Mark Galeotti Books

Storm-333, the operation to seize Kabul and assassinate Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin, was at once a textbook success and the start of a terrible blunder. It heralded the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an operation intended to be a short, largely symbolic show of force, yet which quickly devolved into a gritty ten-year counter-insurgency that Moscow was never able to win. Nonetheless, Storm-333 was a striking success, and despite initial concerns that it would be an impossible achievement, it saw a relative handful of Soviet special forces drawn from the KGB and the military seize the heavily defended presidential palace, neutralise the city's communications and defences, and open Kabul to occupation. The lessons learned then are still valid today, and have been incorporated into modern Russian military practice, visible most recently in the seizure of Crimea in 2014. Written by a recognised expert on the Soviet security forces, drawing extensively on Russian sources, and fully illustrated with commissioned artwork, this is the most detailed and compelling study of this fascinating operation available in English. -- Provided by publisher

Mark Galeotti's new study of both the combat vehicles of Russia's legendary Spetsnaz special forces and the whole range of unique and modified vehicles that Russia's elite units use, from combat snowmobiles to the world's biggest water-cannon.

The complete and illustrated history of Russia's armed forces from the Russian Revolution until the present day, covering both their involvement in pivotal historical events and in current controversial conflicts. From the chaos of the civil war to the political maneuvering of the Cold War, Russia's armed forces have shaped the future not only of Russia but of countless other countries around the globe. The Great Bear at War: The Russian and Soviet Army, 1917–Present explores the development and struggles of Soviet and Russian armed forces across the numerous conflicts which mark its history. It charts the great historical events that have defined the Red/Russian Army, especially World War II and the Cold War, but also the post-communist insurgencies and wars in which the Russian military has redeveloped its outlook and mission. The post-Soviet development of the Russian military into a modern force is explored in detail, including its controversial campaigns in Chechnya (1999–2009) and Georgia (2008). Sewn into the narrative are details about the equipment, uniforms, training, service conditions, and weaponry of the Soviet/Russian soldiers, bringing personal experience and technological context to the broader history. At a time when the world is closely focused upon Russian military behavior, The Great Bear at War is both timely and fascinating.

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. In such a world, the visionary might simply have wasted his time painting portraits of women and doodling in a sketchbook. Instead, he unleashed a technological revolution where primitive computers, decorated with delicately painted cupids, run on water clocks; spring-powered tanks whir across the battlefield, cannons thundering from their flanks; and gliders flit across perfectly blue Tuscan skies.Gran Meccanismo is a roleplaying game of swashbuckling adventure in a Renaissance Italy where Florence's winding alleys play host to spies, scholars, and sell-swords alike. Players are nobles, mercenaries, inventors, and artisans who may find themselves crossing wits with Machiavelli, avoiding the dangerous charms of Lucretia Borgia, or hearing Christopher Columbus telling tales of the new world he has discovered...

'Absolutely gripping, deeply authoritative, hugely important and lethally lurid' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The World: A Family History Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the most dangerous warlords in the world and as one of Vladimir Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading Wagner's attempted coup and killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged? Drawing on years of research, this book traces the rise of Russia's most prominent non-state actor and examines the political climate that propelled a convicted gangster with no government office to the formidable role he came to occupy. An essential story of Russia's recent history, Downfall is also a compelling insight into its likely future.

Using specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the victory at Kulikovo in 1380 that heralded the birth of Russian statehood.The 13th-century Mongol conquest of the Rus'--the principalities of Russia--was devastating and decisive. Cities were lain waste, new dynasties rose, and for a hundred years the Russians were under unquestioned foreign rule. However, the Mongols were conquerors rather than administrators and they chose to rule through subject princes. This allowed the Rurikid dynastic princes of Moscow to rise with unprecedented speed.With the famed 'Mongol Yoke' loosening, Grand Prince Dmitri of Moscow saw in this an unparalleled opportunity and rebelled. On September 7 1380, his 60,000 troops crossed the Don to take the battle to Mamai's 125,000, which included Armenian and Cherkessk auxiliaries and Genoese mercenaries.

