Why read At The Edge Of Empire?

Book cover of At The Edge Of Empire: The Terek Cossacks And The North Caucasus Frontier, 1700-1860

Book description

An innovative frontier history of one of the most contested regions of the Russian empire, this fresh approach to Cossack history is based on extensive archival research.. The Russian conquest of the North Caucasus was one of the most difficult imperial expansions in Russian history. This innovative study focuses on…

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The Russian Empire

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Why read it?

1 author picked At The Edge Of Empire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Stephen Badalyan Riegg

Author

This highly readable and concise book underscores the role of the Terek Cossacks in pushing southward the boundaries of Russia into the North Caucasus from the eighteenth century. We get a sense of the economic, geographic, and socio-political factors that shaped life on a frontier where the line between “us” and “them” was not always clear.

I love the fascinating tidbits Barrett sprinkles around important analytical discussions, such as the fact that most Cossacks in the North Caucasus were armed by silversmiths and metalworkers from the very mountain communities they were supposed to be guarding against.

From Stephen's list on how the Russian Empire engaged the Caucasus.