Russia is one of the most important and enigmatic players in global politics – and this superb history explains how and why it has become the country it is today.
While its recent past has encompassed world war, civil war, revolution and mass terror, profound change continues to occur.
Russia expert Robert Service provides a panoramic overview of the country he knows so well, exploring the complex interaction between rulers and subjects from Nicholas II to Dmitry Medvedev. He discusses Russia’s political ambitions; analyses its unresolved economic and social difficulties; and explains how the decades of communist rule that penetrated every aspect of life continue to exercise influence today.