| Title | : | Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter ... the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 136 |
| Publication | : | Published October 20, 2018 |
Free History BONUS Inside!
Russia, or the Russian Federation as it is officially known, is the world’s largest country and covers almost a sixth of the global landmass. The country is often associated with harsh climates and autocratic government. The shadow of communism and the Cold War continues to influence global attitudes towards Russia.
This new captivating history book serves as an overview of Russian history over the span of more than a millennium, from the foundation of the Russian state by the Viking prince Rurik in 862 AD until the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
In Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter the Great, the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More, you will discover topics such as
The Foundation of Rus The Christianization of Rus The Fragmentation and Subjugation of Rus The Rise of Muscovy Overthrowing the Tatar yoke Gathering the Russian Lands The Birth of a Dynasty The Road to Reform Imperial Majesty Enlightened Despotism Reform and Reaction War and Revolution Terror and Upheaval The Great Patriotic War Cold War Reform and Collapse And much, much more! So if you want to discover more about the startling history of Russia, click "buy now"!
Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter ... the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More Reviews
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A concise history of Russia from Medieval times to Vladimir Putin. This book gives the reader a good general introduction to Russia's history.
I've read a couple of the books in the Captivating History series, they're free with Kindle Unlimited and provide great introductions to a subject. Some books seem better produced than others with maps, illustrations and photos, other books like this one are just pages of text. I wish they would produce all with the same level of quality with at least maps and a better layout. -
This book offers a quick snapshot of the political history of Russia.
Reading a summary of 1000 years in 136 pages might feel a bit too rushed initially, but the book provides enough details to have a general understanding of the political idiosyncrasy of Russia (always leaning towards autocracy) and how this country has been transformed from a collection of principalities centred in Kiev to a continental mammoth that connects Europe with Asia.
Personally, it also helped me to discover interesting stories from the following Russian leaders of which I'll seek to read more about in the future.
Igor of Kiev (Rurik's son)
Olga of Kiev (Igor's widow)
Ivan the terrible
Tsar Peter
Empress Catherine I (Peter's wife)
Empress Carherine II
Peter III (rebellion) -
This was a good, short read.
It is a chronological abridged history of Russia; starting way back when the landmass was known as Rus, continuing on with (among others): Olga Of Kiev, Ivan III an IV, Peter The Great, Catherine The Great, Trotsky, Lenin and Stalin, and going all the way up to Putin.
It was a well-written book, and informative as it could be, seeing how little time was spent on any individual or era in Russia's history.
Overall, I would recommend it to someone interested in a cursory reading of Russian History. -
Fascinating narration of Russian history outlining the evolution of Russia as a nation state and then as USSR before its dissolution back as Russia. It is difficult to encapsulate centuries of history in so few pages but Captivating History do it well.
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kindle unlimited, rearranged order for this one, look at very top of list of books where will see Mao Zedong to Russian history books to World Wars to Cold War including Castro and various famous/infamous participants
Discover the Captivating History of Russia Free History BONUS Inside!
Russia, or the Russian Federation as it is officially known, is the world’s largest country and covers almost a sixth of the global landmass. The country is often associated with harsh climates and autocratic government. The shadow of communism and the Cold War continues to influence global attitudes towards Russia.
This new captivating history book serves as an overview of Russian history over the span of more than a millennium, from the foundation of the Russian state by the Viking prince Rurik in 862 AD until the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
In Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter the Great, the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More, you will discover topics such as The Foundation of Rus The Christianization of Rus The Fragmentation and Subjugation of Rus The Rise of Muscovy Overthrowing the Tatar yoke Gathering the Russian Lands The Birth of a Dynasty The Road to Reform Imperial Majesty Enlightened Despotism Reform and Reaction War and Revolution Terror and Upheaval The Great Patriotic War Cold War Reform and Collapse And much, much more!
