{"title":"Mark Galeotti","description":"\u003cp\u003eMark Galeotti’s works delve deeply into Russian history, politics, and military affairs, offering readers incisive analyses of complex events and figures. From detailed accounts of conflicts and power struggles to explorations of criminal underworlds and political intrigue, his writing illuminates key moments shaping Russia’s past and present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlending historical rigour with accessible narrative, Galeotti’s books appeal to those interested in the intertwining of military strategy, political power, and contemporary affairs. His authoritative voice brings clarity to topics often shrouded in secrecy and complexity, making these titles essential for students of history, politics, and international relations.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-short-history-of-russia","title":"A Short History of Russia","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFascinating... One of the most astute political commentators on Putin and modern Russia\u003c\/em\u003e - \u003cspan\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn amazing achievement\u003c\/em\u003e - Peter Frankopan\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCan anyone truly understand Russia?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRussia 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'. 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Galeotti, an eminent authority on Russian crime and politics, provides readers with an unparalleled insider's account of Putin's life, motivations, and his far-reaching influence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a keen eye and authoritative voice, Galeotti addresses the pivotal misapprehensions surrounding Putin and delves deep into his complex persona. The book traces Putin's journey from his early years in the KGB, highlighting how these formative experiences have shaped his strategic thinking and approach to power. Galeotti meticulously unpacks Putin's intricate relationship with the United States and other global powers, presenting a nuanced understanding of his geopolitical strategies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis essential primer sheds light on Putin's ambitions for Russia's future and its implications for the world. Galeotti utilises new Russian sources and previously unpublished accounts to construct a vivid and informative narrative. The book not only examines Putin's political maneuvers but also offers insights into the broader Russian political system, revealing the inner workings of the Kremlin and the oligarchs that support his regime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the book's strengths is its ability to break down complex political scenarios into comprehensible analyses, making it accessible to both novices and experts in Russian affairs. Readers will find Galeotti's portrayal of Putin both compelling and disturbing, as he paints a bleak but convincing picture of the man who controls the Kremlin and his vision for a resurgent Russia. Through this detailed examination, Galeotti invites readers to look beyond the myth of Putin and understand the 'world’s most dangerous man' in a way that the West has often failed to do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe Need to Talk About Putin\u003c\/em\u003e is an indispensable read for anyone seeking to comprehend the intricacies of modern Russian politics and the man at its helm. Galeotti's expertise and penetrating analysis make this book a critical resource for understanding the dynamics of power that shape our world today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45696138313964,"sku":"9781529103595","price":28.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529103595.jpg?v=1725644224"},{"product_id":"downfall-by-mark-galeotti-9781529927368","title":"Downfall","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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 \u003cem\u003eA Short History of Russia\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Absolutely gripping, deeply authoritative, hugely important and lethally lurid'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sunday Times bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe World- A Family History\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYevgeny 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?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing 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. 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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. 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And is organised crime at the heart of every modern state?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn a thrilling whistle-stop tour of how the world's criminal underbelly has shaped state-making, capitalism, globalisation and all forms of so-called legitimate power, \u003cem\u003eHomo Criminalis\u003c\/em\u003e shows 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 shows us how the world's dark underbelly shapes us, no matter how we try to outpace it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEntertaining, engaging and packed full of fascinating stories, \u003cem\u003eHomo Criminalis\u003c\/em\u003e is a book for those who want to see our grand story of progress through the surprising and subversive new lens of organised crime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46546346901740,"sku":"9781529148237","price":40.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529148237.jpg?v=1750034932"},{"product_id":"the-vory-by-mark-galeotti-9780300243208","title":"The Vory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe first English-language book to document the men who emerged from the gulags to become Russia’s much-feared crime class: the \u003ci\u003evory v zakone\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organised crime in Russia, consulted by governments and police around the world. 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Ironically, this slick triumph eventually led to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest and costliest conventional war in Europe since 1945.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a fascinating account of the Crimea conquest from a supremely qualified expert on modern Russian forces. 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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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGran Meccanismo\u003c\/em\u003e 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. 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A lively reminder that war adapts to technology, that civilians are part of modern conflict whether they like it or not.\"—Roger Boyes, \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Galeotti's field guide is an admirably clear overview (in his words, 'quick and opinionated') of a form of conflict which is vague and hard to grasp. Variously described as hybrid, sub-threshold or grey-zone warfare, this is the no man's land between peaceful relations and formal combat.\"—Helen Warrell, \u003cem\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHybrid War, Grey Zone Warfare, Unrestricted War: today, traditional conflict—fought with guns, bombs, and drones—has become too expensive to wage, too unpopular at home, and too difficult to manage. 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