The shocking inside story of how the Wagner Group made private military companies inextricable from Russia’s anti-Western foreign strategy.
"Extraordinary."—CHRIS MILLER, author of Chip War
"Incredible."—ANNIE JACOBSEN, author of Nuclear War, via X
From John Lechner, "an amazingly bold reporter" (Adam Hochschild), the shocking inside story of how the Wagner Group made private military companies inextricable from Russia’s anti-Western foreign strategy.
In 2014, a well-trained, mysterious band of mercenaries arrived in Ukraine, part of Russia’s first attempt to claim the country as its own. Upon ceasefire, the “Wagner Group” faded back into shadow, only to reemerge in the Middle East, where they’d go toe-to-toe with the U.S., and in Africa, where they’d earn praise for “tough measures” against insurgencies yet spark outrage for looting, torture, and civilian deaths. As Russia gained a foothold of influence abroad, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s Chef,” went from caterer to commander to single greatest threat Putin has faced in his over-twenty-year rule.
Dually armed with military and strategic prowess, the Wagner Group created a new market in a vast geopolitical landscape increasingly receptive to the promises of private actors. In this trailblazing account of the Group’s origins and operations, John Lechner—the only journalist to report across its many warzones—brings us on the ground to witness Wagner partner with fragile nation states, score access to natural resources, oust peacekeeping missions, and cash in on conflicts reframed as Kremlin interests. After rebelling, Prigozhin faced an epic demise—but Wagner lives on, its political, business, and military ventures a pillar of Russian operations the world over.
Featuring exclusive interviews with over thirty Wagner Group members, Death Is Our Business is the terrifying true tale of the renegade militia that proved global instability is nothing if not an opportunity.
An excellent new book on Russia’s private militaries . . . Lechner’s book is particularly good at focusing on the way Wagner became embroiled in foreign wars after the conflict in eastern Ukraine died down . . . Death Is Our Business provides powerful descriptions of the lives that were upended by the mercenary deployments. Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times
Deeply researched . . . admirable . . . One hopes that Lechner and others continue to tell the stories of people and countries that the Western media shamefully neglects, even when the Russian bogeyman doesn’t dominate the headlines. The Washington Post
A rare, vivid portrait of the mercenary group… itself a feat… a fine account of Russia’s new private mercenary forces, and deserves a place on the bookshelves not just of military buffs but of diplomats and aid workers in Africa. Colin Freeman, The Telegraph
Gripping and superbly researched, featuring interviews with dozens of Wagner members. It’s remarkable to consider that the couple of hundred years hiatus on mercenary armies is now over, that nation states won’t be the only entities fielding military firms in the decades to come. This is one of those non-fiction books that gives this spy novelist ideas. It’s full of great material. David McCloskey, Daily Mail
In this in-depth, beautifully written chronicle and analysis of atrocities, massacres, war crimes, and theft on a scale scarcely to be believed, Lechner illuminates Prigozhin’s Wagner PMC, drawing on his extensive interviews with members, and its trail of devastation across Ukraine, Syria, and Africa. He also delves deeply into the history of Russia, the rise of Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin, and the lesser and greater conflicts across much of the globe…An invaluable look at a very dark dimension in geopolitical affairs. Booklist
Thugocracies fall in and out of fashion, but Death Is Our Business suggests that the market for private armies is so rich right now that, much like drug cartels, it will soon become lucrative enough for smoother, subtler iterations of Prigozhin and Utkin to ooze into the global economy. Hopefully, someone of Lechner’s skill and bravery will be there to watch it. Washington Independent Review of Books
[A] brilliant, deeply researched book by the indefatigable John Lechner, who has spent years traveling where few dare to go. Clarissa Ward
A close look at the late Yevgeny Prigozhin — Vladimir Putin’s close confidante-turned-suspiciously killed rebel — and his soldiers for hire, known as the Wagner Group. New York Post, Best New Books to Read This Week
An intense, no holds barred journey through the history of the most notorious Private Military Companies in the world…Lechner was literally kidnapped, and held captive for two days, while doing research for this work; his fearlessness is palpable on the pages of this book. This text is required reading for anyone interested in the Wagner chapter of the Ukrainian War and the mercenary warlord who led his men through Hell. Soldier of Fortune Magazine
John Lechner is an amazingly bold reporter who has been to the key places where the Wagner Group fought, interviewing members, veterans, and victims to deliver a shrewd, granular sense of how Russian mercenary forces operate. Adam Hochschild, bestselling author of KING LEOPOLD'S GHOST and AMERICAN MIDNIGHT
As Lechner writes in this eye-opening exposé, ‘the world is filled with Prigozhins.’ For those who want to know the ugly truth of war fought for rubles—or dollars. Kirkus Reviews
To understand how soldiers of fortune are integrated into state-run wars, Lechner utilizes intrepid on-the-ground reporting...a trenchant assessment of the Wagner Group's ongoing influence and impact around the globe. Shelf Awareness
Extraordinary. From civil wars in the Central African Republic to the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, Death Is Our Business provides a deeply researched account of how Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenaries wreaked havoc on multiple continents, accumulating such influence—and such firepower—that they even threatened Vladimir Putin's hold on power. Essential reading for understanding Russia and modern warfare. Chris Miller, New York Times bestselling author of CHIP WAR and PUTINOMICS
Gripping . . . A must read for anyone seeking to understand the new realities of Russian warfare and the Kremlin’s growing global influence.
Angela Stent, author of PUTIN'S WORLDTerrific! . . . A front row seat to the Kremlin’s war against the West and an essential first look at the future of Great Power Competition.
Admiral James Stavridis (ret.), PhD, former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and coauthor of 2034A detailed and thorough study for any reader seeking to learn more about the recent history of [mercenary] operations and outlook for the future.
Jessica Donati, author of EAGLE DOWNCrucial to understanding Wagner’s role, and how the Russian state uses these kinds of organizations.
Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceJohn Lechner is a journalist and an independent researcher and consultant to NGOs and other institutions working in Africa. He holds a master’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University. He speaks Russian, French, Turkish, Georgian, Chechen, Sango, and more. His reporting has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, and the BBC and published in Foreign Policy, Lawfare, and War on the Rocks, among others. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, he lives in Washington, D.C.
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