Among all the books I read this year, my favorite was “LE MAGE DU KREMLIN” or “The Wizard of the Kremlin” by Giuliano da Empoli. It’s the story about a certain Vadim Baranov, an advisor in the Kremlin. The book covers Vadim’s family background, youth and journey to becoming the gray eminence in the presidential palace as well as his life after that. The character of Vadim is of course fiction, but other personalities and events in the book are real. As a result, one constantly wonders while reading what is real and what is fiction. Da Empoli happens to be a Swiss citizen, hailing from the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. I read the original in French, but there now exist several translations. It’s an incredibly well-written book about love, power, and Russia, and I can highly recommend it. You can also check out my latest video where I discuss the book.