Dugin ein profunder Kenner von Heideggers Werk ist, das sich auch durch Dugins Vermittlung als hochgradig anschlussfähig für den russischen Faschismus erweist. Zugleich kann eine Kritik dieser Rezeption zu einer Korrektur der in der westlichen Philosophie immer noch wirkmächtigen Apologie eines gewaltsamen, unrettbar mit dem Nationalsozialismus verstrickten Denkens beitragen. Von der „offiziellen“ oder besser gesagt ernstzunehmenden russischen Philosophie wurde Dugins ausführliche Darstellung von Heideggers Philosophie kaum beachtet oder als unseriös abgelehnt. Von daher ist es zu begrüßen, wenn hier eine Arbeit vorgelegt wird, die im Gegensatz zu einer weitgehend positiven Heidegger-Rezeption und -Interpretation in Westeuropa und auch in Russland, wo diese aufgrund der kulturpolitischen Situation in der Sowjetunion erst relativ spät einsetzt, eine Linie in Heideggers Denken aufzeigt, die dessen „völkische“ und latent nationalsozialistische Einstellung nicht als Verirrung oder zeitlich bedingte Einstellung bis zu seiner „Kehre“ einschätzt, sondern als einen Wesenszug seiner grundsätzlich antimodernen, im Grunde faschistischen Philosophie herausarbeitet. (Wolfgang Eismann)
Russlands Außenpolitik unter Putin 2000–2018: Welchen Einfluss haben russische Think Tanks auf die auswärtige Politikgestaltung des Kremls? (Globale Gesellschaft und internationale Beziehungen)
by Felix RieferFelix Riefer untersucht in diesem Buch russische Denkfabriken, die am wahrscheinlichsten an der auswärtigen Politikgestaltung des Kremls beteiligt sind. Die einzelnen politisch-analytischen Forschungsinstitute und ihre jeweiligen Akteure werden in Fallstudien entlang der Machtvertikale in einem explorativen, qualitativ-induktiven Ansatz für den Zeitraum 2000–2018 analysiert. Die Bereiche der Außenpolitik sind in Russland Präsidialpolitik und werden entsprechend aus der Präsidialadministration bestimmt. Doch auch im Kreml wird vernommen, dass ohne eine moderne forschungsbasierte Analyse-Infrastruktur in der globalisierten, immer komplexeren Welt sich keine Politik mehr gestalten lässt. Moderne Staaten sind heute auf die Analyse-, Beratung-, aber auch Makler-, Advokaten- und Lobbytätigkeiten der Denkfabriken angewiesen. Welche Ideen werden dort produziert? Und was noch viel wichtiger ist: welchen Einfluss haben sie auf die Gestaltung der Politik des Kremls? Der Autor Felix Riefer ist Politikwissenschaftler und beschäftigt sich insbesondere mit Russland, dem postsowjetischen Raum und russlanddeutschen (Spät-)Aussiedlern. Er promovierte am Lehrstuhl für Internationale Politik und Außenpolitik der Universität zu Köln.
Russo-Japanese Relations, 1905-17: From enemies to allies (Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia)
by Peter BertonOne surprising outcome of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 was that, although Russia was humiliatingly defeated, by 1916 Russia and Japan had become allies. This book provides a detailed analysis of how this remarkable turnaround came about. It traces the evolution of relations between the two powers through the conclusion of three public and secret agreements in 1907, 1910, and 1912, and the controversial secret alliance of 1916. The book argues that careful examination of complete records of negotiations from both sides definitively proves the case for Germany, not the United States, as the target of the secret treaty. Based on meticulous examination of documents in both Russian and Japanese foreign policy archives, it charts diplomatic developments, explores how Japanese and Russian thinking evolved, and assesses the wider international impact of the new alliance.
Russophobia: Propaganda in International Politics
by Glenn DiesenThis book defines Russophobia as the irrational fear of Russia, a key theme in the study of propaganda in the West as Russia has throughout history been assigned a diametrically opposite identity as the “Other.” Propaganda is the science of convincing an audience without appealing to reason. The West and Russia have been juxtaposed as Western versus Eastern, European versus Asiatic, civilized versus barbaric, modern versus backward, liberal versus autocratic, and even good versus evil. During the Cold War, ideological dividing lines fell naturally by casting the debate as capitalism versus communism, democracy versus totalitarianism, and Christianity versus atheism. After the Cold War, anti-Russian propaganda aims to filter all political questions through the simplistic binary stereotype of democracy versus authoritarianism, which provides little if any heuristic value to understand the complexities of relations. A key feature of propaganda against the inferior “Other” is both contemptuous derision and panic-stricken fear of the threat to civilization. Russia has therefore throughout history been allowed to play one of two roles—either an apprentice of Western civilization by accepting the subordinate role as the student and political object, or a threat that must be contained or defeated. While propaganda has the positive effect of promoting unity and mobilizing resources toward rational and strategic objectives, it can also have the negative effect of creating irrational decision-making and obstructing a workable peace.