Mao Zedong: A Captivating Guide to the Life of a Chairman of the Communist Party of China, the Cultural Revolution and the Political Theory of Maoism
Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter ... the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More
The Russian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the February and October Revolutions and the Rise of the Soviet Union Led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks
Korean War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War History
Vietnam War: A Captivating Guide to the Second Indochina War
Cold War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War and Vietnam War
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
D Day: A Captivating Guide to the Battle for Normandy (The Second World War and D Day Book 2)
The Second World War: A Captivating Guide to World War II and D Day
Cold War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War and Vietnam War
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
George Patton: A Captivating Guide to a Combative American War Hero Who Played a Critical Part in the Battle of Normandy During WWII
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
John Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of JFK
Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis
History of Havana: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Capital of Cuba, Starting from Christopher Columbus' Arrival to Fidel Castro
Erik the Red: A Captivating Guide to the Viking Who Founded the First Norse Settlement in Greenland
Leif Erikson: A Captivating Guide to the Viking Explorer Who Beat Columbus to America and Established a Norse Settlement at Vinland
Wars of Scottish Independence: A Captivating Guide to the Battles Between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England, Including the Impact Made by King Robert the Bruce
William Wallace: A Captivating Guide to a Freedom Fighter and Martyr Who Impacted Scottish History and Scotland’s Independence from England
Scottish History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Scotland
Marie Antoinette: A Captivating Guide to the Last Queen of France Before and During the French Revolution, Including Her Relationship with King Louis XVI
The Tudors: A Captivating Guide to the History of England from Henry VII to Elizabeth I
The Wars of the Roses: A Captivating Guide to the English Civil Wars That Brought down the Plantagenet Dynasty and Put the Tudors on the Throne
The Six Wives of Henry VIII: A Captivating Guide to Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery
Black History: A Captivating Guide to African American History and the Haitian Revolution
African American History: A Captivating Guide to the People and Events that Shaped the History of the United States
Native American History: A Captivating Guide to the Long History of Native Americans Including Stories of the Wounded Knee Massacre, Native American Tribes, Hiawatha and More
Trail of Tears: A Captivating Guide to the Forced Removals of Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Nations
The Culper Ring: A Captivating Guide to George Washington's Spy Ring and its Impact on the American Revolution
George Washington: A Captivating Guide to an American Founding Father Who Served as the First President of the United States of America
Thomas Jefferson: A Captivating Guide to an American Founding Father Who Was the Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence and the Third President of the United States
James Madison: A Captivating Guide to an American Founding Father Who Served as the Fourth President of the United States of America
James Monroe: A Captivating Guide to the Founding Father Who Served as the Fifth President of the United States
Alexander Hamilton: A Captivating Guide to one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America
Aaron Burr: A Captivaing Guide to the Life of Aaron Burr and the Most Famous Duel in American History
The Duel: A Captivating Guide to the Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr
Andrew Jackson: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Seventh President of the United States
Martin Van Buren: A Captivating Guide to the Man Who Served as the Eighth President of the United States
American Presidents: A Captivating Guide to Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren – The Two Founders of the Democratic Party
The Civil War: A Captivating Guide to the American Civil War and Its Impact on the History of the United States
The Roaring Twenties: A Captivating Guide to a Period of Dramatic Social and Political Change, a False Sense of Prosperity, and Its Impact on the Great Depression
History of Chicago: A Captivating Guide to the People and Events that Shaped the Windy City’s History
P.T. Barnum: A Captivating Guide to the American Showman Who Founded What Became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Achaemenid Empire: A Captivating Guide to the First Persian Empire Founded by Cyrus the Great, and How This Empire of Ancient Persia Fought Against the Ancient Greeks in the Greco-Persian Wars
Ancient Civilizations: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Canaanites, Hittites and Ancient Israel and Their Role in Biblical History {each also listed individually as own book}
Mesoamerican History: A Captivating Guide to Four Ancient Civilizations that Existed in Mexico – The Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Aztec Civilization
Aztec: A Captivating Guide to Aztec History and the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 2)
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
Ancient Civilizations: A Captivating Guide to Mayan History, the Aztecs, and Inca Empire
Aztec History: A Captivating Guide to the Aztec Empire, Mythology, and Civilization
Assyrian History: A Captivating Guide to the Assyrians and Their Powerful Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia
The Byzantine Empire: A Captivating Guide to Byzantium and How the Eastern Roman Empire Was Ruled by Emperors such as Constantine the Great and Justinian {see Roman}
The Fall of Constantinople: A Captivating Guide to the Conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks that Marked the end of the Byzantine Empire
The Ancient Canaanites: A Captivating Guide to the Canaanite Civilization that Dominated the Land of Canaan Before the Ancient Israelites
