Mafia - by Ryan Gingeras (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A gripping and deeply researched exploration of the hidden influence of organized crime on the global economy that reveals the mafia as an uncredited architect of modern society.

In Mafia: A Global History, Ryan Gingeras takes readers on a fascinating journey into the shadowy world of organized crime and its far-reaching impact on contemporary society. From backroom deals to global power plays, this compelling narrative spans two centuries, unraveling the complex ties between crime syndicates and law enforcement--and how these relationships have reshaped both sides in unexpected ways.

Drawing on over a decade of in-depth research into the global drug trade, Gingeras profiles legendary figures like Al Capone, Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, and Dawood Ibrahim, bringing their stories to life while exposing how these mafias have tested the boundaries of state power. By challenging the law, these criminal networks force governments to adapt, leaving an indelible mark on governance, society, and the global economy.

Gingeras identifies three key spheres of transformation: the legal limits tested by mafias, their economic activities reflecting the Western bloc's dominance in global trade, and their undeniable presence in pop culture. As crime syndicates continue to evolve in the 21st century, Gingeras highlights the alarming blurring of lines between gangsters, corporations, and political leaders--a trend that threatens to destabilize the global order.

For true crime fans and history buffs alike, Mafia is a must-read. With echoes of Mark Bowden's Killing Pablo and Sam Quinones's Dreamland, Gingeras delivers a masterful blend of storytelling and meticulous analysis that will leave you questioning just how much of the world around us is shaped by those operating in the shadows.

Review Quotes

"An engaging book . . . Mafias have 'reflected' and 'helped define the making of the modern world, ' Mr Gingeras contends, taking readers from classical Rome to modern Las Vegas to bolster his argument." --The Economist

"Impressive . . . Gingeras considers the rise of clientelist crime and corruption in southern Italy, the US, Southeast Asia, and Latin America from the early nineteenth century to the present. He offers a Damon Runyonesque gallery of shakedown artists, payola sharks, and nickel-and-dime mobsters. . . . Well-researched . . . Mafia is an excellent history of all things murderous and mobster." --Times Literary Supplement (UK)

"Drawing on more than a decade of research to uncover the suppressed underworld history of mafias, historian Ryan Gingeras presents his findings in this global history of elusive organized crime. . . . From ancient bandits to modern-day cartels, the history of the underworld reveals the true history of a nation, one that is often suppressed. . . . The sweeping narrative follows the evolution of the criminal underworld across the globe." --Press Association

"Professor and historian Ryan Gingeras charts a steady course between academic respectability and formulating the odd unexpected sentence that will rock you on your heels . . . . The predominant tenor of this impressive book is not doom and gloom but sober realism. Mafias will be with us until men turn into angels." --Sydney Morning Herald

"A book of such hugely ambitious scope . . . Gingeras is good on ways in which crime responds to the needs of particular cultures at particular times . . . and deploys contextual detail to vivid effect . . . Gingeras paints a convincing picture of an interconnected, increasingly diversified, and truly global business which is tightly and apparently irrevocably intertwined, in so many different ways, with the apparatus of the state itself." --Financial Times

"Ambitious . . . Gingeras writes well and joins the historical dots. . . . For those who want to know how mafias began--especially those as fascinated by it all as Gingeras--this book may prove to be an offer they can't refuse." --The Daily Telegraph

"Historian Gingeras offers a historical deep dive into the murky world of gangland, from the gritty streets of the Five Points area of early twentieth-century New York City to ravaged, post-WWII Japan; from drug running to human trafficking. A valuable historical reference on organized crime." --Booklist

"From ancient bandits to modern hackers, organized criminals have long been unheralded architects of the evolution of state and society. Ryan Gingeras offers us an important and eye-opening guide to the way the underworld and upperworld shape each other." --Mark Galeotti, author of Homo Criminalis: How Crime Organizes the World

"A wide-ranging history . . . A revealing study of organized crime and its many forms." --Kirkus Reviews

"This is gripping, essential, global, and just plain fascinating." --Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity and Jerusalem: The Biography

About the Author

Ryan Gingeras is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School and is an expert in modern Eastern European and Middle East history. He is the author of six books, including The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire and Sorrowful Shores: Violence, Ethnicity, and the End of the Ottoman Empire 1912-1923, which was shortlisted for numerous book prizes. He has published on a wide variety of topics related to history and politics in such publications as Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Washington Post, International Journal of Middle East Studies, and more. As a faculty member of the Naval Postgraduate School, he has participated and contributed to research and executive education projects on the behalf of the US Department of State, Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. In addition to speaking German, Spanish, and Turkish fluently, he also possesses working knowledge of Ottoman Turkish, Albanian, Macedonian, and Greek. Ryan was born in New York City but has spent much of his life in California. He currently lives with his wife and children in the Santa Cruz Mountains.