The History of Russia: Seventh Revised Edition (Meridian) (Paperback)

~ John T. Lawrence (Author) "IN England visitors to Cambridge looking eastward from the low Gog Magog Hills are told with pardonable exaggeration that no higher ground lies between them..." (more)
Key Phrases: Soviet Union, Peter the Great, Orthodox Church (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 7 edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452010845
• ISBN-13: 978-0452010840
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,708 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to form a basis for further reading, November 29, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Tarpon Springs, FL) - See all my reviews

John Lawrence's book provides a solid basis of information concerning the origin of Russia and the formation of her various governments. Information pertaining to more recent political events is not included, as the last publication date is 1993. Lawrence's book is handy and concise. It gives an overall picture of Russian cultural and political maturation, starting with the Viking explorers. Lawrence's book does not get bogged down in detail. The biographical bits regarding Russian leaders are just enough to inspire interest without detracting too much from the flow of the book as a whole. He chronicles the difficult relationship between the church and various governments throughout the country's existence. He simplifies Russian policitics, while providing a picture of the Russian mindset. This is a great jumping-off point for someone who wants to gain a general timeline of Russian leaders and events. Build your knowledge of Russian history by beginning here.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended as a general history, April 8, 2007

By	Steven Davis (Rowlett, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Up to the death of Peter the Great in 1725, John Lawrence's "A History of Russia" is a typical and useful national history. He chronicles the emergence of Russia, the character of its rulers, and its relations with other states. The Orthodox Church receives a generous share of the author's attention, but nothing compared to what is to come.

Then, inexplicably, the character of the book changes. It leaps forward from 1725 to 1825 in just a few pages, then settles down to become a history of Tsarist and Soviet domestic policy, with special emphasis on the Church. Major events such as Napoleon's invasion and the Crimean War are mentioned only in passing. Tsarist Russia's expansion into Asia and Europe isn't mentioned at all, nor do we learn how and why Russia entered World War I.

During the Soviet era, the book's focus is entirely on Russia's internal economic and social policies. There is no mention at all of the Soviet role in exporting Communism to other countries, of the Spanish Civil War, of Korea, Vietnam, or Afghanistan. Science is ignored as well. How can a history of Russia have nothing to say about the nuclear arms race, the Soviet space program, the Cuban missile crisis or the Chernobyl disaster? Lawrence doesn't even mention the names of the men who ruled Russia in the twenty years between Khrushchev and Gorbachev. Instead, several chapters are devoted again to the government's policy towards the Church. Lawrence concludes the book (this edition went to press in 1991) with a prediction that the Orthodox Church will once again become the center of Russian life, and a wish for a similar transformation to faith-based government in Western countries.

The book is not without merit, as the author makes some very interesting observations on the nature of Soviet government, the effects of its policies, and the difficulties it overcame. Lawrence is highly sympathetic to the qualities of the Russian people. He is also quite fair in pointing out the sincerity and the significant accomplishments against great obstacles of the Bolshevik revolutionaries. It is primarily in the post-World War II era that the text becomes almost exclusively a lengthy rant against Soviet economics and its persecution of the Church.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Survey....or start, September 5, 2001

By	Suzanne "Suzanne" (United States) - See all my reviews

If this is the 7th Edition, the Author must be doing something right, or there simply aren't a whole lot of other books that present a broad historical chronicle of Russia. I suspect both are true.

I recommend this book to history buffs and people like myself, Russian literature enthusiasts who want to put their favorite novels in an historical context. For this, the Author has done a wonderful job of tackling a huge timeline and doing so in language that is accessible and at turns even humorous.

I'd recommend this book as a start, a primer....a jumping off point for more indepth study!