**A Library Journal 2020 Title to Watch
"Terrific - and an amazing achievement to cover so much ground in such a
short and wonderfully readable book."** -Peter Frankopan, bestselling
author of The Silk Roads
Russia's epic story told in an accessible, lively and short form,
using the country's fascinating history to help us understand its
actions today and what the future might hold
A country with no natural borders, no single ethnic group, no true
central identity, Russia has mythologized its past to unite its people,
to justify its military decisions, and to signal strength to outsiders.
Mark Galeotti takes us behind the myths to the heart of the Russian
story, covering key moments such as:
-
the formation of a nation through its early legends, including Ivan
the Terrible and Catherine the Great
-
the rise and fall of the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, the Cold
War, Chernobyl and the Soviet Union
-
the arrival of an obscure politician named Vladimir Putin and his
ambitions for Russia
A Short History of Russia explores the history of this fascinating,
extraordinary, desperate and exasperating country through two
intertwined issues: the way successive influences from beyond its
borders have shaped Russia, and the way Russians came to terms with this
influence, writing and rewriting their past to understand their present
and try to shape their future. In turn, this self-invented history has
come to affect not just their constant nation-building project but also
their relations with the world.
