Russia: A History

By Gregory L. Freeze

Book Overview

Since the coming of perestroika in 1985, scholars have had unprecedented access to Russian archives. In Russia: A History, editor Gregory Freeze and twelve other American and European historians have mined these newly opened archives and browsed through the best contemporary scholarship to provide a major reinterpretation of the history of one of the world's great powers.
Here is the first major history of Russia to appear since the fall of the Soviet Union, beginning in the 8th century and ranging across a thousand years to the recently established Commonwealth of Independent States. What emerges is a nation of extremes--of imperial opulence and abject poverty, tyrannical power and subversive resistance, artistic achievement and economic crisis, glittering cities and frozen steppes. The contributors capture a powerful sense of Russia's national destiny of repeated themes and unchanging conditions. We see, for instance, that time and again, all-powerful autocrats like Ivan the Terrible and Stalin employed brutality to eliminate any challenge to their authority. Yet their hold on power was always under attack, threatened by bureaucratic incompetence, pervasive corruption, and resistance from below. Russian rulers have also had to contend with the same immense physical challenges: a huge and widely dispersed population, a perennial dearth of means and men to govern, a primitive infrastructure which, as the authors show, periodically dissolved into times of trouble, as in 1598, 1917, and 1991.
Handsomely illustrated with nearly 170 illustrations, including 12 color plates, this landmark history cuts through the myths that have surrounded Russia to tell the absorbing story of one of the world's most powerful nations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192158996
• ISBN13: 9780192158994
• Release Date: April 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.7" x 1.5" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Very readable

This is a comprehensive book covering several hundred years of Russian history. Although the book is divided into 'bite sized chunks', make no mistake; this is no lightweight read. Gregory Freeze has an obvious grasp of the enigma that is Russia and has the skill to present his knowledge in a way that makes complex history fun to read instead of a chore. The revised edition takes into account the information that has become available since the fall of Communism in the USSR. This makes it all the more interesting as it helps dispel some of the myths propagated by the West during the cold war. I would recommend this book to anyone with a fascination for Russia but particularly for the undergraduate studying the topic.

For Those With Strong Interest in the Subject

Gregory Freeze is an erudite scholar, and it shows with the current volume. This is not a popular book. It is written for those with some knowledge of the subject, who will appreciate the possibilities and limitations of serious historical reviews of events most of us find difficult to understand. However, understand these events we must, as Russia is not the only country to thrive on misinformation and misunderstanding of its place in the world.

Wonderful, uptodate essays by authorities in specific fields

This is a beautifully illustrated and attractively presented overview of Russian history (broadly conceived) by respected authorities in specific areas of Russian history from ancient times to the present. It is sober and balanced and in touch with the latest research and documentation. It is addressed to a broad audience and may be read with pleasure and profit by anyone. Pictures and text are exceptionally well integrated. An outstanding and sophisticated popular presentation by twelve American, British and German scholars.