The Wagner Group

Inside Russia’s Mercenary Army

Jack Margolin

$34.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Reaktion Books
01 January 2025

History; Military history; International relations; Mercenaries

This book exposes the history and the future of The Wagner Group, Russia's notorious and secretive mercenary army, revealing details of their operations never documented before. Using extensive leaks, first-hand accounts, and the byzantine paper trail left in its wake, Jack Margolin traces the Wagner Group from its roots as a battlefield rumour to a private military enterprise tens of thousands-strong that eventually comes to threaten Putin himself. He follows individual commanders and foot soldiers within the group as they fight in Ukraine, Syria, and Africa, sometimes alongside fellow military contractors from the United Kingdom and the US. He shows Wagner mercenaries committing atrocities, plundering oil, diamonds, and gold, and changing the course of conflicts from Europe to Africa in the name of the Kremlin's strategic aims.

In documenting the Wagner's Group's story up to the dramatic demise of its chief director, Evgeniy Prigozhin, Margolin demonstrates what the Wagner Group represents for not only the future of Putin's political system, but also the privatisation of war.

By: Jack Margolin
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm,
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781789149579
ISBN 10: 1789149576
Pages: 180
Publication Date: 01 January 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Introduction Part One: A Prehistory of Violence 1 Atrocity Exhibition 2 Sous Chef 3 Origins Part Two: Freelancers 4 Ukraine, 2014–15: The First Campaigns 5 Syria: Blood and Treasure 6 Sudan and the car: The Next Frontier 7 Libya: Blueprint for Contemporary War 8 The Sahel: Crisis and Opportunity 9 Pillage Part Three: Blowback 10 Cry Havoc 11 The Meat Grinder 12 Mutiny 13 The End and the Beginning References Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

Jack Margolin is an independent researcher who has studied private military contractors and Russian criminal networks since 2014. His investigations have been cited by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Economist, the Financial Times, and Politico. He lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews for The Wagner Group: Inside Russia’s Mercenary Army

"""A must read.""--Clarissa Ward, CNN Chief International Correspondent and author of ""On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist"" ""An important book.""--Sean McFate, National Defense University and author of ""The New Rules of War"" ""At once deeply-researched and as readable as a thriller.""--Mark Galeotti, author of ""Putin's Wars"" ""Gripping and meticulous.""--Jade McGlynn, author of ""Russia's War"" ""This fascinating history . . . is filled with details not reported elsewhere.""--Kimberly Marten, Barnard College, Columbia University"