A riddle, wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma. Churchill's description of Russia has become historic. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Russia is "the other" for everyone. Yet it is one of the most powerful nations on earth and a leading player on the international stage (as painfully proven once again in our days). In A Short History of Russia, leading historian Mark Galeotti narrates the 12 centuries of its tumultuous history: deadly 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 political and cultural conditions of the time. 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, the rise and fall of the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, the Cold War period, Chernobyl, and the end of the Soviet Union. And from the rise and dominance of Vladimir Putin to the current regime and the events that led to the war against Ukraine. "An excellent book, a real achievement to cover an extremely long period in a concise and comprehensible book."  Peter Frankopan "An enlightening, insightful, adventurous journey through 1,000 years of turbulent history."  Spectator "Fascinating… Galeotti is one of the most astute political analysts of Putin and modern Russia."  Financial Times "An excellent introduction to the history of a nation whose lack of clear borders pushed it into a systematic process of expansion, throwing new national, cultural, and religious identities into the human melting pot."  Kirkus