Russia in the Age of Reaction and Reform 1801-1881

by David Saunders

This eagerly awaited study of Russia under Alexander I, Nicholas I and Alexander II -- the Russia of War and Peace and Anna Karenina -- brings the series near to completion. David Saunders examines Russia's failure to adapt to the era of reform and democracy ushered into the rest of Europe by the French Revolution. Why, despite so much effort, did it fail? This is a superb book, both as a portrait of an age and as a piece of sustained historical analysis.

394 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Seth]

Oh my, where to begin? This book was very informative and gave a very detailed history of Russia under Alex I&II and Nic I. It was, however, a very confusing read at times. The writing was not always clear. My next gripe is the writing style itself. It was drier than the Sahara desert. At times, I had to skim it because it was making Russian history uninteresting. This is not a book for a casual history. It was a tedious read. I was excited to learn more about Russia, but this would not be the book I would have chosen. Required class text.