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Russia: A History
Since the coming of perestroika in 1985, scholars have had unprecedented access to Russian archives. In 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 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.
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 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.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published November 27, 1997
58 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Gregory L. Freeze
16 books5 followersGregory L. Freeze is the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of History at Brandeis University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 19, 2022
First of all, a word of caution. This book is, in my opinion, not suitable for everybody. It is written from an academic viewpoint and this can create the impression of an arid text (which I have confirmed by reading other reviews). But I have to say that I have previously bumped into really arid history books and this is far from that. Of course, if you want something more anecdotical or personality-oriented, there are others which may perfectly suit you, such as The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
Once said that, my impression is that the authors of this book do a very thorough, deep, detailed journey through more than a thousand years of Russian history, since the days of the Varingians up to Vladimir Putin. Having different authors for each section of the book makes that the styles and approches vary from one historical period to the next, but without losing accuracy nor rigour. In my personal case it has served me quite well to understand some aspects of Russian history in which I felt I had just barely touched the waters.
Read it slowly, take your time, make pauses. This book is not to be read in a rush, but to try to process and understand all the insights it provides about the events of such a thrilling country.
Once said that, my impression is that the authors of this book do a very thorough, deep, detailed journey through more than a thousand years of Russian history, since the days of the Varingians up to Vladimir Putin. Having different authors for each section of the book makes that the styles and approches vary from one historical period to the next, but without losing accuracy nor rigour. In my personal case it has served me quite well to understand some aspects of Russian history in which I felt I had just barely touched the waters.
Read it slowly, take your time, make pauses. This book is not to be read in a rush, but to try to process and understand all the insights it provides about the events of such a thrilling country.
November 18, 2017
Any serious academic should blatantly ignore the bad reviews about this book, stating that it is too dry. History is made on statistics and dates, not on humane fluffy nonsense. In order to understand countries and trends, you have to understand the economic and institutional developments. This book does an extremely good job at that. If you just want to read countless anecdotes or memoirs, this is not the book for you, but if you want to truly understand the political and economic institutional developments of Russia, then check this out, because it is fascinating.
May 29, 2017
I'm not quite sure how one makes the history of Russia boring, but this book manages it.
This gets the job done, but there are much more enjoyable texts out there. Riasanovsky's "A History of Russia," for example.
This gets the job done, but there are much more enjoyable texts out there. Riasanovsky's "A History of Russia," for example.
December 6, 2019
time to fail a test
February 25, 2014
It took me longer than I would have liked to because I had moved and for six months lost the book and because there was times that the book was too damn dry. Since each chapter had a different author, some chapters were more interesting than others however most covered the economics throughout Russia's history.
The most interesting chapters were the rise of Stalin and throughout Stalin's years in power which of course included World War II and some of the Cold War. i would have liked to have seen more on the Cold War issues, but there seemed to be just a domestic interest by each of the writer's chapters.
I would have liked to have seen a more human element into each of the leader or czars. There was a little biographical information of the rise of Gorbachev, but little else.
Overall, the book was informative, but dry. Still a decent read.
The most interesting chapters were the rise of Stalin and throughout Stalin's years in power which of course included World War II and some of the Cold War. i would have liked to have seen more on the Cold War issues, but there seemed to be just a domestic interest by each of the writer's chapters.
I would have liked to have seen a more human element into each of the leader or czars. There was a little biographical information of the rise of Gorbachev, but little else.
Overall, the book was informative, but dry. Still a decent read.
September 3, 2017
Um sobrevoo por dez séculos de história, começando na Rus Kievana do clã Rurique à era de Putin, no início do século XXI, necessariamente perfunctório mas suficiente para leigos se iniciarem no fascinante devir social, cultural, político, económico e geográfico de um Estado sempre preponderante na História da Humanidade.
October 26, 2020
I found it confusing at times, and disjointed. Of course, it’s a collection of essays by different scholars, so saying it’s disjointed may be unfair. However, at the book’s conclusion, while I found myself in possession of numerous facts, I still felt like I didn’t know Russia. Any recommendations for a good history of modern Russia?
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July 31, 2025got the job done
January 1, 2020
Kinda dry and academic but very well researched and written, and a very satisfying read. There's a fair bit of substance and sociology in the book rather than dates and wars and the like, and for the entire history of a country/region, it does a good job of squeezing out the relevant bits. Recommended for anyone with enough interest in Russia to overlook the non-breezy style.
November 15, 2022
Russia: A History is a decent history of Russia. It is composed of several sections by various authors covering different periods of Russian history and different topics. The book covers a period from the early 9th century to the early 21st century.
This book attempts to look at history from the standpoint of the people rather than focusing so much on the lives and wars of the rulers, although there is a little of that too. I sort of like this approach for American history where I already know a lot about many of the leaders and what they were involved in. But since this is the first Russian history of any depth I have read it felt a little shallow in its coverage of some of the most famous Russian rulers. I learned a lot from it, but still feel as if I have only scratched the surface of this subject.
