A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev

By: Mark Steinberg, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Mark Steinberg

Length: 18 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

It's difficult to imagine a nation with a history more compelling for Americans than Russia. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this was the nation against which we measured our own nation's values and power and with whom war, if it ever came, could spell unimaginable catastrophe for our planet.

Yet many Americans have never had the opportunity to study Russia in depth, and to see how the forces of history came together to shape a future so different from the dreams of most ordinary Russian people, eager to see their nation embrace Western values of progress, human rights, and justice.

Now a much-honored teacher has created a series of 36 lectures designed to give you one of the deepest glimpses into Russia you've ever had - a vivid journey through 300 years of Russian history as seen through the eyes of her own people. You'll discover historical themes made clear not by discussing treaties, war declarations, or economic statistics - but by examining the lives and ideas of the men and women who were Russia: tsars, emperors, Communist Party leaders, writers, artists, peasants, and factory workers.

You'll grasp what Russian life was like as Professor Steinberg analyzes ideas of power not only from the viewpoint of its rulers, but also from that of the ruled; the theme of happiness and its pursuit that resonates throughout Russian history, and ideas of morality and ethics as wielded by both the Russian state and its critics.

And you'll listen as he brings alive the vibrant Russian imagination - so willing to visualize a different kind of life for its people, yet so burdened by its darker sides of doubt and pessimism that those visions were rejected.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great Courses

One of the best courses

The mix between politics and personal stories work great. It is gripping and profound. Too bad it does not include early Russian history, but just from 17th century and on.

Great lecture series!!

My only real issue is that the lecturer doesn’t cover technical problems with Russian infrastructure, the largest one being Chernobyl. Even Gorbachev said that the event triggered the fall of the USSR.

From Peter the Great to Lenin, with a couple extra lectures thrown in

Very interesting and informative. The lectures covering the time period between Peter the Great through Lenin were very detailed- I learned a lot and enjoyed Professor Steinberg's presentation. After that it was rather scanty and felt rushed. If you're looking for detailed history of the Soviet Union time period, look elsewhere.

An accurate and broad sweep

From the beginning of Russian history to 1991. ..an excellent introduction to the country's history

Expected more on Communism

What did you love best about A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev?

Very good and entertaining but the lecturer covers 1950-1980 in one lecture.

Was expecting more detail in those years.

Very informative and in a way that flows!

It was very informative and flowed well. Highly recommend for those wanting to study history.

Good, sweeping historical overview

Good overview, sweeping with a broad brush but covering key trends and people. Clearly read with too many annoying reading stumbles but still a good listen.

Not story-telling but history-telling at its best

Any additional comments?

I am a retired man who spent good years in technology thus missing ample in history. With more time available now I wanted to catch up on that but being a slow reader, printed books wasn’t the best and the most motivating option. Thanks to audio books that filled that void very well. And it’s in this search for better audio books on history that I stumbled on The Great Courses.

I signed up for Audible and started with this one on Russian history as a free trial. And was it worth it? To answer that question simply, “I think I am sold to it”.

Professor Mark Steinberg does a commendable job walking one through the Russian history in a very lucid, fairly paced and absorbing delivery. I found it so riveting that I finished the entire 18-hours plus of listening in just 4 days. His knowledge, as I learnt late during his narration, is not just based on an academic study but also enriched by his physical knowledge (presence) of the then USSR where he studied and also taught - a fact that hadn’t been highlighted in the introduction to his lectures.

I’ll conclude saying that this lecture series on Russia alone is worth the subscription of a whole one year at Audible.

Excellent

Loved the Lecturer's passion for his subject and the balance with which he approached hot button topics such as Socialism, Fascism, Communism and their various forms. Gave me a better understanding of Russia today and appreciation for its people and their struggle for freedom as they define it.

"What it means to be Russian"

Would you consider the audio edition of A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev to be better than the print version?

I have a tough time thinking that this course would be better in a book.

Steinberg does a fantastic job with his lecture. The way he speaks doesn't get boring.

What did you like best about this story?

The context placed around certain time periods for both the peasantry and the nobility. I've often wondered "but what did the people think", and this course really puts that into perspective.

At the same time, I better understand some of the decisions of the rulers.

What about Professor Mark Steinberg’s performance did you like?

He is not monotonous, and his tones show a clear appreciation for his subject.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Hearts and Minds of Russia

Any additional comments?

I'd have given this story a 5-star rating except for a couple of parts that didn't interest me as much. I listened to the sections about art just a little less enthusiastically than the rest.

I still highly recommend this course.