{"title":"Books by John Lechner","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781639733361","title":"Death Is Our Business","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“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.”\u003c\/b\u003e—\u003cb\u003eADAM HOCHSCHILD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe shocking inside story of how the Wagner Group rose to make private military companies inextricable from Russia’s anti-Western foreign strategy. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDually 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing exclusive interviews with over thirty Wagner Group members, \u003ci\u003eDeath Is Our Business \u003c\/i\u003eis the terrfiying true tale of the renegade militia that proved global instability is nothing if not an opportunity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55206416449909,"sku":"9781639733361","price":23.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781639733361.jpg?v=1786024276"},{"product_id":"9780781814478","title":"Beginner's Chechen with Online Audio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe\nfirst Chechen language course available in English!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChechen is spoken by over 1.4 million people worldwide, mostly\nin the Chechen Republic. It is also spoken in the Chechen diaspora in Russia,\nEurope, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Middle East, notably in Jordan and\nTurkey. It is a Northeast Caucasian language that is written in the Cyrillic\nscript.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for those new to Chechen, learning at home or in the\nclassroom, \u003ci\u003eBeginner's Chechen with Online Audio\u003c\/i\u003e teaches both\nwritten and spoken Chechen using modern pedagogy, and includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e·       \n\u003cb\u003eAn introductory section on the Chechen language\nand its main features\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e·       \n\u003cb\u003eTwelve carefully-paced chapters, each one\nopening with dialogues about an everyday topic followed by vocabulary, grammar\nlessons, and exercises  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e·       \n\u003cb\u003eAnswer key to the exercises\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e·       \n\u003cb\u003eChechen-English and English-Chechen\nglossaries\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e·       \n\u003cb\u003eOnline MP3 audio files for free download\nfeaturing pronunciation by native speakers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294838141301,"sku":"9780781814478","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780781814478_1639d2f2-65f3-4203-a4c3-b0ca97dfbfe1.jpg?v=1786015947"},{"product_id":"9780781814645","title":"Sango-English\/ English-Sango Dictionary \u0026 Phrasebook","description":"\u003cp\u003eSango, also known as Sanngo and Säauml;ngöouml;, is an official language of the Central African Republic (CAR). It is also spoken in Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon and considered a \u003ci\u003elingua franca\u003c\/i\u003e of the region. Spoken by nearly 6 million people in the CAR, there are also an estimated additional 1.6 million speakers of Sango worldwide. Although French is still used in most official communication and education in CAR, Sango is spoken by 98% of the population and is the primary language of socialization and oral communication through the country.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis unique two-part resource uses the official Sango Latin alphabet and orthography. It provides travelers to Central Africa with tools for daily interactions. The bilingual dictionary has a concise vocabulary for everyday use, and the phrasebook allows instant communication on a variety of topics. Ideal for businesspeople, travelers, students, and aid workers, this guide includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4,000 dictionary entries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEssential phrases on subjects such as healthcare, time, dates, transportation, money, communication services and much more\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn introduction to the basics of Sango grammar (including a short guide to alphabet and pronunciation)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368186622325,"sku":"9780781814645","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780781814645_178a1d2d-4673-4d5c-b47e-a4a6f927dfbd.jpg?v=1786015955"},{"product_id":"9780781814621","title":"Beginner's Circassian (Adyghe) with Online Audio","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe first Circassian language course available in English!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWest Circassian, also known as Adyghe, is a Northwest Caucasian language spoken by an estimated 500,000 people worldwide. The language is native to the North Caucasus region in Russia, but most speakers are in the diaspora in Turkey. Speakers can also be found in Jordan, Syria and Israel, where Circassians settled in the late 1800s. West Circassian is written in the Cyrillic script.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIdeal for those new to West Circassian, learning at home or in the classroom, \u003ci\u003eBeginner’s Circassian (Adyghe) with Online Audio\u003c\/i\u003e teaches both written and spoken Circassian using modern pedagogy, and includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn introductory section on the West Circassian (Adyghe) language and its main features\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwelve carefully-paced chapters, each one opening with dialogues about an everyday topic followed by vocabulary, grammar lessons, and exercises  \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnswer key to the exercises\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eWest Circassian-English and English-West Circassian glossaries\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eOnline MP3 audio files for free download featuring pronunciation by native speakers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368186687861,"sku":"9780781814621","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780781814621_e473d2be-390c-4171-a57a-a9eaba22c5e0.jpg?v=1786032853"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-john-lechner.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}