Russia is a country with no natural borders, no single ethnic group, no true central identity. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it has been subject to invasion by outsiders, from Vikings to Mongols, from Napoleon's French to Hitler's Germans. In order to forge an identity, it has mythologized its past to unite its people and to signal strength to outsiders.

In A Short History of Russia, Mark Galeotti explores the history of this fascinating, glorious, desperate and exasperating country through two intertwined issues: the way successive influences from beyond its borders have shaped Russia and the way Russians came to terms with this influence, writing and rewriting their past to understand their present and try to influence their future.

Fascinating. --Financial Times

A fantastic read...insightful and leaves the reader wanting more in the best of ways. --Diplomatic Courier