Ancient Israel: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Israelites, Starting From their Entry into Canaan Until the Jewish Rebellions against the Romans
Celtic Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs
Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Chinese Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Chinese Folklore Including Fairy Tales, Myths, and Legends from Ancient China
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3
Ancient Egypt: A Captivating Guide to Egyptian History, Ancient Pyramids, Temples, Egyptian Mythology, and Pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Cleopatra (Kindle Edition)
Ancient History: A Captivating Guide to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Ancient Greece: A Captivating Guide to Greek History Starting from the Greek Dark Ages to the End of Antiquity
Greek Mythology: Captivating Greek Myths of Greek Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Heroes
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Introduction to Greek Myths of Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Greek Mythology: Captivating Tales of the Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Monsters (Classical Mythology; Greek Myths Book 1)
Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Hittites: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Anatolian People Who Established the Hittite Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia
Japanese Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Japanese Folklore, Myths, Fairy Tales, Yokai, Heroes and Heroines
Maya History: A Captivating Guide to the Maya Civilization, Culture, Mythology, and the Maya Peoples’ Impact on Mesoamerican History
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the
Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Olmecs: A Captivating Guide to the Earliest Known Major Ancient Civilization in Mexico
Parthian Empire: A Captivating Guide to the Enemy of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire
The Roman Republic: A Captivating Guide to the Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic, SPQR and Roman Politicians Such as Julius Caesar and Cicero
Roman Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Roman Gods, Goddesses, and Mythological Creatures (Classical Mythology)
Roman History: A Captivating Guide to Ancient Rome, Including the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and the Byzantium {see above for other Byzantine}
Ancient Rome: A Captivating Introduction to the Roman Republic, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and The Byzantine Empire {see above for other Byzantine}
Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
Sumerians: A Captivating Guide to Ancient Sumerian History, Sumerian Mythology and the Mesopotamian Empire of the Sumer Civilization
Gilgamesh: A Captivating Guide to Gilgamesh the King and the Epic of Gilgamesh
Ur: A Captivating Guide to One of the Most Important Sumerian City-States in Ancient Mesopotamia
plent of sets/combo books, the list was getting WAY too long so trying to shorten it a bit -
kindle unlimited, rearranged order for this one, look at very top of list of books where will see Mao Zedong to Russian history books to World Wars to Cold War including Castro and various famous/infamous participants, not sure why not showing as read, did this one ages ago according to amazon
Discover the Captivating History of Russia Free History BONUS Inside!
Russia, or the Russian Federation as it is officially known, is the world’s largest country and covers almost a sixth of the global landmass. The country is often associated with harsh climates and autocratic government. The shadow of communism and the Cold War continues to influence global attitudes towards Russia.
This new captivating history book serves as an overview of Russian history over the span of more than a millennium, from the foundation of the Russian state by the Viking prince Rurik in 862 AD until the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
In Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter the Great, the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More, you will discover topics such as The Foundation of Rus The Christianization of Rus The Fragmentation and Subjugation of Rus The Rise of Muscovy Overthrowing the Tatar yoke Gathering the Russian Lands The Birth of a Dynasty The Road to Reform Imperial Majesty Enlightened Despotism Reform and Reaction War and Revolution Terror and Upheaval The Great Patriotic War Cold War Reform and Collapse And much, much more!
Mao Zedong: A Captivating Guide to the Life of a Chairman of the Communist Party of China, the Cultural Revolution and the Political Theory of Maoism
Russian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Russia, Including Events Such as the Mongol Invasion, the Napoleonic Invasion, Reforms of Peter ... the Fall of the Soviet Union, and More
The Russian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the February and October Revolutions and the Rise of the Soviet Union Led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks
Korean War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War History
Vietnam War: A Captivating Guide to the Second Indochina War
Cold War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War and Vietnam War
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
D Day: A Captivating Guide to the Battle for Normandy (The Second World War and D Day Book 2)
The Second World War: A Captivating Guide to World War II and D Day
Cold War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War and Vietnam War
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
George Patton: A Captivating Guide to a Combative American War Hero Who Played a Critical Part in the Battle of Normandy During WWII
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
John Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of JFK
Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis
History of Havana: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Capital of Cuba, Starting from Christopher Columbus' Arrival to Fidel Castro -
Who's this for:
It's relatively clear from the book title. If you want to know a broad history of Russia and the territories around it and/or a refresher of some history lessons, this book is for you. You have to draw conclusions and outlooks of what this all means today and in the future yourself though.
