Competent digest of topic

The part I found most interesting was the final chapter, evaluating Putin's potential place in history.

4 people found this helpful

It probably prompts as many questions as it answers, but that’s a good thing.

This work is absorbing. Understanding the past enables us to understand the present, and in that respect Galeotti provides a concise overview of the formation of Russia and what it means to be Russian. Anyone who is beginning to take an interest in geopolitical history will likely find this to be assuaging rather than intimidating, while those who are already reasonably well informed will find the flow of information enjoyable, interesting and suitably informative in the context of its title, i.e. A Short History of Russia. Being a short history of a fascinating nation naturally leaves us longing for details and prompts questions around the specifics of certain periods and characters, but I would recommend this be regarded as a solid platform for further reading. I would suggest this as an ideal audiobook for anyone looking to build a stronger understanding of Russia and, given the timing, to fill in some of the blanks on what has ultimately contributed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began just yesterday.

2 people found this helpful

A masterpiece

Beautifully written, deeply researched and with a wise balance for the overall picture of Russian history.

2 people found this helpful

Fast and effective primer

Galeotti is engaging and gives a comprehensive introduction to all of Russian history while providing a guide to further reading. An excellent first stop.

1 person found this helpful

Excellent short summary

Really good short summary which was just what was required with the suggested further reading very useful.

disappointing

The book is written with typical British superiority towards it “backwards cousin”. Nothing new, in line with most of the British writings about Russia, All of which present that “western life” as most desirable and Russia always striving to be part of the “West”. Just to mention that 40% British children live in poverty, and the corruption is at the level that is embracing to so called "developed democratic country".
Surely author read lot of books about Russia but i am not sure that he managed to capture Russian mentality or cultural aspect. Most of his refences are from western publications, practically none are from Russian historians.
And by the amount of published books about Russia i can conclude that it is just business.

Exactly what I hoped for

Exactly what I hoped for in a short history. Gives a well thought out outline of the big people, periods, problems and themes, to end with a great sense of where we are now and why. Brilliantly done and a great read, even occasionally funny. Great perspective reminder for the present. Also very well read by the author (audiobook).

Good balance of information vs time

A fairly solid survey course on Russian history to act as a basis for further study. Mark Galeotti successfully manages to condense ~1100 years of history over a huge geographical area into 8 chapters. The writing style is vibrant, flowing and scholarly and keeps the reader engaged throughout. Despite this, the book is not without its flaws.

1) Whilst I feel Mark Galeotti should be focussing on the absolute key ideas of Russian history, it sometimes feels as though he's spending time talking more about topics which he personally finds more interesting.

2) The book typically covers events in a chronological order although somewhat long introductions in certain chapters can mean skipping forwards and backwards many years. Without pausing to look at a timeline, this can be disorienting.

3) The vibrant writing style occasionally becomes over the top to produce some strange phrases. Consider the following - 'the palimpsest is acquiring the hypertext'.

4) Historical sources are very rarely mentioned.

On a side note - In the acknowledgements section, I found out the author taught at a university I attended, though in a different department. This was kind of cool.

Topical insight

Does this short book help understand events in the world at the moment? Maybe just a bit. Well read with a nice light touch and written a lively pace it’s well worth a go.

Does what it says on the tin

Just what I required - a short history of Russia. Listened over a condensed period of time to get a flavour of the panoramic over time.