In a country as large as Russia that has been around for as long as it has, it is difficult to get much of a sense of what the people were thinking or doing. A lot of the story of the people told here concerns the reaction of the noble and aristocratic class to various tax schemes of whoever was attempting to rule them at the time. As for the peasants and serfs, they seemed to plow doggedly on through almost everything, dying in large numbers when they didn’t have a better option but otherwise minding their own business. I did discover that when the serfs were finally freed, it wasn’t just a one-time decree and done as we were always taught, but a long, hotly disputed process going back and forth over several years before finally being completed.
About the next time the average people were heard much from again, it was when they famously revolted, making way for the eventual rise of the Communists. The whole Communist period seemed to be barely touched too. Probably the history of just Communist Russia could, and does, fill many large volumes.
The last part of the book goes into a little bit about the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Gorbachev era, and the early and middle years of Vladimir Putin. The articles concerning Putin were confusing. I gather that when he first came into office, he was very popular, but later his questionable behavior cost him a lot of that popularity, but because the criticism came first, it is difficult to be sure. The book ended before Putin invaded Ukraine, so there is no commentary on that. But interestingly, even at the end of World War II, Ukraine was actively fighting to not be forced to rejoin the Soviet Union.
This book attempts to look at history from the standpoint of the people rather than focusing so much on the lives and wars of the rulers, although there is a little of that too. I sort of like this approach for American history where I already know a lot about many of the leaders and what they were involved in. But since this is the first Russian history of any depth I have read it felt a little shallow in its coverage of some of the most famous Russian rulers. I learned a lot from it, but still feel as if I have only scratched the surface of this subject.
In a country as large as Russia that has been around for as long as it has, it is difficult to get much of a sense of what the people were thinking or doing. A lot of the story of the people told here concerns the reaction of the noble and aristocratic class to various tax schemes of whoever was attempting to rule them at the time. As for the peasants and serfs, they seemed to plow doggedly on through almost everything, dying in large numbers when they didn’t have a better option but otherwise minding their own business. I did discover that when the serfs were finally freed, it wasn’t just a one-time decree and done as we were always taught, but a long, hotly disputed process going back and forth over several years before finally being completed.
About the next time the average people were heard much from again, it was when they famously revolted, making way for the eventual rise of the Communists. The whole Communist period seemed to be barely touched too. Probably the history of just Communist Russia could, and does, fill many large volumes.
The last part of the book goes into a little bit about the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Gorbachev era, and the early and middle years of Vladimir Putin. The articles concerning Putin were confusing. I gather that when he first came into office, he was very popular, but later his questionable behavior cost him a lot of that popularity, but because the criticism came first, it is difficult to be sure. The book ended before Putin invaded Ukraine, so there is no commentary on that. But interestingly, even at the end of World War II, Ukraine was actively fighting to not be forced to rejoin the Soviet Union.
July 7, 2017
Russia has a very complex history like many other European & Middle East countries. This book summarized the history very well.
October 28, 2017
Enjoyed this. Good start for anyone interested in Russia. Book covers beginning of Putin's time.
December 7, 2022
Good information, but dense and difficult to get through. Could have used a more lively editing touch.
September 30, 2024
A good primer and overview of Russia, a useful resource for anyone serious about studying Russian history, politics and culture.
February 7, 2022
Desde sus inicios hasta los tiempos de Putin, este libro da al lector la historia de un país fascinante. Lo hace mediante la colección de escritos académicos de diferentes autores cada uno presentando alguno de los períodos históricos del país. Claramente, la historia reciente es más detallada y ocupa más lugar que los orígenes remotos.
El enfoque académico de historiadores profesionales hace que el libro sea percibido como aburrido, no sin razón. Por lo que no resulta recomendable para quien busca también emoción y amenidad. Sea lo que sea, es un libro bueno e informativo que merece la pena ser leído.
El enfoque académico de historiadores profesionales hace que el libro sea percibido como aburrido, no sin razón. Por lo que no resulta recomendable para quien busca también emoción y amenidad. Sea lo que sea, es un libro bueno e informativo que merece la pena ser leído.
June 29, 2011
The narrow focus on political history was frustrating at times - for example, the effects of the Crimean War on public opinion is discussed at length, but the description of the war itself is so paltry that I had no idea who Russia was fighting against in the war, and could only infer that she lost.
The broad temporal sweep (400 pages for 500 years) seems like it'd be aimed at newcomers to the country's history, but I found I had to supplement the text with Wikipedia on nearly every page simply to understand the terms and historical figures used without introduction. People who don't need that sort of help might be bored by the overview.
