The Emergence of Rus: 750-1200 (Longman History of Russia) [Paperback]

Simon Franklin (Author), Jonathan Shepard (Author), J. Shepard (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 058249091X | ISBN-13: 978-0582490918 | Publication Date: May 1996 | Edition: 1st

This eagerly awaited volume, the first of its kind by western scholars, describes the development amongst the diverse inhabitants of the immense landmass between the Carpathians and Urals of a political, economic and social nexus (underpinned by a common culture and, eventually, a common faith), out of which would emerge the future Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The authors explore every aspect of life in Rus, using evidence and the fruits of post-Soviet historiography. They describe the rise of a polity centred on Kiev, the coming of Christianity, and the increasing prosperity of the region even as, with the proliferation of new dynastic centres, the balance of power shifted northwards and westwards. Fractured, violent and transitory though it often is, this is a story of growth and achievement - and a masterly piece of historical synthesis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

 'The overwhelming impression left by this book is of its scholarship, multilingual and discriminating: it is also readable, evocative and witty.'  Times Higher Education Supplement

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 1st edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 058249091X
• ISBN-13: 978-0582490918
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,336,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, November 7, 2001

By 

Chris Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Emergence of Rus: 750-1200 (Longman History of Russia) (Paperback)

I can't speak or read Russian and I'm not a trained specialist in Russian history. All I am is a person who is fascinated by the history of that great nation and people. And this book seems to me to be pretty close to essential for anyone who shares that interest.

The Emergence of Rus tells of the origins of the Russian people and the first great Russian state at Kiev. Given that few written sources are available for the time period, this book relies heavily on archaelogical information early on. Such written sources as exist are compared and contrasted and the conclusions drawn seem eminently reasonable. Even though there is a lot of archaelogical data presented in the first part of this book, it is by no means dry. Franklin and Shepard have a interesting story to tell and they tell it very well. I found The Emergence of Rus to be a very good read, something I'll definitely go back to.

If you are interested in Russian history at all, this book is highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great refence book, June 22, 2003

By 

Coppertop (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Emergence of Rus: 750-1200 (Longman History of Russia) (Paperback)

This is a wonderfully written, extremely helpful book. The footnotes alone are worth the price of the book!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of the orignins of Russian history, December 29, 2000

By 

Aaron King (CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Emergence of Rus: 750-1200 (Longman History of Russia) (Paperback)

It is truly unfortunate that this book has yet to be released in an affordable edition, because the Longman History of Russia series is a definite must-have for anyone interested in Russia. There are not enough good overviews of Medieval Russian history, and Franklin's book is a thorough analysis and explanation of the origins of the Kievan state. Great read, even if you have to go to a library...