Why read The Russian Moment in World History?

Book cover of The Russian Moment in World History

Book description

Is Russian history one big inevitable failure? The Soviet Union's demise and Russia's ensuing troubles have led many to wonder. But this is to look through a skewed prism indeed. In this provocative and elegantly written short history of Russia, Marshall Poe takes us well beyond the Soviet haze deep…

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European history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Russian Moment in World History as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Marcus C. Levitt

Author

This is, in my opinion, the best short history of Russia (only about 100 pages). It’s full of unexpected ideas, provocative and challenging.

It was published in 2003 and is written from the perspective of a Russia in decline (Russia of the 1990s, before Putin), but nevertheless offers a brilliant analysis of why the country has tended toward isolationism and xenophobia. It is thus almost predictive of Putin’s recent break with the West. I have assigned it to classes and recommend it to friends.

From Marcus' list on The best nonfiction books that offer new and unexpected views of Russia.