Russia's Man of War: The Extraordinary Viktor Bout

by Cathy Scott-Clark

Viktor Bout was a warlord's warlord, according to MI6, the US National Security Council and the CIA--a terrorist facilitator, and the world's most prolific arms dealer. They tracked him everywhere, smuggling weapons from North Korea and the former Soviet Union into the world's bloodiest conflict zones, from Liberia to Afghanistan. Intelligence services called him a secret KGB asset; the White House, the most dangerous man in the world. But Bout strenuously denied this, describing himself as a businessman.

Washington hunted Bout for more than a decade, before finally trapping him and jailing him for 25 years. Then, in December 2022, the story took an unlikely President Biden pardoned Bout and sent him home to Moscow, in a prisoner exchange to rescue basketball superstar Brittney Griner, jailed in Russia on drugs charges. Soon enough, Bout cozied up with doomed Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov and the Russian governors Putin had installed in occupied Ukraine.

Has America's extraordinary decision to swap Bout undermined Western interests? Has Putin put him back to work in his old business? Through candid interviews with US investigators and Viktor Bout himself, this book reveals the true story of the 'Merchant of Death'.

Genres: Nonfiction, Russia, Biography

486 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2025

About the author

Cathy Scott-Clark is a British journalist and author. She has worked with the Sunday Times and The Guardian. She has co-authored six books with Adrian Levy.

Reviews

[Kimijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Merchant of Death chronicles Viktor Bout, the world’s most notorious arms dealer, from his secretive global operations and decade-long pursuit by U.S. authorities to his extradition, imprisonment, and surprising 2022 release in a high profile prisoner swap. Through exclusive interviews, the book examines his true role, lingering dangers, and the geopolitical implications of his return to Russia.

[Philip Seib · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of useful information about the scope and mechanics of arms dealing, but sometimes too much. Also, the many typos throughout the book are distracting.

[Joaquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demasiado complaciente con el traficante de armas.