Downfall

The compelling 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 A Short History of Russia.

‘Absolutely gripping, deeply authoritative, hugely important and lethally lurid’ —Simon Sebag Montefiore

Evgeny 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, the aftermath of his death, what is next for Russia in the new stage of late Putinism that Prigozhin's life forged?

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 has come to occupy. An essential story of Russia's recent history, Downfall is also a compelling insight into its likely future.