I liked:
- In general I really liked the format of the book. It seems to be a good format to give a good overview over the history but it's not an in-depth account of everything possible as you would want actually studying the history.
- The chapters are well organised and in a chronological fashion as well as grouped by larger epochs/phases of the history of Russia.
I didn't like:
- While there are of course many people, dates and details needed to have an understanding of the history, I think overall there might be a better way to make it a bit easier to grasp.
- It could have been a bit updated with more recent events that happened the last 20 years or so. I think many things of the past, the culture, etc. leads to how the country is governed today and that's always the interesting thing for me when studying history to understand the current times, people, motivations, etc. better. That would have been interesting to draw from all the learnings and the past to put into context the current institutions and likely future outlook. History shapes your thinking, the culture and the people around you.
Things I learned:
Again, as in other books, like for example
Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces what you learn is more the broad context and a feeling of what happened over a long time. Mostly the Russia as we know it today is by no means representing how it came to be and how it's culture and present day politics is viewed. Sadly this is currently a very urgent topic with the invasion of the Ukraine. Countries, cultures and people change and it's always has been troubling to have territorial expectation based on history.
As always a couple of things though that I learned and that somehow struck me as noteworthy
- "Slav" comes form the word meaning "word" and originally denoted "people who speak the same language".
- Some dances from the past pagans that were meant for better harvest still survive today.
- Vladimir checked out around the 10th century all religions and found the orthodox christianity faith the most joyful.
- Moscow was founded at a strategic point and its position inland protected it from invasions (not the Mongolians though).
- "Moscow does not believe in tears" is as Russian proverb that means "don't complain, solve your problems by yourself".
- Double Eagle: Depicts the rule over west and east.
- "Zar" comes from caesar and originally meant the Khan and Byzantine rulers.
- Peter the great was a large person, learned many crafts himself and founded St. Petersburg.
- Lenin introduced many positive reforms in education, equality, etc. He didn't want Stalin as his successor because he was too bad tempered but didn't manage to prepare for a more suitable successor before his death.
- Stalin led internal "purges" on own people (because of paranoia). It's also described in
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy from the perspective of a Russian spy.
- Under Gorbatschow there was the perestroika (reconstruction of the state by introducing more market oriented models) and glasnost (openness and transparency).
- There was a lot of intrigue and infighting. Mistrusting others and fearing assassinations lead to a lot of killing of innocent people. But there were also a lot of assassinations and the anxiety and paranoia not unfounded. -
This is an expansive book covering a period of well over 1,100 years. There are a very large number of political leaders to meet. Some of them survive for a while or even a long while. Some, an eye blinkingly short time. The stories are full of intrigue and back-stabbing.
I've never had a favourite tsar before, but I took an instant liking to Peter I. He actually made a good difference for many people. Whilst there are numerous unpleasant characters whose stories you will find to be quite dark, many seem to have a very sad life indeed.
Behind all of this are the serfs and peasants. Life for them appears to be one continual drudge whoever is in charge. It is very difficult not to think that Russia has spent a very long time getting nowhere.
Interesting fact - Catherine the Great was really named Martha. I suppose Martha the Great doesn't sound quite so good.
My favourite part stood out immediately that I had begun to read it. Dmitry I died aged nine with his throat cut. However, he reappeared 10 years later claiming the dead boy was a substitute. Despite the fact that he seemed to be Polish, he ruled for several months, only to be replaced by False Dmitry II. Very Pythanesque, especially his ending.
Well worth reading. -
I received this book free from Amazon and it is part of the Captivating history collection.