Rust Belt Union Blues: Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party
by Theda Skocpol Lainey NewmanIn the heyday of American labor, the influence of local unions extended far beyond the workplace. Unions were embedded in tight-knit communities, touching nearly every aspect of the lives of members—mostly men—and their families and neighbors. They conveyed fundamental worldviews, making blue-collar unionists into loyal Democrats who saw the party as on the side of the working man. Today, unions play a much less significant role in American life. In industrial and formerly industrial Rust Belt towns, Republican-leaning groups and outlooks have burgeoned among the kinds of voters who once would have been part of union communities.Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol provide timely insight into the relationship between the decline of unions and the shift of working-class voters away from Democrats. Drawing on interviews, union newsletters, and ethnographic analysis, they pinpoint the significance of eroding local community ties and identities. Using western Pennsylvania as a case study, Newman and Skocpol argue that union members’ loyalty to Democratic candidates was as much a product of the group identity that unions fostered as it was a response to the Democratic Party’s economic policies. As the social world around organized labor dissipated, conservative institutions like gun clubs, megachurches, and other Republican-leaning groups took its place.Rust Belt Union Blues sheds new light on why so many union members have dramatically changed their party politics. It makes a compelling case that Democrats are unlikely to rebuild credibility in places like western Pennsylvania unless they find new ways to weave themselves into the daily lives of workers and their families.
Rust: A Memoir of Steel and Grit
by Eliese Colette Goldbach"Elements of Tara Westover’s Educated... The mill comes to represent something holy to [Eliese] because it is made not of steel but of people."—New York Times Book ReviewOne woman's story of working in the backbreaking steel industry to rebuild her life—but what she uncovers in the mill is much more than molten metal and grueling working conditions. Under the mill's orange flame she finds hope for the unity of America.Steel is the only thing that shines in the belly of the mill...To ArcelorMittal Steel Eliese is known as #6691: Utility Worker, but this was never her dream. Fresh out of college, eager to leave behind her conservative hometown and come to terms with her Christian roots, Eliese found herself applying for a job at the local steel mill. The mill is everything she was trying to escape, but it's also her only shot at financial security in an economically devastated and forgotten part of America. In Rust, Eliese brings the reader inside the belly of the mill and the middle American upbringing that brought her there in the first place. She takes a long and intimate look at her Rust Belt childhood and struggles to reconcile her desire to leave without turning her back on the people she's come to love. The people she sees as the unsung backbone of our nation. Faced with the financial promise of a steelworker’s paycheck, and the very real danger of working in an environment where a steel coil could crush you at any moment or a vat of molten iron could explode because of a single drop of water, Eliese finds unexpected warmth and camaraderie among the gruff men she labors beside each day.Appealing to readers of Hillbilly Elegy and Educated, Rust is a story of the humanity Eliese discovers in the most unlikely and hellish of places, and the hope that therefore begins to grow.
Rust: One woman's story of finding hope across the divide
by Eliese Colette Goldbach''[a] memoir of modern American industrial life, written by the insider who got away - or got away enough to reflect intelligently on where they came from. Think JD Vance's Hillbilly Elegy and even Tara Westover's Educated . . . We could all learn from her example.' New York Times Book ReviewEliese wasn't supposed to be a steelworker. Raised by staunchly Republican and Catholic parents, Eliese dreamed of escaping Cleveland and achieving greatness in the convent as a nun. Full of promise and burgeoning ideals, she leaves her hometown, but one night her life's course is violently altered. A night that sets her mind reeling and her dreams waning. A cycle of mania and depression sinks in where once there were miracles and prayers, and upon returning home she is diagnosed with mixed-state bipolar disorder.Set on a path she doesn't recognize as her own, Eliese finds herself under the orange flame of Cleveland's notorious steel mill, applying for a job that could be her ticket to regaining stability and salvation. In Rust, Eliese invites the reader inside the belly of the mill. Steel is the only thing that shines amid the molten iron, towering cranes, and churning mills. Dust settles on everything - on forklifts and hard hats, on men with forgotten hopes and lives cut short by harsh working conditions, on a dismissed blue-collar living and on what's left of the American dream.But Eliese discovers solace in the tumultuous world of steel, unearthing a love and a need for her hometown she didn't know existed. This is the story of the humanity Eliese finds in the most unlikely of places and the wisdom that comes from the very things we try to run away from most. A reclamation of roots, Rust is a shining debut memoir of grit and tenacity and the hope that therefore begins to grow.
Rust: One woman's story of finding hope across the divide
by Eliese Colette GoldbachELIESE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A STEELWORKER.Raised by staunchly Republican and Catholic parents, Eliese dreamed of escaping Cleveland and achieving greatness in the convent as a nun. Full of promise and burgeoning ideals, she leaves her hometown, but one night her life's course is violently altered. A night that sets her mind reeling and her dreams waning. A cycle of mania and depression sinks in where once there were miracles and prayers, and upon returning home she is diagnosed with mixed-state bipolar disorder.Set on a path she doesn't recognize as her own, Eliese finds herself under the orange flame of Cleveland's notorious steel mill, applying for a job that could be her ticket to regaining stability and salvation. In Rust, Eliese invites the reader inside the belly of the mill. Steel is the only thing that shines amid the molten iron, towering cranes, and churning mills. Dust settles on everything - on forklifts and hard hats, on men with forgotten hopes and lives cut short by harsh working conditions, on a dismissed blue-collar living and on what's left of the American dream.But Eliese discovers solace in the tumultuous world of steel, unearthing a love and a need for her hometown she didn't know existed. This is the story of the humanity Eliese finds in the most unlikely of places and the wisdom that comes from the very things we try to run away from most. A reclamation of roots, Rust is a shining debut memoir of grit and tenacity and the hope that therefore begins to grow.(P)2020 Macmillan Audio