This book provides a comprehensive survey of Russia's tragic and glorious history from prehistory through glasnost and the fall of the Soviet Union right up to the present day. The book begins with prehistoric Russia and its nomadic invaders, and covers the rise of Muscovy with its colorful panopoly of rulers from Ivan Moneybags to Ivan the Terrible, despotism of the Romanovs, and the Russian Revolution. Then follows an account of the rise of the Soviet state, its world role and recent changes. The up-to-theminute conclusion analyzes the Soviet collapse and its devolution into 15 separate republics, the tragedy of the Chechen War, and Vladimir Putin's re-election. Peter Neville is a Lecturer in Contemporary European History at the University of Luton and is also a tutor for the Open University. He is the author of several books on modern history including A Traveller's History of Ireland in this series. He is a frequent visitor to Eastern Europe and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. While destination oriented visitors will gain much from this expose, students and others will find it a fine, easy method of absorbing Russian history. - Bookwatch An excellent series of brief histories. - The New York Times