This book cuts through the misunderstandings about Russia's geopolitical challenge to the West, presenting this not as 'hybrid war' but 'political war.' Russia seeks to antagonise: its diplomats castigate Western 'Russophobia' and cultivate populist sentiment abroad, while its media sells Russia as a peaceable neighbour and a bastion of traditional social values. Its spies snoop, and even kill, and its hackers and trolls mount a 24/7 onslaught on Western systems and discourses. This is generally characterised as 'hybrid war, ' but this is a misunderstanding of Russian strategy. Drawing extensively not just on their writings but also decades of interactions with Russian military, security and government officials, this study demonstrates that the Kremlin has updated traditional forms of non-military 'political war' for the modern world. Aware that the West, if united, is vastly richer and stronger, Putin is seeking to divide, and distract, in the hope it will either accept his claim to Russia's great-power status - or at least be unable to prevent him. In the process, Russia may be foreshadowing how the very nature of war is changing: political war may be the future. This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, war studies, Russian politics and security studies.

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

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 both modern warfare and recent Russian history. Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945. This is a fascinating account of the Crimea conquest from a supremely qualified expert on modern Russian forces. Illustrated throughout, it explores how Russia developed its new model of 'hybrid' or 'grey zone' warfare, and planned and deployed it against Crimea, from the choreographed appearance of 'spontaneous' protesters through to the deployment of unbadged Russian elite forces. In this book Mark Galeotti explores the lessons that Russia, Ukraine, and the West took from it – correctly and mistakenly – and how this apparently textbook operation sowed the seeds that would erupt so catastrophically in 2022.

"Putin's Wars is a timely overview of the conflicts in which Russia has been involved since Vladimir Putin became prime minister and then president of Russia, from the First Chechen War to the two military incursions into Georgia, the annexation of Crimea and the eventual invasion of Ukraine itself. But it also looks more broadly at Putin's recreation of Russian military power and its expansion to include a range of new capabilities, from mercenaries to operatives in a relentless information war against Western powers. This is an engrossing strategic overview of a rejuvenated Russian military and the successes and failures on the battlefield"-- Provided by publisher

'Absolutely gripping, deeply authoritative, hugely important and lethally lurid' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The World: A Family History Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as one of the most dangerous warlords in the world and as one of Vladimir Putin's chief rivals in Russia's tumultuous political climate, exiled after leading Wagner's attempted coup and killed in a mysterious plane crash. But what is the truth about this enigmatic figure, his role in the war with Ukraine, and the chaos unleashed across Russia by his turn against Putin? And, in the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged? Drawing on years of research, this book traces the rise of Russia's most prominent non-state actor and examines the political climate that propelled a convicted gangster with no government office to the formidable role he came to occupy. An essential story of Russia's recent history, Downfall is also a compelling insight into its likely future.

Hoe wordt een bandiet een koning, of een bende een regering? Hoe sterk is de georganiseerde misdaad verbonden met moderne staten? En staat de georganiseerde misdaad aan de basis van alle zogenaamde legitieme macht?In zijn nieuwste boek laat historicus en Ruslandexpert Mark Galeotti zien hoe de hele bovenwereld functioneert dankzij haar banden met de onderwereld. Homo criminalis beschrijft hoe criminele onderwerelden vorm gaven aan kapitalisme, globalisering en de moderne staat. Het boek maakt een even fascinerende als gruwelijke reis door de geschiedenis, langs Chinese bendes, achttiende-eeuwse Engelse theesmokkel, hedendaagse onderzeeërs gevuld met cocaïne en hightechmisdaad. Hoe we ook proberen de onderwereld met wetten, beleid en justitie te de onderwereld is zozeer verknocht met de bovenwereld dat dat in wezen onmogelijk is.Door de georganiseerde misdaad centraal te stellen biedt Homo criminalis een nieuw, beangstigend perspectief op de grote vooruitgangsverhalen die we onszelf graag vertellen.Mark Galeotti (1965) is werkzaam aan het Institute of International Relations in Praag en verbonden aan het Nederlandse platform Raam op Rusland. Hij is de auteur van onder meer het veelgeprezen De Vory. De Russische supermaffia en We moeten het even over Poetin hebben.

