Russian Politics and Society

By Richard Sakwa

Book Overview

Having been fully revised and updated to reflect the considerable changes in Russia over the last decade, the fourth edition of this classic text builds on the strengths of the previous editions to provide a comprehensive and sophisticated analysis on Russian politics and society. New to this edition:

extended coverage of electoral laws, party development and regional politics new chapter on the 'phoney democracy' period, 1991-93 historical evaluation of Yeltsin's leadership full coverage of Putin's presidency discussion of the development of civil society and the problems of democratic consolidation latest developments in the Chechnya conflict more on foreign policy issues the re-introduction of the Russian Constitution as an appendix an updated Select Bibliography more focus on the challenges facing Russia in the twenty-first century.

Written in an accessible and lively style, this book is packed with detailed information on the central debates and issues in Russia's difficult transformation. This makes it the best available textbook on the subject and is essential reading for all those concerned with the fate of Russia, and with the future of international society.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415415284
• ISBN13: 9780415415286
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 585 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.8" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent reading ! More than just a study !

It is rare to find academic books which comply with academic rigour, filled with information, data and opinions, and yet which are enjoyable to read. But this book is an exception, like most writings by Richard Sakwa. By inserting some curious historical facts into the studies, and even anecdotes, and by utilizing very refined and enriched vocabulary, the author makes the reading most enjoyable and fascinating, making it a pleasure to read the book - even for those who are just forced to study it out of their tutors' advice, like myself at University ! Wondeful reading, whether or not you are a Russia expert or just interested. The style somewhat resembles that of Tíbor Számuely, also another great writer in this field.

Good for a textbook, a solid source of information

I have used this book in my class on modern Russian politics. It is a comprehensive and thematically well-rounded monograph, dealing with subjects from political structure to economy to national identity to foreign policy. In its depth of coverage, it is much more than a regular textbook. Textbooks are often simplistic or lopsided, Sakwa's book is not. I particularly like Sakwa's grounding of politics in broader societal trends, political culture and history. It might be rather heavy on undergraduates in its scope and attention to the detail. Other than that, I have no serious criticisms to raise. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone with genuine interest in Russia as a country and as a political entity. It's a good choice for a textbook, most observations are still valid and relevant for the post-Yeltsin era.