Russia and the Russians: From Earliest Times to the Present - Softcover

Hosking, Geoffrey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014029788X ISBN 13: 9780140297881

Publisher: Penguin, 2002

Synopsis

Geoffrey Hosking has been one of the foremost historians of Russia and her Empire for more than twenty years. He traces Russia's history from the settlement of Kiev through to the present day. He argues that two nation-building movements, one based on a messianic vision of Russia's destiny as God's people, the other a modernising and expansive imperial project of administration and assimilation, have clashed since the rise of Tsarism. These two nascent national identities offer a chance to compare & trace continuities in Tsarist and Soviet Russia & allow us to appreciate more fully the recurrent themes that have at times, and not least this century, appeared wholly without precedent in the history of the world.

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Review:

A comprehensive and intelligent survey of Russian history for the general reader... that follows the twists and turns of Slavic history from the principalities of Kievan Rus in the late ninth century to the presidency of Boris Yeltsin... A most excellent historical survey. "Russia and the Russians..".is a comprehensive and up-to-date textbook of Russian history... Hosking covers every aspect of Russia from the terrain itself, to the tsars, to Russian nationalism, to the Cold War, to Perestroika, to the Russian Federation--and he is thorough. "Russia and the Russians" is a book for the serious student of history. -- Freda Fuller Coursey "Times Record News" (09/09/2001) [A] comprehensive and intelligent survey of Russian history for the general reader...[that follows] the twists and turns of Slavic history from the principalities of Kievan Rus in the late ninth century to the presidency of Boris Yeltsin...[A] most excellent historical survey. Russia and the Russians ...is a comprehensive and up-to-date textbook of Russian history...[Hosking] covers every aspect of Russia from the terrain itself, to the tsars, to Russian nationalism, to the Cold War, to Perestroika, to the Russian Federation--and he is thorough. Russia and the Russians is a book for the serious student of history. Russia's history, more than that of almost any other country, lends itself to passion and polemic...[Hosking] nevertheless attempts...a dispassionate account. Writing with enviable lucidity, he sets out to dispel the current negativeness and general ambivalence that characterizes both Western and native assessments of Russia's role in the world...His general argument is compelling. -- Ronald Grigor Suny "New Leader" (03/01/2001) Hosking...offers a comprehensive survey from the beginnings of Kievan Rus through Russia's recent independence, emphasizing the impact of relations between Russians and non-Russians...This book's strength lies in its revealing Russia's continuities. The result compares favorably with some of the best Russian histories of recent decades while also consolidating new scholarship. Highly recommended. -- Zachary Irwin "Library Journal" (04/01/2001) For the thousand years of its recorded existence, Russia's history has been as dramatic, tragic, and inspiring as that of any nation, exerting a perennial attraction that cries for the one-volume introduction Hosking is well equipped to provide. His book is especially welcome because he links the Communist era, now that it is over, to the enduring themes of the Russian experience...This is a high-quality overview. -- Gilbert Taylor "Booklist" (04/15/2001) Hosking's narrative is so compellingly and gracefully written and so meticulously researched that the reader will find an abundance of treasure. While more valuable to the general reader than the specialist, the latter will still derive insight from the book. This quality is never better illustrated than in the introduction, where Hosking sets forth "the four salient characteristics" that have "imparted to Russia a paradoxical combination of colossal strength and almost crippling weakness." His treatment of the Nikonian reforms, social transformation and terror during Stalin's collectivization, and Gorbachev's perestroika are similarly stimulating...[Hosking's] insight and expertise provide a learning experience for all levels of reader. -- G. E. Snow "Choice" (12/01/2001) "Russia and the Russians,.".is a comprehensive and up-to-date textbook of Russian history...[Hosking] covers every aspect of Russia from the terrain itself, to the tsars, to Russian nationalism, to the Cold War, to Perestroika, to the Russian Federation--and he is thorough. "Russia and the Russians" is a book for the serious student of history. -- Freda Fuller Coursey "Times Record News" (09/09/2001) "Russia and the Russians"...is a comprehensive and up-to-date textbook of Russian history...[Hosking] covers every aspect of Russia from the terrain itself, to the tsars, to Russian nationalism, to the Cold War, to Perestroika, to the Russian Federation--and he is thorough. "Russia and the Russians" is a book for the serious student of history. -- Freda Fuller Coursey "Times Record News" (09/09/2001) There...seems to be a general failure to understand Russians on their own terms--as people who, on one hand are no different than the foreigners trying to analyze them and, on the other hand, think and act in ways that baffle outsiders. In other words, Russians behave just like us, except when they don't. Those seeking answers to these mysteries will welcome Geoffrey Hosking's latest work, "Russia and the Russians", a massive survey that begins with the Keivan Rus in the ninth century and ends with Vladimir Putin's arrival in the Kremlin in 2000. Mr. Hosking has made an important contribution to those seeking to better understand a country and its people. -- Ron Laurenzo "Washington Times" (05/22/2001)

About the Author:

Geoffrey Hosking is Professor of Russian History at University College London. His previous books include the best-selling Russia: People and Empire, 1552-1917 and History of the Soviet Union Russia: People and Empire, 1552-1917 - 48,000 sales in the UK and Commonwealth.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 014029788X
• ISBN 13: 9780140297881
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 736