A riddle, shrouded in mystery, within an enigma. Churchill's description of Russia has become historic. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Russia is for everyone "the other." And yet, it is one of the most powerful nations on earth and a key player on the international stage.

In A Short History of Russia, the leading historian Mark Galeotti narrates the 12 centuries of its tumultuous history: bloody battles, triumphs, tragedies, national dreams, questions, and dilemmas. The history of Russia often resembles a palimpsest, as narratives were written over one another depending on the prevailing political and cultural circumstances.

Galeotti lifts the curtain of myth and leads us to the heart of Russian history: the formation of a nation and the personalities of history, from Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great, from the rise and fall of the Romanovs to the Russian Revolution, from the Cold War era to Chernobyl and the end of the Soviet Union.

It also covers the rise and dominance of Vladimir Putin as the current regime and the events that led to the war against Ukraine.

“An excellent book, a genuine achievement to encompass an exceptionally long period of time in a concise and accessible volume.”  Peter Frankopan

“An illuminating, penetrating, adventurous journey through 1,000 years of tumultuous history.”  Spectator

“Engaging… Galeotti is one of the most astute political analysts of Putin and contemporary Russia.”  Financial Times

“An outstanding introduction to the history of a nation whose lack of clear borders has pushed it into a systematic process of expansionism, casting new national, cultural, and religious identities into the human melting pot.”  Kirkus