Putin's Sledgehammer

A Washington Independent Review of Books Best Book of the Year

“Rondeaux’s detailed analysis shows how the country’s restructuring under Putin provided fertile soil for Prigozhin.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Thorough… [Rondeaux] goes deeper than anyone else in tracing the origins of the Wagner Group.” —The New York Review of Books

“A layered account that draws on corporate registries, court records, ship and plane path data as well as multiple interviews. The end product? A brilliant guide to future putschists on how not to topple Putin.” —Times (UK)

“Putin’s Sledgehammer provides an in-depth account of, and essential political and economic background to, the story of Prigozhin’s meteoric rise and abrupt demise.” —Times Literary Supplement

“Rondeaux combines vivid journalistic clarity and unbiased academic reflection in Putin’s Sledgehammer.” —Irish Times

“Reads more like a breathless spy thriller than an academic exploration... Putin’s Sledgehammer is a seminal work of incisive insight not only about the Wagner Group and its late charismatic leader but also about modern mercenaryism and why we should care about it.” —Washington Independent Review of Books

“Comprehensive… exceedingly well researched… enlightening… a must-read case study on the future of proxy war in the 21st century.” —Small Wars Journal

“Rondeaux places Prigozhin and other paramilitary warlords, who had been active in fighting Ukraine long before the 2022 invasion, in the context of contemporary Russian politics, with Putin betting that the West had no strategies to counter them—correctly, she adds… An illuminating look at a nationalist army.” —Kirkus

“Highly detailed and magnificently written, Putin’s Sledgehammer has much to offer… A must-read foreign-affairs title.” —Booklist

“Candace Rondeaux has given us a riveting story of how Putin used a criminal mercenary organization to do his dirty work. She also tells us how the Wagner Group turned on its master. Putin’s Sledgehammer is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of Russia and how to counter the Kremlin’s wars and shadow wars across the globe.” —H.R. McMaster, former national intelligence advisor of the US

“This description of the rot in Russia is brilliant. Candace Rondeaux exposes the corruption in the Russian military that hollowed out its fighting ability, the fragility of its chain of command, the infighting within the Russian security services, the damaging effect of the loss of Syria and African battles. Prigozhin's Wagner Group, Russia's shadow army, was brutal, amoral, ruthless—evil.” —Bill Taylor, former ambassador to Ukraine