You are here
Back to topPutin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine (Paperback)
Description
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 Wars is a timely overview of the conflicts into which Russia has plunged since Vladimir Putin became prime minister and then president. From the First and Second Chechen Wars to the military incursion into Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and the eventual full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mark Galeotti has created a vivid insight into the inner workings of the Kremlin.
Updated for this paperback edition to include both the aborted coup of June 2023 and a clear overview of how and why the Russian military has struggled in Ukraine, this is a thought-provoking history of how Putin and his wars have inexorably shaped Russia in the 21st century.
About the Author
Mark Galeotti is a scholar of Russian security affairs with a career spanning academia, government service and business, a prolific author and frequent media commentator. He heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy and is an Honorary Professor at University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies as well as holding fellowships with RUSI, the Council on Geostrategy and the Institute of International Relations Prague. He has been Head of History at Keele University, Professor of Global Affairs at New York University, a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a Visiting Professor at Rutgers-Newark, Charles University (Prague) and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He is the author of over 25 books including A Short History of Russia (Penguin, 2021) and The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War (Yale University Press, 2022).
Praise For…
“The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time.” —The Times
“Galeotti's work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand current events in Ukraine.” —Gillian Tett, The Financial Times
“Putin's Wars is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Russia's military.” —Literary Review
“The definitive work on this subject to date.” —History of War
“Mark Galeotti is one of the most insightful and incisive analysts on Russia's past, present, and future. Russia's February 2022 expanded invasion of Ukraine tragically highlights the critical importance of understanding the connection between politics and war. Galeotti vividly shows how Russia has waged its wars... [and] how those wars shaped the country's politics and, in turn, how politics shaped Moscow's military campaigns.” —Joshua C. Huminski, Director, Mike Rogers Center for Intelligence and Global Affairs, Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress
“This is a vivid account of how Putin has used armed force during his time in power, culminating in the deadly war in Ukraine.” —Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London
“An accessible, lucid and vivid comprehensive contemporary account of the inner workings, logic and rationales of the central military pillar of Putinism. I unreservedly recommend this gem.” —Dr Graeme P. Herd, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies
“Putin's Wars is Galeotti at his finest: writing that moves like a spy novel and enough information for the student or professional reader … An excellent and accessible contribution to the field for seasoned Russian observers and those interested in the larger sweep of how it all transpired.” —Dr Yuval Weber, Bren Chair of Russian Military and Political Strategy at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation and Creativity at the US Marine Corps University
“When it was first released in 2022, Galeotti's history of Vladimir Putin's many wars and invasions seemed like it must have been rushed to the presses. But anyone who reads the book understands that Russia's invasion of Ukraine didn't happen by chance: It was the logical progression of Putin's deliberate outward expansion. This is no slapped-together rush job intended to capitalize on current events - Galeotti's deep ties to Russia provide him with plenty of anecdotes and insights into Putin's military state.” —The Seattle Times