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Putin's Wars

From Chechnya to Ukraine

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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Putin's Wars by Mark Galeotti, read by David Sibley.

THE FINANICAL TIMES – BEST BOOKS OF 2022

'The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time.' – The Times

A history of how Putin and his conflicts have inexorably reshaped Russia, including his devastating invasion of Ukraine.

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 the Russian military and the successes and failures on the battlefield.

Thanks to Dr Galeotti's wide-ranging contacts throughout Russia, it is also peppered with anecdotes of military life, personal snapshots of conflicts, and an extraordinary collection of first-hand accounts from serving and retired Russian officers. Russia continues to dominate the news cycle throughout the Western world.

There is no better time to understand how and why Putin has involved his armed forces in a variety of conflicts for over two decades.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Mark Galeotti (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
21st Century Military Modern Russia War Armed Force Ukraine War
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It is always difficult to write about contemporary events in a historic way, yet Galeotti does so with wit and drive. This is a deep book and some times the orders of battle are confusing. However as an analysis of Putin and his armed forces it is written by a paramount authority. It should be on the reading list of anyone interested in Putin, NATO and Europe. I commend this work as an accessible guide to the complexity of Putin’s Wars.

Exceptional analysis

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Says much about Putin's attempt to build new model army which has failed so badly in Ukraine. Must read.

Very well researched history.

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A fascinating and informative account of Putin's wars and of Russian military organization. Well worth reading or listening to.

Fascinating and Informative

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As a fan of Mr Galleoti’s podcast, I greatly enjoyed this book. My only gripe is the cursory look at how Russian intelligence services impact the overall trajectory of the regime. The chapter on the 90s was deeply illuminating. Would definitely recommend. Be warned at the heavy military minutiae focus. I definitely loved it.

A masterful account.

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Bought the book after enjoying Mark galeotti’s podcast. Very interesting balanced explaination of the russian military. Only one gripe though, his opinion that the ‘wests’ surprise at the full scale invasion of Ukraine was down to russian subversion. After listening and reading alot of accounts it seems to me that ‘the west’ was surprised simply because they couldnt believe putin would be so stupid…

Very interesting read for lovers of detail!

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