Still, the subject matter is fascinating; despite several different authors writing for different eras, the link between historical causation still stands out. The consistent failure to divide land in an intelligent manner, the incompetency of the ruling class and the repeated way that reform always seemed to make things worse could be described as the major themes.
The broad temporal sweep (400 pages for 500 years) seems like it'd be aimed at newcomers to the country's history, but I found I had to supplement the text with Wikipedia on nearly every page simply to understand the terms and historical figures used without introduction. People who don't need that sort of help might be bored by the overview.
Still, the subject matter is fascinating; despite several different authors writing for different eras, the link between historical causation still stands out. The consistent failure to divide land in an intelligent manner, the incompetency of the ruling class and the repeated way that reform always seemed to make things worse could be described as the major themes.
January 27, 2021
The book explains thoroughly on significant events in Russian history and expands mostly in the 20th century. It also explains too little (if any) contents on Russian art, literature or music and mostly writes on military, economic and political developments.
It is a very useful and reliable (references/sources) book in identifying and arguing developments/trends in Russian history although some readers might find the writing style as too dry or academic as there is very little room on creative writing. I find it also very unbiased.
Different chapters has different authors so while reading, one can actually realise the (if vaguely) changes in quality and writing style. All in all a good informational book but overlooks the social aspects of Russian culture.
It is a very useful and reliable (references/sources) book in identifying and arguing developments/trends in Russian history although some readers might find the writing style as too dry or academic as there is very little room on creative writing. I find it also very unbiased.
Different chapters has different authors so while reading, one can actually realise the (if vaguely) changes in quality and writing style. All in all a good informational book but overlooks the social aspects of Russian culture.
March 7, 2015
A very well written book revolving around Russia's history from the Kievan Rus up to Putin and Medvedev. I can't really complain about the way Russia's history is presented here, I only wish it was present in more detail, especially the first centuries of it. It seems like at one moment you're reading about the Mongol invasion and suddenly you're in the middle of the October Revolution. As a Slav I will surely be looking now for some historical books about Russia written from a Russian and Polish perspective, but for a western book this one is pretty objective and not influenced by most western preconception about the Eastern Empire.
February 23, 2017
Very approachable and readable for newbies. It’s packed with information but isn’t too dense. It is a history book, so there are a lot of names and dates. But there is enough discussion so that it’s still easy enough to read. There are tonnes of photos; color and black and white. It’s organized chronologically with lots of relevant maps at the back, a list of abbreviations and terms, and also a fabulous chronology from 860-1996. There is also a Further Reading section that lists more books to reference. It’s arranged by chapter. So if a certain chapter interested you, just check out the books for that chapter. Overall, it’s a great starting point for Russian History.
December 24, 2022
It is a very profound and academic work. As noted and critisized in other reviews, indeed, the book mostly focus on socio-economic issues, but it is not the dates and numbers but these deep social processes that define the country's history. I like this focus and consider it reasonable for such a profound book, but if you're looking for some entertaining reading, the book indeed might not be for you.
August 7, 2015
This book was a giant slog and I couldn't drag myself to the finish line, plenty of important facts but not much inclusion of the fascinating, colorful personalities involved. I was taking a trip to Russia and wanted to bone up on some history but I couldn't stomach more than two thirds of it. I found "A Traveller's History of Russia" much more engaging and readable.
May 3, 2022
I think the other people reviewing this book have summed it up perfectly, very academic and at times difficult. I will say however the chapters covering the 20th century were interesting especially the chapter on Putin which explains well his vision for making Russia great again, his hatred of the west and his fear of and non acceptance of NATO ambitions
March 28, 2015
A good, solid overview though I think pre-18th Century Russia gets short shrift. Each chapter is around 30 pages and all of history up to 1450 gets the same space as the period from 1929-1941. I would have preferred a longer book with more time given to earlier history.
January 27, 2011
An interesting read. The history of Russia from the 800's onward to post Soviet Russia. The history is good, the maps are nice, but I think I would have liked a little more detail on the culture and language rather than just names and dates. Still very interesting to me, though.
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November 16, 2016I don't really think I'm knowledgable enough about other texts in Russian history to really identify if this was definitively better or worse, so I'm not going to rate it, but yay finishing a book for class.
August 12, 2007
The reviews on the front and back cover say it all. This is a good book.
Read
July 31, 2008Partially read
March 16, 2012
Simplistic and, at times, inaccurate.
Want to read
April 10, 2013Started 06.28.12.
Read half.
Moved to "Unfinished-Not-Abandoned Shelf."
Finish at some later date.
Read half.
Moved to "Unfinished-Not-Abandoned Shelf."
Finish at some later date.
March 9, 2013
Very good read. A bit slow in the beginning but that may reflect my interest level in the time up until the 1600's. I particularly liked the post-Staline coverage, as I am weak in that area.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews