Rule of Lies: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin's Russia by Jamison Firestone is a real-life story that reads like a spy novel —darkly comic, sometimes horrifying and deeply moving. Rule of Lies goes deep inside contemporary Russia and events that have reshaped the globe. Rather than explaining Russia's destruction of rule of law and democracy through politicians or oligarchs, the book tells it from the inside out: how a 24 year old American lawyer walked straight into chaos and became a part of Russian history. It is a chilling warning of what can happen when a nascent democracy succumbs to one man's corrupt iron rule, becoming not only an authoritarian nation but a profoundly criminal one—a true mafia state.
Rule of Lies has been published worldwide in English by Harper Collins and Yulia Navalnaya's ONE BOOK Publishing will be publishing it in Russian in the fall of 2026.
You can buy it on Amazon in most countries or click below for links to the book in online bookshops all over the world.
Please scroll down to read the reviews and watch the video trailer.
What people are saying
"An extraordinary memoir... an important book. Firestone has shown courage and writes a lively tale. Some of the stories are so implausible that they simply have to be true."
THE TIMES
"This book is NUTS! — in the best possible way. A relentless roller coaster ride through the heaven and hell of modern Russia."
PETER POMERANTSEV — Journalist and author of Nothing is True and Everything is Possible
"Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel, Rule of Lies takes the reader from a wild childhood as the son of a New York conman to becoming a daredevil lawyer in Moscow... An incredible true story and a great read!"
BILL BROWDER — Human rights activist and author of Red Notice
"A tremendous book about a terrible tragedy. If you want to know how Putin ruined Russia and to understand why it matters, you should read Rule of Lies."
OLIVER BULLOUGH — Journalist and author of Everybody Loves Our Dollars
"Jamison Firestone is a legend in his own lifetime… His book is a remarkable firsthand account of some of the most tragic events and developments in Putin's Russia."
FIONA HILL — Former Senior Director for Russia, US National Security Council, and author of There is Nothing For You Here
"As vivid and compelling as a John le Carré thriller. Jamison Firestone tells the true story of his David vs Goliath struggle against the Russian state."
LUKE HARDING — Journalist and author of Betrayal: Trump, Putin and The New Age of Conquest
"Jamison Firestone took part in some of the most momentous battles against Putin's increasingly criminal rule. Rule of Lies is both a gripping tale of the immense personal bravery of those who refused to back down to Putin's hijacking of the Russian state— and an astonishing glimpse into a rollercoaster life. A real page-turner."
CATHERINE BELTON — Journalist and author of Putin's People
