East of the Sun

The very word Siberia evokes a history and reputation as awesome as it is enthralling. In this acclaimed book on Russia''s conquest of its eastern realms, Benson Bobrick offers a story that is both rich and subtle, broad and deep. From its conquest by Cossacks and its exploration and settlement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, through its terrifying Gulag history, to its modern place in a world hungry for natural resources, Siberia -covering a sixth of the world''s surface - has a history unlike any other land. East of the Sun captures all of Siberia''s history with a depth and flavor that will satisfy both well-informed historians and newly-cast Russophiles alike.