Product Description

On 7 December 2006, in a Highgate Cemetery drenched with London rain, a Russian was buried within a stone’s throw of the grave of Karl Marx. He was Alexander Litvinenko, Sasha to his friends, a boy from the deep Russian provinces who rose through the ranks of the world’s most feared security service. Litvinenko was the man who denounced murder and corruption in the Russian government, fled from the wrath of the Kremlin, came to London and took the shilling of Moscow’s avowed enemy … Now he was a martyr, condemned by foes unknown to an agonised death in a hospital bed thousands of miles from home.

Martin Sixsmith draws on his long experience as the BBC’s Moscow correspondent, and contact with key London-based Russians, to dissect Alexander Litvinenko’s murder. Myriad theories have been put forward since he died, but the story goes back to 2000 when hostilities were declared between the Kremlin and its political opponents. This is a war that has blown hot and cold for over seven years; a war that has pitted some of Russia’s strongest, richest men against the most powerful president Russia has had since Josef Stalin.

The Litvinenko File is a gripping, powerful inside account of a shocking act of murder, when Russia’s war with itself spilled over onto the streets of London and made the world take notice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #200697 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Yorkshire Evening Post
'A gripping, powerful inside account of a shocking act of murder.'

The Times
'Sixmith was the BBC's correspondent in Moscow, knows many of the Russians...His forensic manner is like a Panorama programme.'

Huddersfield Daily Examiner
`Comprehensive and gripping dissection of a deadly true life thriller.'

Customer Reviews

A must read
This book handles about a true story, the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. As an experienced BBC's Moscow correspondent, Martin Sixsmith tells his finding about the events leading to Litvinenko's murder. As with any true story that handles about the powers on the highest levels one will probably never fully uncover the complete truth. Nevertheless does Martin Sixsmith depicts an exciting and coherent story about the forces at play and the benefits to gain from Litvinenko's murder. He lays down in an orderly structured manner the findings of the different governmental bodies and often adds proper field research findings to it. He manages to paint a clear picture of the information which newspapers have randomly thrown at the public during the course of the event. As a sideline observer I have a feeling the author tried his utmost to stay unbiased (if there exists such thing) and viewed the events from different perspectives. From a BBC correspondent one would expect a newspaper, documentary or scholarly style story but it is not. I was pleasantly surprised with the unsophisticated language Sixsmith used and the read through was as easy as any good novel. His conclusions at the end may feel a bit disappointing but then again he may have left out harsh accusation to protect himself. Overall it is an exciting grasping book, well written and reading time well spent.

Investigating but not investigative
Mr Sixsmith writes a very interesting book and shows his excellent experience as a journalist to outline the story as it unfolded and to examine in turn all the various scenarios. So far so good. However it all falls apart as he goes to Moscow and tries to infer the "solution". Sadly, then it all becomes a little bit embarrassing as he contorts to fit the quasi-official line, taking off-record comments as some form of implicit truth, swallowing the ex tempore justifications of defectors and oligarchs as cringingly face-value.
Could have been a great (though deadly) book, but sadly, as the epilogue confirms, no more than a trawl through the newspaper archive by a credulous reporter.

A great insight to Russia's underworld
I was unable to put this book down as it reads like a real-life thriller. Gripping and informative stuff. Sixmith also give first-hand research into the Russian government's dark secrets.