Russia: A Concise History

Despite my name, I have no more than a high-schooler's knowledge of Russian history, and recently became very interested in 20th Century developments. As I looked at the various books about Russia in the 20th century, I realized that I was going to be overwhelmed unless: A) I had some knowledge of the history up to the 20th Century, and B) I had some basic knowledge of the events of the 20th century. So, I started looked around for a "first book" to read on the history, before plunging into the 600+ page, politically-charged, tomes that make up the bulk of the literature. I am perfectly pleased to have chosen this book. It is 216 pages long, but with many pictures, so contains roughly a hundred pages (or less) of text. The history starts in the 9th Century AD with Kiev being the most significant city. Chapter 5, entitled "Soviet Russia," begins on page 157, so roughly one-quarter of the book deals with Russia since the 1917 revolution. Very little deals with Russia since Gorbachov, but such recent history is the stuff of journals and newspaper articles, so I wouldn't expect, nor want, much of what might be termed "current events" in a concise work. The pictures, a mix of political cartoons, photographs, etchings, and--for earlier history--paintings (some by 20th century artists. Think "re-enactment") are moderately useful as page-fillers, as in high school text books. The picture are NOT in color. I recommend it as a good place to start a study of Russia.

Looking for a concise, accurate, intelligent, and detailed history of Russia? Look no farther. This is it. Viewed from the retrospective glance of history, Russia is a different country with a long tradition of lies, torture, economic disasters, and bizarre events (like the horse induced death of Catherine the Great). The crowning achievement of the good old USA was the defeat of the evil empire that was the USSR. Putin succeeded Yeltsin as President. Neither leader has been a model of enlightened libralism. But signs have emerged that Russians may yet generate the energy and the talent to build a better history in the Third Millennium than they contrived in the Second.

To a fan of western history such as myself, I am was unfamiliar with the grand and rich history of Russia. When my child took a course in Russian History, my interest was aroused, and I bought this book. It was a delight to read, typical of most Thames and Hudson books. Profusely illustrated, it was just enough of the broad strokes for an introduction without condescending. An excellent starting point.

For all of you that have been fascinated with Russian history and literature, this book helps understand that beautiful and relentless spirit of russian people. Though it's a concise history, the book contains detailed descriptions of figures such as Peter the Great, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Terrible and Stalin. From the dawn of Russian civilization, in what it's now Ukraine, to the collapse of the U.S.S.R, the book will help you understand the mysery, triumphs, and character of what some many have referred to as the giant with feet of clay (Russia).