This revised edition is a concise, yet comprehensive narrative of the history of Russia from the reign of Vladimir I the Saint, through to the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible. Supplementing the original edition with results of recently published scholarship as well as her own research, Janet Martin emphasizes the dynamics of Russia's political evolution from the loose federation of principalities known as Kievan Rus' through the era of Mongol domination to the development of the Muscovite state. Her analyses of the ruling dynasty, of economic influences on political development, and her explorations of society, foreign relations, religion, and culture provide a basis for understanding the transformations of the lands of Rus'. Her lines of argument are clear and coherent; her conclusions and interpretations are provocative. The result is an informative, accessible, up-to-date account that will be of interest to both students and specialists of early Rus'.
