The Russian Tragedy: The Burden of History

A well-written interpretive history of Russia from earliest times to today--a recounting of the story of Russia's past that is rich with insights into the nation's present torment. The author discusses Russia's strengths and weaknesses as a civilization, the dilemmas that have always confronted it, and the challenges posed by the contemporary effort to remake Russia.

In ten chronological and thematic chapters, the author
--describes the distinctive nature of Russia's experience as an Eastern civilization, of Europe, but not of the West;
--evokes the ways in which Russia's culture, especially its rich literature, has both embodied and expressed the nation's ambivalent identity;
--chronicles the periodic efforts of the Russian state, over three centuries, to catch up with the West without becoming Western;
With grace and good sense, Ragsdale revisits the past not to explain, justify, or condemn, but to illuminate the present.