Russia: People and Empire
1552–1917
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- 105,00 kr
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- 105,00 kr
Utgivarens beskrivning
‘It is unlikely that a clearer, more stimulating account of the Russians’ extraordinary period of imperial history will be written.’ Philip Marsden, Spectator
Geoffrey Hosking’s landmark book provides us with a new prism through which to view Russian history by posing the apparently simple question: what is Russia’s national identity?
Hosking answers this with brilliant originality: his thesis is that the needs of Russia’s empire prevented the creation of a Russian nation. The Tsars, and before them the Grand Dukes of Moscow, were empire builders rather than nation builders and, as consequence, profoundly alienated ordinary Russians.
Reviews
‘Hosking’s book is a tour de force of historical argument, vividly written [and] courageously argumentative.’ Michael Ignatieff, Observer
‘Brilliant…an elegantly written, humane and rigorous work of empirical history.’ Michael Burleigh, Independent on Sunday
‘“Russia: People and Empire” is the most interesting and authoritative account of Russian imperial history in English. It is a masterful synthesis, intelligent and lucid, passionately argumentative, but always fair, which should be read by everyone who wants to understand the origins of Russia’s predicament today.’ Orlando Figes, The Times
About the author
Geoffrey Hosking has been Professor of Russian History at the School of Slavonic Studies, University of London, since 1984. He is the author of the award-winning History of the Soviet Union for Fontana Press. In 1988, Professor Hosking was invited to give the annual BBC Reith lectures and spoke on the subject of Change in Contemporary Soviet Society, in doing so accurately predicting the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
One of the author's earlier books, The First Socialist Society, is a rare example of sound academic history made popular. This monograph, while a tour de force from a foremost practitioner of Russian history, does not meet that standard. Hosking offers an innovative reinterpretation of Russian imperial history, arguing that the concept of nation-building should replace autocracy and backwardness, the two themes most often used to interpret Russian history. The subtitle of the book is the key here: the author believes that the desire for empire hindered the Russians' ability to form a nation. Demonstrating a thorough knowledge of Western and Russian sources, he covers the main topics in imperial Russian history: the rise of the Russian state, the peasantry, imperial expansion, the church, the army, the nobility and more. A professor of Russian history at the University of London's School of Slavonic & East European Studies, Hosking imaginatively connects specific movements and general patterns to buttress his argument--just one example is his nuanced articulation of the long-term importance of the Old Believers, those members of Russian society who resisted 17th-century religious reforms. The Old Believers, he explains, "marked the opening of a radical split in Russian consciousness, when large numbers of conservative and patriotic Russians became alienated from the imperial state." The book, however, is too dense and confusing--half is arranged thematically, half chronologically--for the general reader. There's plenty to chew on here--one only wishes the author had presented it in a more digestible package.
