Mark Galeotti

An essential short history of Russia by acclaimed writer and expert Mark Galeotti, taking us from Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great, to the Russian Revolution, the fall of the USSR, and the rise of Vladimir Putin - and updated to include the road to the Ukrainian war. Fascinating... One of the most astute political commentators on Putin and...

A witty whistle-stop tour through organised crime across the centuries, by acclaimed historian and journalist Mark Galeotti, exploring how the underworld shapes our overworld, perfect for fans of Otto English. When does a bandit become a monarch? When does a gang become a government? And is organised crime at the heart of every modern state? On a thrilling whistle-stop tour...

The compelling, first-to-market story of the rise, fall and death of the Wagner Group's Yevgeny Prigozhin, and what this tells us about the chaotic new direction of late Putinism, by the acclaimed author of A Short History of Russia. 'Absolutely gripping, deeply authoritative, hugely important and lethally lurid' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The World- A Family...

The compelling, first-to-market story of the rise, fall, and death of the Wagner Group's Yevgeny Prigozhin, and what this tells us about the chaotic new direction of late Putinism, by the acclaimed author of A Short History of Russia. In the early years of Vladimir Putin's Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the President's most trusted assets. By 2023,...

The first English-language book to document the men who emerged from the gulags to become Russia’s much-feared crime class: the vory v zakone. Mark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organised crime in Russia, consulted by governments and police around the world. Now, Western readers can explore the fascinating history of the vory v zakone, a group that has survived...

An authoritative analysis of how Putin's Russia conquered the Crimea in 2014 using 'grey zone' warfare techniques, blending operations by anonymous special forces with cyber, sabotage, and propaganda. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was almost bloodless – fought as much through propaganda, cyberattacks and subversion as by force of arms – but it is crucial for our understanding of...

2023 ENNIE NOMINATED FOR BEST WRITING A roleplaying game of fantastical inventions and Machiavellian politics in Renaissance Italy. It is the Year of Our Lord 1510, and one has to wonder how differently history could have played out if Niccolò Machiavelli, the military commissioner of the Republic of Florence, had not understood the true scale of Leonardo da Vinci’s genius....

An insider's account of the real Vladimir Putin by one of the world's leading experts in Russian politics, with new content on Alexei Navalny and the war in Ukraine. Galeotti sketches a bleak, but convincing picture of the man in the Kremlin and the political system that he dominates - The Times Meet the world's most dangerous man. Who is...

This illustrated study tells the story of the Russian mercenary force led by business tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the mutiny it launched against Putin's government in 2023. Conceived by the Kremlin in 2013 as an instrument of ‘deniable’ power projection, the Wagner private military company (PMC) – or mercenary force – was a fixture of Russian foreign deployments for nine...

The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti is an engaging guide to the various ways in which war is now waged—and how to adapt to this new reality. "This brisk everyman's guide—straight-talking and free of jargon—is a useful tasting menu to a fast-moving, constantly evolving set of problems. . . . A lively reminder that war adapts to technology, that...

A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia’s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine. Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history. With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental...

Russian expert Mark Galeotti provides an in-depth look at the siege that pitted Ivan the Terrible and Russia's first standing army against the Khanate of Kazan, leading to Muscovy's rise. The Khanate of Kazan, one of the greatest Turkic successor states to the Mongol Golden Horde, had for generations been a thorn in Muscovy's side, raiding its lands for slaves...

A world-renowned expert offers a focused, illustrated account of how Russian and Ukrainian armour fought during the crucial year of 2022, prior to the arrival of Western tanks. The invasion of Ukraine has seen full-scale mechanised warfare return to Europe. While Western armour and training has been a major part of Ukraine’s army since 2023, in the first year of...

A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia’s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine. Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history. With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental...

The first authoritative, illustrated account of Russia’s high-risk strike on Ukraine’s capital, the centrepiece of its failed 2022 invasion plan. In 2022, Vladimir Putin was convinced he could seize Kyiv, install a puppet government, and close his fist on Ukraine in a matter of weeks, with minimal fighting. In Kyiv 2022, Dr Mark Galeotti, a world expert on Russian military...

The Financial Times – Best books of 2022: Politics 'The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time.' The Times A new history of how Putin and his conflicts have inexorably reshaped Russia, including his devastating invasion of Ukraine. Written by one of the world’s leading experts on modern Russia, Putin’s...

We Need to Talk About Putin by Mark Galeotti is an incisive and compelling exploration into the enigmatic world of Vladimir Putin, offering a revealing portrayal of one of the most consequential leaders in contemporary politics. Galeotti, an eminent authority on Russian crime and politics, provides readers with an unparalleled insider's account of Putin's life, motivations, and his far-reaching influence....

The Moscow Kremlin by Mark Galeotti is an illustrated study of the history of the Moscow Kremlin, a metaphor for Russia, a symbol for its government, and an enduring icon of the country. A fortified complex covering 70 acres at the heart of Moscow, behind walls up to 18m high and watched over by 20 towers, the Kremlin houses everything...

An in-depth look at the struggle between the charismatic rebel commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, 'The Lion of Panjshir', and the Soviet forces who fought to control the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan. When the Soviets rolled into Afghanistan in 1979, they believed if they took the cities, the country would follow. They were wrong. The Red Army found itself in a...