History of Russia, Vol 2: Kievan Russia

A History of Russia #2

by George Vernadsky

Kievan Russia was originally published in a clothbound edition in 1948 as volume two in George Vernadsky’s comprehensive series, A History of Russia. It is now available for the first time in a paperbound edition. At the time of its publication
 
Kievan Russia received the following reviews:
“The account of this little-know chapter of Russian history is based on a formidable mass of Slavic Byzantine, Germanic, and Oriental (notably Arabic and Persian_ sources. Much of this material is new, and the thorough utilization of all primary and secondary literature accumulated since Kluchevsky wrote his great history easily makes this volume the definitive study of the Kievan period in the English language. There is hardly an aspect of the life of Russia at that time which remains untouched, and the scope of the author’s interests and erudition is indeed impressive….When all is said, Vernadsky’s filling a definite gap in American historical literature.”—The Annals
“This volume is an outstanding contribution to the understanding of an important period of Russian history. It is bound to have a marked influence on Western opinion about the years in Russian history it treats in such masterly manner.”—American Historical Review
“If Professor Vernadsky has not written the definitive work on Kievan Russia, no such book could be written without being indebted to Professor Vernadsky’s encyclopedic erudition.”—American Historical Review
George Vernadsky is professor emeritus of Russian history at Yale University and the author of numerous books on Russian history.

Genres: History, Russia, Nonfiction, Medieval, Russian History

429 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

George Vernadsky was a Russian Empire-born American historian and an author of numerous books on Russian history.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russia was so much more of a tangled web before it was Russia than I knew. It made me want to read more about nationalism. How did countries become countries and perhaps more importantly, why?
A very interesting look at the complexities of medieval Russia

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a very good introduction to the history the Kievan Rus'—and indeed, the standard history thereof since its first publication way back in the 1940s. A bit dry in places, but it contains a real wealth of information presented in a narrative that for whatever it lacks at times in compelling intrigue does provide the core details of a dazzling array of plots, bitter fights for power, and other drama of princes and their factions who are fighting for the control of a growing domain. This book also however presents a decent amount of information on daily life: agriculture, religion and the like. It would be possible to read about three books in Russian and get the same information but also a bit more and with greater diversity of viewpoint as the Vernadsky book is a single-author volume, but for an English-language introduction to the Kievan Rus', this can't be beat, really.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb history of medieval Russia.