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Paul Bushkovitch
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A Concise History of Russia (Cambridge Concise Histories) New Edition

by Paul Bushkovitch (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 279 ratings
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Accessible to students, tourists, and general readers alike, this book provides a broad overview of Russian history since the ninth century. Paul Bushkovitch emphasizes the enormous changes in the understanding of Russian history resulting from the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, new material has come to light on the history of the Soviet era, providing new conceptions of Russia's pre-revolutionary past. The book traces not only the political history of Russia, but also developments in its literature, art, and science. Bushkovitch describes well-known cultural figures, such as Chekhov, Tolstoy, and Mendeleev in their institutional and historical contexts. Though the 1917 revolution, the resulting Soviet system, and the Cold War were a crucial part of Russian and world history, Bushkovitch presents earlier developments as more than just a prelude to Bolshevik power.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0521543231
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0521543231
  3. Edition
    New
  4. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 5, 2011
  6. Part of series
    Cambridge Concise Histories
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.17 x 8.5 inches
  9. Print length
    518 pages
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"For any student trying to get a grasp of the essentials of Russian history this book is the place to start. To cover everything from the origins of the Russian people to the collapse of the Soviet Union in one short book requires great skill, but Paul Bushkovitch is one of the leading experts on Russian history in the world and he manages this task with great insight and panache."
Dominic Lieven, Trinity College, Cambridge University

"This is a lively and readable account, covering more than a thousand years of Russian history in an authoritative narrative. The author deals perceptively not only with political developments, but also with those aspects of modern Russian culture and science that have had an international impact."
Maureen Perrie, University of Birmingham

"If you want to understand Russia, and the story of the Russians, you can do no better than Paul Bushkovitch’s A Concise History of Russia. Bushkovitch has performed a minor miracle: he’s told the remarkably complicated, convoluted, and controversial tale of Russian history simply, directly, and even-handedly. He doesn’t get mired in the details, lost in the twists and turns, or sidetracked by axe grinding. He tells you what happened and why, full stop. So if you want to know what happened and why in Russian history, you be advised to begin with Bushkovitch's masterful introduction."
Marshall Poe, University of Iowa

"Both learned and accessible, this short history of Russia’s troubled passage to the present tells a story of a state and a people who created an empire that much of the world saw as a threat. Whether as the ‘Gendarme of Europe’ or the ‘Red Menace,’ Russia and its Soviet successor (even Putin’s Russia today!) have been as much misunderstood as they have been feared. Paul Bushkovitch brings us a sober reading of Russia’s difficult rises and falls, expansions and contractions, reforms and revolutions. Rather than seeing the preceding millennium as a prelude to the seventy years of the Soviet Union, he gives us a rounded portrait of a country hobbled and humbled by its own geography, institutions like autocracy and serfdom, and grandiose plans to create utopia. Judicious in its judgments, this gracefully written work ranges from high politics to music and literature to open a window through which a reader might begin or renew an acquaintance with the enigmas that were Russia."
Ronald Grigor Suny, University of Michigan

"Bushkovitch avoids the pitfalls of generalization, giving a neat and succinct overview of many different areas that manages to be clear and concise without sacrificing too much detail."
George Gilbert, European History Quarterly

Book Description

This book provides students and general readers with a broad overview of Russian history from the ninth century to the present.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; New edition (December 5, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 518 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521543231
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521543231
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.17 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 279 ratings

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Paul Bushkovitch

Paul Bushkovitch

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
279 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Gary Goodnow
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source for developing an understanding of the complex Russian history
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
The author does an incredible job covering the history of this very complex country from the dark ages to today. And unlike many history books, he accomplishes this by just the right amount of detail and facts, thus keeping interest level high. I've always found Russian history fascinating, and this book was the best I've found on Russia. Some have complained the author jumps back and forth too much in time, but I found that to be one of the books strong points. When he is talking about the politics and chronology of events leading to a major event, he covers that over the appropriate time frame. But then when talking about culture or art, he tends to cover those topics separately. For me, trying to integrate too much into the same time period is more confusing than taking a couple or three cuts at it. But everybody has their own way of absorbing information. For me, the author allowed me to learn a ton I didn't know before, even though I've read several books on this topic.

It's fairly lengthy, but then again, some books would be this lengthy while only covering 200-300 years while this one covers 1500 years or so.
30 people found this helpful
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Anthony Piccirillo
4.0 out of 5 stars Good sketch of Russian history
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2014
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The book provides a helpful overview of Russian history. Due to its limited length there were, of course, times when I wanted to know more about certain topics (for example Russia's various wars in the 19th century (including the Crimean War) are touched upon only briefly, and the Cold War only gets one chapter). However, the purpose of a concise history is to introduce you to the basics so you can determine which topics you want to read more about.

