Pre-order
1
of
1
Homo Criminalis
How crime organises the world
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 169 ratings, 15 reviews)
Brief Description
A landmark new book on the story of crime, and its contribution to the evolution of society, by the acclaimed historian Mark Galeotti, perfect for fans of Sapiens. Crime doesn't just pay, it tells. What we choose to ban, penalise or prosecute says something about us;...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
24th
November 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "Homo Criminalis" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
Homo Criminalis
$3000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
Jon Toogood visits Book Hero
We were so honoured to have Aotearoa's own royal rock legend Jon Toogood visit Book...
New Hero Alert! Meet Liam - our new Bookstore Hero
We’re thrilled to welcome Liam to the Book Hero team! You’ll find him in our...
Celebrating Bird of the Year 2026 with Bird Books
Today I've got a couple of INCREDIBLE bird books as well as a reading list...
Amelia's Favourite Puzzle Vibe: What Makes a Puzzle Cosy?
What makes a puzzle feel cosy? Amelia shares her favourite puzzle vibe, from bookshops and...
The Book Briefing: 23rd September
Another busy day in the reading world with new book announcements and reveals, events happening...
See more
A landmark new book on the story of crime, and its contribution to the evolution of society, by the acclaimed historian Mark Galeotti, perfect for fans of Sapiens.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
A landmark new book on the story of crime, and its contribution to the evolution of society, by the acclaimed historian Mark Galeotti, perfect for fans of Sapiens.
Crime doesn't just pay, it tells. What we choose to ban, penalise or prosecute says something about us; and how far the mobsters and mafias are still able to ply their trades says something about us, too.
Homo Criminalis tells a thrilling tale of the world's changing values, the rise of the state, and the emergence of modern society, through the evolution of the underworld and its crimes. From Chinese banditry and eighteenth-century English tea smuggling to today's cocaine submarines and the high-tech crimes of tomorrow, this book aims to show just how far society has changed—and how crime has changed with us.
Often considered marginal or an aberration, we'll see how the power structures and power struggles of the criminal world have actually worked to drive progress, forming the necessary dark underbelly of humanity's evolution.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529148244
Publisher: Ebury Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 August 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Ebury Press
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 21.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 240g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Mark Galeotti is one of the world's leading experts on Russian crime and security (which are often one and the same), which may explain why Moscow banned him in 2022. After a stint with the Foreign Office, he has been a scholar and think-tanker in London, New York, Moscow, Prague and Florence. He now heads the consultancy Mayak Intelligence and is an honorary professor at University College London and a senior fellow with RUSI and the Council on Geostrategy. A prolific author, he frequently acts as consultant to various government, commercial and law-enforcement agencies and has briefed everyone from prime ministers to CEOs.
Also by Mark Galeotti
View all-
A Short History of Russia
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...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Homo Criminalis
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...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Downfall
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...Paperback$7900Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Downfall
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,...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Vory
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...Paperback$2899Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
Putin Takes Crimea 2014
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...Paperback$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Gran Meccanismo
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....Hardback$4699Elsewhere:$5500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Moscow Kremlin
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...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
We Need to Talk About Putin
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...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Putin's Mercenaries, 2013–24
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...Paperback$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Weaponisation of Everything
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...Paperback$2599Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
Forged in War
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...Hardback$3999Elsewhere:$4699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
More from Crime & Thriller
View all-
New ReleaseDeath Row
With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid! A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden! Death is coming for her… unless she finds the truth first. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseDying Days
Award-winning writer delivers a pulse-pounding espionage thriller. Missing soldiers, MI6 secrets and European partisans collide in a deadly game where the lines between lies and reality are fast disintegrating. In the dying days of the Second World War, a new conflict is about to ignite. May, 1945: After fighting to liberate Europe from the Nazis, Tito's Yugoslav Army and Allied...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseFury In Death: An Eve Dallas thriller (In Death 63)
In the new crime thriller from the bestselling author, Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born… NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas has seen a lot in her time but even she is shocked by the savagery of a beating which leaves a wealthy biotech executive dead in his home office. The victim’s corpse is so mangled...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseTom Clancy Pressure Depth
Jack Ryan Jr leads a team of divers in a race to beat the Chinese Navy to a weapon of terrible destructive power in the latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Jack Ryan Jr. is on Guam to work on a project for Hendley Associates. It's a perfectly ordinary insurance matter, but trouble finds the Ryans...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseThe Country Road Murders
From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a pulse-pounding thriller about justice, vengeance and the roads that lead us home. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades — LEE CHILD Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New Release
Every Lake
Scary stories are fun... until your life becomes one. When Alice was fifteen, her father killed Mia Heywood in their lakefront cottage before vanishing into the trees. At least that's what the locals think happened. Over a decade later, Alice has lost her job as a journalist, she's going through an expensive divorce and she desperately needs to sell the...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New Release
Nautilus
The follow-up to the bestselling novel The Turing Protocol. Nautilus is a machine with the astonishing power to send messages eight weeks back in time. Its users must follow a set of protocols established by its inventor, Alan Turing, including that it can only be used by a descendant of his family, and only to avert global disasters. But what...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New Release
Cold River
The sensational new novel from the author of the bestselling thriller, The Creeper, winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2025. Deep in the mountains, secrets grow deadly... Detective Constable Sally White knows how easily hikers can go missing in Victoria's high country. But there's something about the disappearance of Louis Taylor, a young man lost up...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseIt Could Have Been Her
PREPARE TO BE HOOKED: The no. 1 Sunday Times and MULTI-million-copy bestselling author is back with a brand-new spine tingling thriller. It was the night she almost died. Jane Trevally, newly divorced and feeling a little lost, agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink, goes in, and...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
26 Beauties
The twenty-sixth thrilling novel in the globally bestselling Women's Murder Club series. Beautiful young women are disappearing by the dozen. A celebration is cut short when a concerned father crashes Detective Inspector Lindsay Boxer's party. His daughter is missing - and she's not the only one. DI Lindsay Boxer has been tracking a chilling pattern: a Jane Doe washed ashore,...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New Release
The Secrets We Hide
The stunning new North Falls thriller by the bestselling author of We Are All Guilty Here 'Quite simply, Karin Slaughter is the best of us' Dervla McTiernan Welcome back to North Falls -- a small town with big secrets. The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseThe Parkwood Murders
They came for an escape, but can they escape a killer? Detective Nicola Bridge returns in another gripping and immersive mystery For its loyal guests, Parkwood Holiday Village in west Dorset is a haven- woodland walks, a tranquil lake, service around the clock. Until, just after midsummer, a body is found floating in the swimming pool. Detective Nicola Bridge, exhausted...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Crime & Thriller lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listCrime & Thriller
Classics for the Crime & Thriller Reader
Here are some classics that are perfect for someone who already loves a crime & thriller novel - the fathers (and mothers)...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![We Need to Talk About Kevin]()
Lizzy's listCrime & Thriller
Thriller Novels that Won't Leave Lizzy's Brain
These are the books that Lizzy almost wishes she could forget about because they've ruined something for her - whether it's making...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listCrime & Thriller
Shirl's Crime & Thriller Picks
I've always loved a good crime and thriller read! Here are a few of my favourites from past and present that have...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listCrime & Thriller
Lizzy's Top Kiwi Crime/Thriller Writers
Looking for your next Crime/Thriller pick? We have some amazing authors right here in Aotearoa doing everything from releasing amazing spine tingling...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listCrime & Thriller
Gripping Crime and Thriller Books
From the fast paced and stressful to the laborious and creepy, this is a selection of some of my favourite crime and...View the list
