Mafia

Few forces have shaped our world as powerfully as mafias. They are notorious, endlessly covered in news stories. Yet when official histories are written, their role in shaping nations, economies and societies is rarely acknowledged. Ryan Gingeras draws on more than a decade of research to uncover this suppressed underworld history. Crossing centuries and continents, he introduces legendary figures and explores the conditions, cultures and locales that gave birth to modern mafias.