Written by a leading expert on modern Russia, this is an illustrated introduction to the bitter campaigns in Chechnya.

A detailed study of the tumultuous 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 from Russia's seat of political power to glittering churches. This is a fortress that has evolved over time, from the original wooden guard tower built in the 11th century to the current stone and brick complex, over the years having been built, burnt, besieged, and rebuilt. Starting with the initial building of a wooden watch tower on the banks of the Moskva river in the 11th century, this book follows the Kremlin's tumultuous history through rises and falls and various iterations to today. In the process, it tells a story of Russia, and also unveils a range of mysteries around the fortress, from the 14th-century underground tunnels built to permit spies to enter and leave it covertly through to today's invisible defenses such as it GPS spoofing field (switch on your phone inside the walls and it may well tell you you're at Vnukovo airport, 30km away) and drone jammers.

An engaging guide to the evolving nature of warfare and how to navigate this new landscape. This straightforward and jargon-free overview serves as a useful introduction to complex issues surrounding modern conflict. It highlights the adaptability of warfare to technological advancements and emphasizes the role of civilians in contemporary battles. The text explores various forms of conflict, often referred to as hybrid, sub-threshold, or grey-zone warfare, which exist in the ambiguous space between peace and formal combat. In today's world, traditional warfare, characterized by the use of guns, bombs, and drones, has become increasingly costly, unpopular, and difficult to manage. With the threat of sanctions from America and China's significant investments in global influence, we are entering an era marked by persistent low-level conflicts that often go unnoticed and unacknowledged. As conflicts resurface in Europe, Mark Galeotti, a transnational crime expert, offers an insightful survey of modern warfare. He examines how conflicts are waged through disinformation, espionage, crime, and subversion, leading to instability and legitimacy crises worldwide. Instead of longing for a return to traditional warfare, Galeotti presents strategies for survival and adaptation in this new reality, encouraging readers to seize the opportunities it presents.

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

Fascinating... One of the most astute political commentators on Putin and modern Russia' Financial Times 'An amazing achievement' Peter Frankopan Can anyone truly understand Russia? Russia is a country with no natural borders, no single ethos, no true central identity. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it is everyone's 'other'. And yet it is one of the most powerful nations on earth, a master game-player on the global stage with a rich history of war and peace, poets and revolutionaries. In this essential whistle-stop tour of the world's most complex nation, Mark Galeotti takes us behind the myths to the heart of the Russian story: from the formation of a nation to its early legends - including Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great - to the rise and fall of the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, the Cold War, Chernobyl and the end of the Soviet Union - plus the rise of a politician named Vladimir Putin, and the events leading to the Ukrainian war.

'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 the real Vladimir Putin? What does he want? And what will he do next? Despite the millions of words written on Putin's Russia, the West still fails to truly understand one of the world's most powerful politicians, whose influence spans the globe and whose networks of power reach into the very heart of our daily lives. In this essential primer, Professor Mark Galeotti uncovers the man behind the myth, addressing the key misperceptions of Putin and explaining how we can decipher his motivations and next moves. From Putin's early life in the KGB and his real relationship with the USA to his vision for the future of Russia - and the world - Galeotti draws on new Russian sources and explosive unpublished accounts to give unparalleled insight into the man at the heart of global politics.

By turns radical, uncertain, ambitious, and autocratic, Mikhail Gorbachev in his bid to reform the Soviet Union has shaped the contemporary world. In 1985, he set out to modernize the Soviet state and revive his Communist Party. Instead, by the end of 1991, the USSR had fragmented and the Party was banned. Institutions which had survived for 70 years, notwithstanding Stalin's murderous purges and the Nazi war machine, proved unable to survive his well-meant reforms. This is a concise and lively introduction to the man and his times, setting them in the context of a decaying and ramshackle empire and an ideology long since betrayed by its professed followers. Simply and clearly, it follows Gorbachev's increasingly desperate attempts to control the forces he unleashed and hold together a state whose days were over. Ultimately, Gorbachev failed yet, as this study concludes, from his revolution arose an historic opportunity to redefine Russia's place in the world and break with a centuries-long autocratic tradition.

