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Book Cover for: Russia: A Historical Introduction from Kievan Rus' to the Present, John Thompson

Russia: A Historical Introduction from Kievan Rus' to the Present

John Thompson

This lucid account of Russian and Soviet history presents major trends and events from ancient Kievan Rus' to Vladimir Putin's presidency in the twenty-first century. Russia does not shy away from controversial topics, including the impact of the Mongol conquest, the paradoxes of Peter the Great, the "inevitability" of the 1917 Revolution, the Stalinist terror, and the Gorbachev reform effort. Tackling those topics and others, the new edition is updated to discuss the Russia-Georgia war of 2008, the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, the war in eastern Ukraine, and the Russian annexation of Crimea. Distinguished by its brevity and amply supplemented with useful images and suggested readings, this essential text provides balanced coverage of all periods of Russian history and incorporates economic, social, and cultural developments as well as politics and foreign policy.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Routledge
  • Publish Date: Jul 25th, 2017
  • Pages: 416
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - 0008
  • Dimensions: 8.90in - 5.90in - 1.10in - 1.19lb
  • EAN: 9780813349855
  • Categories: Russia - General

About the Author

John M. Thompson, a graduate of Columbia's Russian Institute, taught history at Indiana University for seventeen years and was a distinguished visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Air War College. He is currently teaching Russian and world history at Midcoast Senior College in Maine.

Christopher J. Ward received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He teaches Russian and world history at Clayton State University in metropolitan Atlanta and is the author of Brezhnev's Folly: The Building of BAM and Late Soviet Socialism.

Praise for this book

"A concise history of Russia in one manageable volume. . . . From the captivating historical vignettes which introduce most of the chapters to the lucid prose of the chronological narrative, the authors tell the compelling story of the perseverance of the Russian peoples and the numerous transformations of the Russian state in a manner both accessible and scholarly."--Arlin C. Migliazzo, Whitworth University
"Comprehensive, balanced, up to date, engaging, and deftly written, Russia and the Soviet Union is the best brief history of Russia available today. The book is perfectly suited for use in introductory courses on Russian history and for general readers seeking to make sense of Russia over the centuries. Thompson has packed a lifetime of thoughtful reflection, teaching, and distinguished research into this volume."--Donald J. Raleigh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"Through a fresh format and effective revisions, John Thompson has rendered still more succinct what was already a very neat, comprehensive and highly readable text. With updated biographies ('Further Reading') in several chapters and some new illustrations, as well as an additional chapter on Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia and the Soviet Union in its sixth edition remains a superlative text for both students of Russian history and the casual reader."--Vicki Hendrickson Grove, University of Colorado, Boulder
"Russia and the Soviet Union is a superb one-semester text for a course in Russian history from origins to the near-present. Thompson does a judicious job of introducing key debates and does not hesitate to express his own considered opinion where warranted. The balanced coverage of medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary periods is extremely important for introductory courses, as is the newly revised section of Russia under Putin. Overall, this is a readable, exciting, stimulating book which always has students asking for more."--David W. McFadden, Fairfield University
-A concise history of Russia in one manageable volume. . . . From the captivating historical vignettes which introduce most of the chapters to the lucid prose of the chronological narrative, the authors tell the compelling story of the perseverance of the Russian peoples and the numerous transformations of the Russian state in a manner both accessible and scholarly.---Arlin C. Migliazzo, Whitworth University
Praise for Prior Editions
A detailed volumeproviding students with a clear survey of key issues affecting the country and its peoples. Any college-level introductory course in Soviet Union history will find this an excellent text.
The Midwest Book Review
Comprehensive, balanced, up to date, engaging, and deftly written, Russia and the Soviet Union is the best brief history of Russia available today. The book is perfectly suited for use in introductory courses on Russian history and for general readers seeking to make sense of Russia over the centuries. Thompson has packed a lifetime of thoughtful reflection, teaching, and distinguished research into this volume.
Donald J. Raleigh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Through a fresh format and effective revisions, John Thompson has rendered still more succinct what was already a very neat, comprehensive and highly readable text. With updated biographies (Further Reading') in several chapters and some new illustrations, as well as an additional chapter on Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia and the Soviet Union in its sixth edition remains a superlative text for both students of Russian history and the casual reader.
Vicki Hendrickson Grove, University of Colorado, Boulder"

Russia and the Soviet Union is a superb one-semester text for a course in Russian history from origins to the near-present. Thompson does a judicious job of introducing key debates and does not hesitate to express his own considered opinion where warranted. The balanced coverage of medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary periods is extremely important for introductory courses, as is the newly revised section of Russia under Putin. Overall, this is a readable, exciting, stimulating book which always has students asking for more.
David W. McFadden, Fairfield University
"
Praise for Prior Editions

Through a fresh format and effective revisions, John Thompson has rendered still more succinct what was already a very neat, comprehensive and highly readable text. With updated biographies ('Further Reading') in several chapters and some new illustrations, as well as an additional chapter on Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia and the Soviet Union in its sixth edition remains a superlative text for both students of Russian history and the casual reader.
Vicki Hendrickson Grove, University of Colorado, Boulder"

Comprehensive, balanced, up to date, engaging, and deftly written, Russia and the Soviet Union is the best brief history of Russia available today. The book is perfectly suited for use in introductory courses on Russian history and for general readers seeking to make sense of Russia over the centuries. Thompson has packed a lifetime of thoughtful reflection, teaching, and distinguished research into this volume.
Donald J. Raleigh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"

A detailed volumeproviding students with a clear survey of key issues affecting the country and its peoples. Any college-level introductory course in Soviet Union history will find this an excellent text.
The Midwest Book Review"
-Through a fresh format and effective revisions, John Thompson has rendered still more succinct what was already a very neat, comprehensive and highly readable text. With updated biographies ('Further Reading') in several chapters and some new illustrations, as well as an additional chapter on Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russia and the Soviet Union in its sixth edition remains a superlative text for both students of Russian history and the casual reader.---Vicki Hendrickson Grove, University of Colorado, Boulder
-Russia and the Soviet Union is a superb one-semester text for a course in Russian history from origins to the near-present. Thompson does a judicious job of introducing key debates and does not hesitate to express his own considered opinion where warranted. The balanced coverage of medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary periods is extremely important for introductory courses, as is the newly revised section of Russia under Putin. Overall, this is a readable, exciting, stimulating book which always has students asking for more.---David W. McFadden, Fairfield University
"A detailed volume...providing students with a clear survey of key issues affecting the country and its peoples. Any college-level introductory course in Soviet Union history will find this an excellent text."--The Midwest Book Review
-A detailed volume...providing students with a clear survey of key issues affecting the country and its peoples. Any college-level introductory course in Soviet Union history will find this an excellent text.---The Midwest Book Review
-Comprehensive, balanced, up to date, engaging, and deftly written, Russia and the Soviet Union is the best brief history of Russia available today. The book is perfectly suited for use in introductory courses on Russian history and for general readers seeking to make sense of Russia over the centuries. Thompson has packed a lifetime of thoughtful reflection, teaching, and distinguished research into this volume.---Donald J. Raleigh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill