It's not an easy read, and I haven't finished it yet. (The Russians have just defeated the Swedes at the battle of Poltava, two or three hundred years ago, where the Russians just the other day killed a bunch of Ukrainian civilians -- forged in war indeed!) It's a valuable read nevertheless, and made a bit easier by the author's occasional humor and his policy of beginning each chapter with a list of significant dates and ending it with a brief reading list.

Unfortunately while this seemed like something I would be interested in, this book just wasn't for me, and I couldn't finish it. It read like a series of events without much connection between them or context of other historical details not directly related to warfare (which would have helped to anchor all these conquests and territories into a cohesive history instead of just a timeline). I found it hard to follow, dry, and boring. But the author clearly put in a lot of time researching.

It’s a shame to begin a review with a cliché, but it is difficult to offer a summary without describing Mark Galeotti’s latest offering on the Russian experience as magesterial. Yes, the initial chapters could mistakenly be dismissed as a tedious series of invasions from all directions by tribes and bands whose names are, for most of us, lost in distant history. But that would be to miss the point, since the very essence of this book, is an attempt to convey to the reader the influence this history of invasion and conquest (although arguably not unique to Russia) has had on how Russia sees itself in the world. As the author brings the reader into periods of history, particularly from the dawn of the nineteenth century that are perhaps more familiar to most readers the detail is enhanced, as is an exploration of the way history has influenced decision making and the formulation of a broad strategy for Russia. Many readers interested in the book’s subject matter will have encountered the author’s previous works on Putin’s wars. It is therefore quite proper that, although Putin’s more recent adventures in Georgia, Chechnya and Ukraine are given due coverage, they are not the principal focus of a book that has a longer historical perspective.
Essential reading for anyone seeking to better understand Putin’s Russia.