Also, the book is refreshing in that it does not seem to have an agenda (at least as far as I could tell). The author's treatment of the Orthodox Church, Tsarist Russia, and the Soviet Union were critical where necessary but did not seem to betray a bias in any direction.

My main complaint is that the writing style, while very readable, is somewhat dry and often uses repetitive sentence constructions (for example "to make matters worst" seems to appear on every other Kindle page).
6 people found this helpful
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pws
5.0 out of 5 stars What you need to know
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024
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I'm just a little over halfway through with this concise history, but I have already learned many amazing things about Russian tsars, composers and writers. Why I didn't buy this book several months ago, I don't know. If you want to get up to speed on everything Russian after a misspent youth, this is the book. Buy it. Read it. Be edified!
One person found this helpful
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D. A. Anderson Ph.D
5.0 out of 5 stars TO THE POINT
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2021
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As an undergraduate I took a strong minor in world history, particularly of Russia. However, as do many things with time, my grasp of Russian history has faded. I purchased this Concise History as a review to support my post-retirement infatuation with great Russian Literature. And it did so beyond my expectations. I keep it as a handy reference as I read Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Pasternak, etc. Concerning Pasternak, I found "A Concise History of the Russian Revolution" to be a useful supplement to Dr. Zhivago.
The text is very readable and addresses my needs very well. There are some Russian words that, when anglicized, baffle me, so I keep my smartphone internet handy.
I recommend this text to anyone wanting an understanding of a millennium of Rus/Russian history without the time or inclination to delve into it's deep scholarship. Thumbs up!
14 people found this helpful
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Ethan
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well organized
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2022
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The book does an amazing job tying events and outcomes together that are not necessary happening at the same time and makes it make sense. It is a clear and concise history of russia (as the title says) that stays focused on the topic, but will also dive into other related issues and topics (rather perfectly done) to give context. A great book and I would recommend to anybody who wants a clear and detailed analysis of russian history!
3 people found this helpful
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Vegetable King
4.0 out of 5 stars Good overall history with some redundancy
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2021
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This book provides a good general grounding in Russian history from the medieval period until the start of the Putin era. The author appears strongest in covering the last 150 years, though his interpretation of Russian history presents it more as a tragic and sympathetic place than other historians might. The only noticeable shortcoming (aside from inconsistent copy editing) is the significant redundancy in covering events as part of a general history in one chapter, as part of a history of culture in another chapter, and as part of some specific political or economic development in another chapter. This is jarring for a reader that completes the work in order, but is likely a concession to the needs of university coursework assignments.
3 people found this helpful
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Nicola Morini Bianzino
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2021
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I very much enjoyed this book. It is remarkably effective in providing such a great overview of Russian history in such a compact format. It is also a great guide to further reading. Very much appreciated the sections on Russian culture through the ages. These sections are often neglected in concise histories spanning such extended periods of time. Well done!
One person found this helpful
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Ron Vincent
5.0 out of 5 stars An essential history
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2020
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Bushkovitch’s concise history of Russia is a primer for beginning a study of that enormously complex history. Readers new to Russian history will make discoveries on almost every page and those acquainted with Russia will find reminders of deep connections and resonances. Written in clear prose without pretense. Russia’s Orthodox Church has a sense of apartness and place that deeply colored the region’s culture and sense of self.
The collision between Modern Europe and Russian values had and still has lasting consequences.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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moodyglen
2.0 out of 5 stars writing not strongly captivating on an otherwise interesting and topical subject
Reviewed in Canada on December 21, 2021
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The writing made the otherwise interesting subject matter less interesting.
One person found this helpful
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dhanna
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on December 9, 2021
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Gran libro para introducirse a la historia de Rusia. Escrito de manera que para el lector resulta agradable e informativo
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Elledavide
3.0 out of 5 stars Inizialmente entusiasta, poi deluso
Reviewed in Italy on January 9, 2024
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Il primo capitolo mi era piaciuto molto ("Russia before Russia") ma poi, procedendo con la lettura, ho trovato il libro molto confusionario e disordinato nel modo in cui riporta date, fatti, eventi, principi, principati ecc. Non mi sembra scritto bene. Forse il problema è anche stato quello di condensare tante informazioni in "poco" spazio (è un "poco" relativo, ovviamente). Dovrò cercare altro che spieghi più nel dettaglio le origini dello stato russo perché in questo libro sono appena accennate.
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Neill G
5.0 out of 5 stars Let's understand each other
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2017
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Great introduction to the subject.
Need to understand this country better than we do now
6 people found this helpful
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Christine Morrow
5.0 out of 5 stars Good buy
Reviewed in Australia on October 24, 2021
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Good buy
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