Description
Extraordinary. . . Essential reading for understanding Russia and modern warfare.-CHRIS MILLER, New York Times bestselling author of Chip War and Putinomics
John Lechner is an amazingly bold reporter who has been to the key places where the Wagner Group fought, interviewing members, veterans, and victims to deliver a shrewd, granular sense of how Russian mercenary forces HOCHSCHILD, bestselling author of King Leopolds Ghost
The shocking inside story of how the Wagner Group made private military companies inextricable from Russias anti-Western foreign strategy.
In 2014, a well-trained, mysterious band of mercenaries arrived in Ukraine, part of Russias first attempt to claim the country as its own. Upon ceasefire, the Wagner Group faded back into shadow, only to reemerge in the Middle East, where theyd go toe-to-toe with the U.S., and in Africa, where theyd earn praise for tough measures against insurgencies yet spark outrage for looting, torture, and civilian deaths. As Russia gained a foothold of influence abroad, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as Putins Chef, went from caterer to commander to single greatest threat Putin has faced in his over-twenty-year rule.
Dually armed with military and strategic prowess, the Wagner Group created a new market in a vast geopolitical landscape increasingly receptive to the promises of private actors. In this trailblazing account of the Groups origins and operations, John Lechner-the only journalist to report across its many warzones-brings us on the ground to witness Wagner partner with fragile nation states, score access to natural resources, oust peacekeeping missions, and cash in on conflicts reframed as Kremlin interests. After rebelling, Prigozhin faced an epic demise-but Wagner lives on, its political, business, and military ventures a pillar of Russian operations the world over.
Featuring exclusive interviews with over thirty Wagner Group members, Death Is Our Business is the terrifying true tale of the renegade militia that proved global instability is nothing if not an opportunity.
Author: John Lechner
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 03/04/2025
Pages: 288
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.12w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781639733361
Language: English
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