Russia's Empires

Russia's Empires

by Philip Longworth (Author)

Synopsis

Through the centuries, Russia has swung between successful expansionism, catastrophic collapse and spectacular recovery. This illuminating history traces these cycles from the late Neolithic age to Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great, and from the height of Communism to the truncated Russian Federation of today. The narrative takes in the magnificent cities of Kiev, Moscow and St Petersburg, and stretches to Alaska in the east, to the Black Sea and the Ottoman Empire in the south, to the Baltic in the west and to the Arctic Ocean in the north, asking what the future holds for Russia and her neighbours.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 416
Publisher: John Murray
Published: 13 Jul 2006

ISBN 10: 0719565839
ISBN 13: 9780719565830
Book Overview: 'A gripping and supremely readable book by the doyen of our historians of Russia, who truly knows how to bring this story of tsars and commissars to life. It combines shrewd analysis of Russia's unique appetite for empire with a wonderful narrative pace and fine scholarship.' Simon Sebag-Montefiore

Media Reviews
Absorbing . . . Longworth develops the idea in fascinating detail * Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman *
Readers will get a good idea about the background of the current turmoil between Putin's Russia and the Chechens. * Dover Express & Folkestone Herald *
Illuminating and accessible * Western Mail *
A vivid, highly readable style . . . Russia's Empires is a brilliantly ambitious survey of the whole of Russia's imperial past. It is a battleground that has long been fought upon by historians . . . Longworth's gifts of synthesis and selection are especially well displayed . . . [He has] an eye for essentials and a deep underlying knowledge * Laurence Kelly, Literary Review *
An ambitious new work investigating Russia's dramatic history. * Diplomat *
[Longworth] asks what it is that has made four successive Russian empires simultaneously aggressive and fragile . . . All of these are excellent questions . . . Longworth focuses rightly on Russia's unique geography * Anne Applebaum, Sunday Telegraph *
A readable analysis written with a thorough understanding of imperial might. * Good Book Guide *
Longworth has a light, informed touch . . . This attractive account comes from an expert on important topics in more than one century. * Robert Service, Sunday Times *
'An original treatment of Russian history that benefits from the author's breadth of knowledge and fluent prose' * BBC History *
'[Longworth's] authority is commanding... it is insignt into the quitessence of being Russian that makes this such rewarding reading. ...Longworth understands the predictive powers of history. In Russia - and in theis book - they stand large and clear.' - Ross Leckie, The Times * Ross Leckie, The Times *
'A gripping and supremely readable book by the doyen of our historians of Russia, who truly knows how to bring this story of tsars and commissars to life. It combines shrewd analysis of Russia's unique appetite for empire with a wonderful narrative pace and fine scholarship' * Simon Sebag-Montefiore *
Author Bio
Philip Longworth is the author of seven books including The Cossacks and The Making of Eastern Europe. He was educated by the army and at the University of Oxford and was Professor of History at McGill University for nearly twenty years.