These books are mostly about historical events or historical persons. This one is about Russian history one of the greatest nation and has all the important information about the history from the very beginning of the Russian state until soviet era and now modern Russia.
It is interesting to read about Russian imperial history in the light of the Russian War against Ukraine. Since every war has deep causes I wanted to learn about Russian history, their fears and geopolitical aspirations.
This book is relatively short and easy to read because it is written in a very concise way (you can read it within an hour or so).
This is my assessment of this book Russian history by Captivating history according to my 8 criteria:
1. Related to practice - 4 stars
2. It prevails important - 5 stars.
3. I agree with the read - 4 stars
4. not difficult to read (as for non-English native) - 4 stars
5. Too long (more than 500 pages) - short and concise (150-200 pages) - 5 stars
6. Boring - every sentence is interesting - 5 stars
7. Learning opportunity - 5 stars
8. Dry and uninspired style of writing - Smooth style with humouristic and fun parts - 4 stars
Total 4.5 stars -
This book gives a concise history of Russia focusing on major events, starting with it’s founding in the 9th Century by Viking prince Rurik up until present day Russian president Vladimir Putin. Given that this book is condensing twelve hundred years of history into 135 pages I think it achieves it’s goal of “education for anyone”, anyone can finish it.
I do have a couple of complaints though. I bought a physical copy of this book off Amazon and didn’t realise that Captivating History is one of those cheap looking, self published type book series. The cover and back of the book curls upwards at the corners and looks terrible. The book was cheap though (about £6 if I remember) so you get what you pay for. The worst offence has to be the spelling errors, they are numerous throughout. Apparently CH don’t spell check their books.
If the book had been presented a little better and didn’t have numerous typos then I’d probably rate it four stars instead of three. -
When I started reading A Gentleman in Moscow, I realized immediately that I needed a bit more background into the historical timeline of Russia. I set the novel aside and picked up this synopsis, which really helped.
A comprehensive history of Russia from 800 AD to 2016ish. About 3 hours to read, it put a lot of things into perspective for me, including the long line of kings/princes ruling from Kiev, to the Khans/Tatars/Mogols who insisted on tithes from the local princes, to the aristocracy of the Romanovs and others before them, to the Bolshevik revolution led by Lenin, then on to the rise of Stalin and WWII, on finally to the modern leaders of Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev and Putin.
It was not to detailed, but it was readable. -
Although not a work of scholarly research, the book does address the big picture of Russian history and how the Russian mindset, past and present, perceives the world. I appreciate how the underlying thread is how Russian culture is a conglomerate of Euro-Asian-Slavic cultures and thinking--which is very important in understanding Russia, especially in the last 100 years.
This book is spot on with the current situation in Ukraine. I am still amazed at the lack of historical perspective from the MSM and the average Joe, Jane or whatever pronoun you prefer. Ukraine and Russia have a long history of association in culture, trade and jurisdiction. People can disagree with current Russian behavior in Ukraine, but the adage is true even now--There are always two sides. -
This book is a good example of why single volume summaries of a thousand years of history are seldom satisfying, and why someone with no sense of historiography should not write history. The book reads like a not-very-talented high school student threw a term paper together at the last minute. The opening chapters are in the flowery style of fairy tales, while the later chapters are a pastiche of articles hastily copied from an encyclopedia. The book grows increasingly chaotic and disjointed. If you knew absolutely nothing about Russian history before reading this book, after reading it you will know a tiny bit.
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4.5 stars rounding up cuz I haven’t had any 5 stars read this year and that makes me sad.
Also I really enjoyed this! I suddenly had to urge to learn about Russian history and this book did its job smoothly. It’s a short summary so I didn’t expect much depth, but now I know what parts of history I wanna research more about. -
Easy to read and engaging
Just what I want in an introductory history book. Looking forward to reading more of these. By no means is this a full depiction of the subject but it's just enough for a basic overview and an opportunity to find out more. -
2'5⭐
Está bien para hacerte una idea, pero intenta abarcar demasiado y la mayoría de los capítulos no son más que una sucesión infinita de hijos y hermanos que se matan por el trono o de rivales políticos que también se matan -
This short overview is a good introduction to Russian history and can be used as a stepping stone for deeper reading.
