The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes. I loved this (obviously it’s Russia). I thought it was just going to present some facts about Russia to me but it didn’t. It’s a lot about why Russian is the way it is and not just a timeline of events which I loved and I think more people should write books like this. I’m obviously biased because anything past the revolution doesn’t light a fire in me but it was a very good book. My take away from this is feed ya people.

My understanding of Russian History has been largely centred on my A Level history unit so I was particularly fascinated by the early chapters which introduced me to history, ideologies and influences I had not previously been aware of. The author weaves together a huge amount of material and detail with great skill and writes in a wonderfully accessible style. This was a fascinating account. I have recommended it to other readers who I know will be equally absorbed.
I struggled to read this os an ebook as this is a book which you want to move around more than this format allows you to do easily. I also purchased the audiobook and the author is a wonderful narrative of his work. However, I think that this book would be best served as a hard copy so that is my next step.
With many thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for my digital copy of this book.

This was an interesting read about modern day Russia. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I think I stuck my feet a little too deep when it came to requesting this one because it’s taken me ages to actually finish, and I’ll be honest, I wasn’t extremely interested, although I thought I would be. I think maybe it was a bad headspace for these types of of books, but my partner ended up reading it after me and was very impressed.

I think it’s one I’ll probably need to come back to again to try and get a better grasp as I wasn’t taking in much of the information, but even with that and with my partners idle chatter about the book, it seems like it’s well informed.

This is a very short summary of the history of Russia to give an insight into Putin's actions. I found this really informative and easy to read.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

As someone of an age to have lived through the Cold War years of the 60's 70's & 80's and then seen the break up of the Russia bloc of countries and the opening up of modern day Russia until 2022 and the invasion of Ukraine, I was keen to learn more about what shaped the country of Russia. I didn't however want something too heavy as an introduction and this book fitted very well. At less than 400 pages, it really is I'd imagine a very concise version of events and having gained my grounding, I'll now consider reading more in depth publications now. This was however a great place to start and easy to read and follow.

Everything you need to know to understand Putin and modern Russia is in this book. Truly outstanding scholarship that synthesises hundreds of years of history in a compelling and readable narrative.

I'm still reading this - will update this review when I finish it....to be continued……………………………………………………………………

An excellent history and overview of Russia. . Mr Figes really knows his stuff , this is a great follow up to his majestic history of the Russian revolution.

Like many others I was drawn to this book by the need to explore some of the historical context of the current disastrous invasion of Ukraine by Russia. In that regard this book certainly doesn’t disappoint. Anyone familiar with the author’s work will know to expect something that provides merely a superficial summary of the history of the Russian lands. He again sets out a highly detailed, if sometimes dense, account of the ebb and flow of history across Russia and the growth and significance of historical myths which, even now, play an important part in Putin’s rationale for his actions. The writing style is especially lucid and even complex and relatively dense sections of text are made accessible by his skilful writing.
Written prior to the 2022 invasion, the author, in this reader’s opinion, is a little too generous to the Russian perception of an ‘eastern expansion’ of NATO; the events of 2022 have shown in full measure why Russia’s near neighbours have every reason to fear the use by Russia of armed force to further Putin’s ambition of seeing the re-establishment of a Great Rus’. Less NATO expansion than a growing realisation among many former Warsaw Pact countries that they cannot rely on Russia respecting other nations’ sovereignties.
Recommended..

The Story of Russia is an in-depth, well-researched look at the country of Russia and why it is the way it is today. If you've been looking at a resource to help you better understand what is going on in Russia, this is the source for you. Be sure to check out The Story of Russia today.

The past isn't necessarily a good predictor of the future but, since Vladimir Putin uses history as his textbook, The Story of Russia provides timely context for events in Ukraine. Orlando Figes documents 1000 years of Russian history and the resulting myths that drive Putin and that he uses to justify his actions. Viewed through the lens of Western democracy (what is an oligarch, how can Putin rule the way he does?) invasion of Ukraine, and the invasions that went before, are easily portrayed as the actions of a madman. Viewed through the lens of 1000 years of Russian history it's disturbingly clear how Putin is trying to revive the mythological high points of the past.

For me, one of the most chilling things to read was of "its single greatest asset, its seemingly inexhaustible supply of peasant soldiers" (chapter 8). Too much of the book reads like current news. Strip off the mythology and so many past Russian military enterprises ended in failure at a very high cost in life.

The Story of Russia brings much-needed context to events making daily headlines. Highly recommended.

** Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Press for ARC copy for fair review **

This detailed and thoroughly researched text provides a rich backdrop to current Russian machinations. The origin of the Russian state, the balance between West and East, the overlap of Church and State, and the formative influence of military conflicts are all explored. I enjoyed the little details sprinkled throughout (e.g the Kremlin being built by Italians.) Only minor observation is that density of some elements made reading progress slow, despite impeccable quality of writing.

I've been wanting to read about Russia to try and get more of an idea of what is currently happening in the world. This is the book I've been looking for!
Can be a little hard going at time to get my head around the hierarchy but definitely worth a read.

An excellent book that helps you understand why Russia is like it is today. Very apt given the current expansion being attempted by Russia. I never realised how large Russia is and how set in its own history, whether that be true or not.

This book couldn't be more timely. It covers the complete historical narrative of Russia and for those interested in politics, war studies and history, this is an essential text. It is well written, provides excellent detail and highlights the evolution of the Russian mindset. An excellent resource. Highly recommended.

An indepth look at how Russia interprets its past and how these interpretations made Russia's present and will go on to affect its future - a story as vast as the country.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Story of Russia.

Before reading this book I knew very little of the history of Russia. I thought the author gave a fascinating insight into the complexities of the countr and it various leaders through the centuries. Definitely a great read and one to be recommended.

The story of Russia is an intriguing, complex, and fascinating topic. I have to admit that I knew very little about the myths and how the history was modified according to the type of regime.
The author is an excellent storyteller and this extensive book is never dry and always kept my attention.
An important book for the current times.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A good book to get a fairly extensive overview of the history of Russia. The history of Russia is vast and complex so even an overview told in this way for the non-academic is a long and convoluted story. A few maps and footnotes would be helpful as frequently got distracted by looking up locations and certain terms on the Internet. The book is really focussed on why current day Russians view their countries as they do and this is interesting in the light of the current conflict with Ukraine.