Paul Bushkovitch is a Professor of History at Yale University, where he has taught for the past 36 years. He is the author of Peter the Great: The Struggle for Power, 1671–1725 (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Religion and Society in Russia: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (1991) and The Merchants of Moscow, 1580–1650 (Cambridge University Press, 1980). His articles have appeared in the Slavic Review, the Russian Review, Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteruopas and Kritika. He is a member of the editorial board for the Cahier du Monde Russe.

'For any student trying to get a grasp of the essentials of Russian history this book is the place to start. To cover everything from the origins of the Russian people to the collapse of the Soviet Union in one short book requires great skill, but Paul Bushkovitch is one of the leading experts on Russian history in the world and he manages this task with great insight and panache.' Dominic Lieven, University of Cambridge

• 1. Russia before Russia; 2. Moscow, Novgorod, Lithuania, and the Mongols; 3. The emergence of Russia; 4. Consolidation and revolt; 5. Peter the Great; 6. Two empresses; 7. Catherine the Great; 8. Russia in the age of revolution; 9. The pinnacle of autocracy; 10. Culture and autocracy; 11. The era of great reforms; 12. From serfdom to nascent capitalism; 13. The golden age of Russian culture; 14. Russia as an empire; 15. Autocracy in decline; 16. War and revolution; 17. Compromise and preparation; 18. Revolution in Russian culture; 19. Building Utopia; 20. War; 21. Consolidation and stagnation; 22. Soviet culture; 23. The Cold War; Epilogue: the end of the USSR.

Paul Bushkovitch is a Professor of History at Yale University, where he has taught for the past 36 years. He is the author of Peter the Great: The Struggle for Power, 1671–1725 (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Religion and Society in Russia: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (1991) and The Merchants of Moscow, 1580–1650 (Cambridge University Press, 1980). His articles have appeared in the Slavic Review, the Russian Review, Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteruopas and Kritika. He is a member of the editorial board for the Cahier du Monde Russe.

'For any student trying to get a grasp of the essentials of Russian history this book is the place to start. To cover everything from the origins of the Russian people to the collapse of the Soviet Union in one short book requires great skill, but Paul Bushkovitch is one of the leading experts on Russian history in the world and he manages this task with great insight and panache.' Dominic Lieven, University of Cambridge

• 1. Russia before Russia; 2. Moscow, Novgorod, Lithuania, and the Mongols; 3. The emergence of Russia; 4. Consolidation and revolt; 5. Peter the Great; 6. Two empresses; 7. Catherine the Great; 8. Russia in the age of revolution; 9. The pinnacle of autocracy; 10. Culture and autocracy; 11. The era of great reforms; 12. From serfdom to nascent capitalism; 13. The golden age of Russian culture; 14. Russia as an empire; 15. Autocracy in decline; 16. War and revolution; 17. Compromise and preparation; 18. Revolution in Russian culture; 19. Building Utopia; 20. War; 21. Consolidation and stagnation; 22. Soviet culture; 23. The Cold War; Epilogue: the end of the USSR.

Paul Bushkovitch is a Professor of History at Yale University, where he has taught for the past 36 years. He is the author of Peter the Great: The Struggle for Power, 1671–1725 (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Religion and Society in Russia: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (1991) and The Merchants of Moscow, 1580–1650 (Cambridge University Press, 1980). His articles have appeared in the Slavic Review, the Russian Review, Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteruopas and Kritika. He is a member of the editorial board for the Cahier du Monde Russe.

'For any student trying to get a grasp of the essentials of Russian history this book is the place to start. To cover everything from the origins of the Russian people to the collapse of the Soviet Union in one short book requires great skill, but Paul Bushkovitch is one of the leading experts on Russian history in the world and he manages this task with great insight and panache.' Dominic Lieven, University of Cambridge

• 1. Russia before Russia; 2. Moscow, Novgorod, Lithuania, and the Mongols; 3. The emergence of Russia; 4. Consolidation and revolt; 5. Peter the Great; 6. Two empresses; 7. Catherine the Great; 8. Russia in the age of revolution; 9. The pinnacle of autocracy; 10. Culture and autocracy; 11. The era of great reforms; 12. From serfdom to nascent capitalism; 13. The golden age of Russian culture; 14. Russia as an empire; 15. Autocracy in decline; 16. War and revolution; 17. Compromise and preparation; 18. Revolution in Russian culture; 19. Building Utopia; 20. War; 21. Consolidation and stagnation; 22. Soviet culture; 23. The Cold War; Epilogue: the end of the USSR.