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 years. Led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, it was first deployed in the Donbas region of Ukraine during the undeclared war of 2014, went on to play a key role in Russia's intervention in the Syrian civil war from 2015, and then extended its activities to six African countries and even Venezuela. It would, however, become most infamous as one of the key fighting forces in President Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, before shocking the world by launching an armed mutiny in June 2023. In this compelling new account, leading expert on modern Russia Mark Galeotti examines the decade-long career of the Wagner Group, considering how it came to be, its actions across the globe and the events and motivations involved in its rebellion and eventual dissolution. Interspersed with orders of battle, units and actions, as well as profiles of all the key figures, this vital analysis is complemented by rare photographs and eight newly commissioned artwork plates.

Przestrzegają surowego kodeksu. Tylko im wolno nosić charakterystyczne tatuaże. Tylko dla nich zarezerwowana jest nazwa wor w zakonie, która w państwie Putina wzbudza strach. Poznaj elitę rosyjskiej mafii, która brutalnością przewyższa japońską yakuzę czy narkotykowe kartele Pabla Escobara. Ich charakter kształtowały sowieckie łagry i obozy karne. Gdy z nich wyszli, stali się najbardziej przerażającą rosyjską klasą przestępczą. Przetrwali stalinizm, zimną wojnę, Afganistan i upadek ZSRR. Świetnie się odnaleźli w nowej rosyjskiej rzeczywistości. Przestrzegają surowego kodeksu. Tylko im wolno nosić charakterystyczne tatuaże. Tylko dla nich zarezerwowana jest nazwa wor w zakonie, która może i brzmi egzotycznie, ale w państwie Putina wzbudza strach i szacunek. Poznaj elitę rosyjskiej mafii, która brutalnością przewyższa japońską yakuzę, włoską camorrę czy narkotykowe kartele Pabla Escobara. W świat mafiosów ze Wschodu wprowadzi cię Mark Galeotti, specjalista do spraw przestępczości zorganizowanej w Rosji, który temu tematowi poświęcił dwadzieścia lat. Z jego wiedzy korzystają rządy i policja na całym świecie.

Ich charakter kształtowały sowieckie łagry i obozy karne. Gdy z nich wyszli, stali się najbardziej przerażającą rosyjską klasą przestępczą. Przetrwali stalinizm, zimną wojnę, Afganistan i upadek ZSRR. Świetnie się odnaleźli w nowej rosyjskiej rzeczywistości. Przestrzegają surowego kodeksu. Tylko im wolno nosić charakterystyczne tatuaże. Tylko dla nich zarezerwowana jest nazwa wor w zakonie, która może i brzmi egzotycznie, ale w państwie Putina wzbudza strach i szacunek. Poznaj elitę rosyjskiej mafii, która brutalnością przewyższa japońską yakuzę, włoską camorrę czy narkotykowe kartele Pabla Escobara. W świat mafiosów ze Wschodu wprowadzi cię Mark Galeotti, specjalista do spraw przestępczości zorganizowanej w Rosji, który temu tematowi poświęcił dwadzieścia lat. Z jego wiedzy korzystają rządy i policja na całym świecie.

Mistrovské pojednání o tom, jak války a skutečný i domnělý pocit ohrožení formovaly osud Ruska od jeho vzniku až po katastrofální invazi na Ukrajinu.I přes téměř zničující invazi na Ukrajinu Putin stále vládne Rusku tvrdou rukou. Vysvětlení tohoto fenoménu je možné nalézt v ruské historii. Bez přirozeně bránitelných hranic a s environmentálními faktory omezujícími jeho ekonomiku bylo Rusko po staletí konfrontováno s předními vojenskými a technologicky mnohdy vyspělejšími mocnostmi své doby. Válka – a potřeba být na válku připraven – tak formovala jeho vývoj od období vlády knížat a carů až po komunistické tajemníky a prezidenty.Ruská národní identita se zrodila z války: od zoufalých snah středověkých knížat odolat vikinským vpádům a mongolské invazi přes vlastní expanzi v Asii v 19. století až po klíčové konflikty 20. století, které proměnily Rusko z carského impéria v komunistickou velmoc. Slabé Rusko se po konci studené války obrátilo k Putinovi, který znovu oživil touhu po válečném triumfalismu a nastoupil tak cestu k vpádu na Ukrajinu.Kniha Zrozeni z války přináší zasvěcený a komplexní pohled na ruskou historii i současnost zbavený nánosu národních mýtů.

Jeden z předních světových odborníků na současné Rusko přináší v knize „Putinovy války“ aktuální přehled konfliktů, které Rusko vyvolalo od doby, kdy se Vladimír Putin stal nejprve jeho premiérem a následně i prezidentem – od první a druhé čečenské války přes vojenský vpád do Gruzie a anexi Krymu až po plnohodnotnou invazi na Ukrajinu.Profesor Galeotti se také zabývá širším kontextem Putinovy rekonstrukce vojenské moci a zaměřuje se na to, jak se v této nové studené válce se Západem ruský prezident stále více spoléhá na sílu při prosazování svých zájmů v zahraničí. Zároveň ve všech Putinem vyvolaných konfliktech nepřehlíží ruská vojenská selhání na taktické i strategické úrovni a předpovídá možné scénáře vývoje invaze na Ukrajinu i budoucnost vojenských vztahů mezi Ruskem a jeho dalšími sousedy v čele s Čínou.Kniha je prošpikována anekdotami a přímými výpověďmi bývalých i současných ruských důstojníků a poutavým způsobem seznamuje čtenáře s historií znovu se probouzejícího ruského medvěda. Ještě nikdy nebylo důležitější pokusit se pochopit, jak a proč Putin nařídil svým ozbrojeným silám, aby se pustily do nejrůznějších vojenských dobrodružství. Neexistuje přitom autor, který by byl způsobilejší k tomu realisticky zhodnotit skutečné schopnosti ruské armády a předpovědět další směřování Putinova agresivního režimu.

Čas úzkosti popisuje pozdní sovětskou a postsovětskou epochu, takže čtenářům pomáhá orientovat se i v budoucím dění v Rusku. Mark Galeotti vyučuje mezinárodní dějiny na univerzitě v Keelu

Dokument o zločineckej triede sformovanej v stalinských táboroch – hrozbe presahujúcej hranice Ruska –, o voroch v zakone. Mark Galeotti je špičkový odborník na ruský organizovaný zločin, konzultant vlád a policajných zložiek po celom svete. Čitateľom prináša fascinujúce dejiny vorov v zakone – skupiny, ktorá zdarne prežila všetky zmeny od stalinizmu, studenej vojny, sovietskej okupácie Afganistanu až po finálny kolaps komunistického experimentu. Vory v zakone, ako sa často hovorí ruskej mafii, vznikli najmä vo väzniciach a gulagoch, kde si vyvinuli jedinečnú kultúru. Jej príslušníci sa značkovali premyslenými tetovaniami a dodržiavali takzvaný „zlodejský zákon“ – prísny systém, ktorý zakazoval všetky platené zamestnania a akúkoľvek spoluprácu so silovými zložkami štátu. Galeotti využil dve desaťročia podrobného výskumu, aby priniesol jedinečnú štúdiu vorov na ceste k moci od skromných počiatkov cez nespútanú ruskú oligarchiu až po nové príležitosti po celom svete.

O Vladimiru Putinovi už vyšly desítky knih. A většina z nich stále opakuje stejné omyly, klišé a mýty, tvrdí britský profesor Mark Galeotti, přední odborník na současné Rusko. V jedenácti kapitolách rozebírá sarkasticky a poutavě jeden zažitý omyl po druhém: Proč Putin není geniální stratég. Proč se nehlásí k žádné konkrétní ideologii. Proč není tak populární, jak by se mohlo zdát. Jak dokáže být loajální ke svým lidem. A co bude dělat, až mu skončí volební období? Na základě dlouholetých výzkumů i osobní zkušenosti a mnoha rozhovorů s ruskými politiky, členem Putinovy osobní stráže nebo federálními daňovými úředníky přináší překvapivý a v mnoha ohledech realističtější pohled na jednoho z nejmocnějších mužů současné globální politiky.