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

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.

Not What I Expected

What disappointed you about A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev?

I assumed this would be a lecture series about Russian History, but what it really was was a history of Russian politics and philosophy. While parts were interesting, I am not personally interested in the philosophy of the Russian people, I am more interested in the events that shaped the country. For example, the professor barely mentions the Napoleonic Wars or any other war for that matter. I would have preferred he cover the majority of the information he covered, but also cover wars and other things besides politics and philosophy.

Would you ever listen to anything by The Great Courses again?

Yes, I listened to the Ancient Egypt series and I have started one on the Chinese, but this particular course was not nearly as good.

A good overview of the social history of Russia

Any additional comments?

I am a history lover and this was an enjoyable listen. The professor is very knowledgeable and does an excellent job and highlighting and explaining the various climates, movements, and major events in modern Russian history. He is especially good at covering the social history of Russia with a focus on the common man and the intellectual movements in Russian history. A few words of caution however. This is only a history of modern Russia in that it only goes from Peter the Great to the near present, not ancient or medieval Russian history. Also, the author barely covers or mentions little about Russian geography, Russian military history, or the process of Russian territorial expansion. While he did an amazing job covering the other aspects of history, I felt a loss with the absence of these elements, hence my 4 star review. Some portions, especially discussions of intellectual movements, may seem a little heady for one looking for a light listen.

A History of what Russians thought about Russia

What disappointed you about A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev?

The fact that the lectures spend a lot of time (whole lectures) discussing this or other Russian thinker, sometimes an obscure one, and yet the Napoleonic wars are mentioned only in passing and only as a backdrop to Tolstoy's War and Peace. Whole centuries are glossed over only to spend entire lectures on the intricate arguments of one or other faction in the Russian Intelligentsia (for instance, the lectures jump from late 18 century to mid 19th century in a few sentences). Also, HUGE events are basically ignored or treated from intellectual point of view only. For instance, the lecturer discusses in details the ideas that spread as result of the rapid Urbanization. The reasons and policies that led to that urbanization are not discussed at all. Other (i.e. non-intellectual) consequences of the urbanization are not discussed at all. The holodomor (3 million Ukrainian peasants deliberately starved to death) and the second world war also receive the same treatment.

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It could contain more actual history. Events, wars, economic development, policy. You know, the kind of things one would expect to find in a series of lectures about History.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Probably. But I'm too disappointed to think of any.

Much needed

I have been searching for a decent documentation of the history of modern Russia for quiet a while, and this audiobook delivers. It explores the philosophies, inner movements and conflicts that Russia had gone through. If you're interested in exploring the history of Russia in an unbiased, academic way, look no further.

Not quite a peek in to the mind of Russia

If you could sum up A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev in three words, what would they be?

An excellent study of the personalities that shaped Russia as we know it today, though it tantalizingly stops short of the modern events that have led to Putin's new expansionist Russia. It will be very interesting to see where it stops short.

I would like to have a bit more of a structured recounting of the major events, but in the introduction the approach is presented to be a treatment of the major persons more than the events.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Character, hmm, well Peter the Great was certainly a character but my real fascination is with Lenin.

Which scene was your favorite?

The October Revolution - just astonishing to think how this *might* have turned out differently.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The utter disregard for life shown by Stalin, and the commitment to an misguided ideal that can cause a nation of people to fall to evil.

Any additional comments?

I hesitate to mention this, as it's one of those things you might not notice until I point it out, but the presenter has a case of the "uhms" that kept distracting me from the otherwise very good performance. Otherwise I'd nudge the stars up a little.

Wonderful, expansive history

This course was exactly what I wanted it to be: an explanation of Russia (that complicated, far-flung place.)

The professor does a great job of tracking the major grievances in Russian society for the centuries leading up to the revolutionary era, so that by the time you hit those courses it all kind of makes sense.

The professor is very conversational and easy-to-follow. He gives off the immediate sense that he's an "insider" to Russian history, and this adds a great deal of listenability. There are times where I found the narration a bit jumbled (some anecdotes seeming too long or not fitting with the overall narrative), but more often than not I was totally engrossed.

A History of Russian Ideas

If you believe history is about what people think and how they feel, you may enjoy this course. If you want the whole story and you believe the proof is in the pudding, don’t bother.

It could have been more objective in some chapters

When I started this course, I had already listened to, and finished, 6 Great Courses. So I had something to compare to. I have to say that I found this one slightly frustrating because the author emphasizes too much in philosophical, cultural and small details of the day lives of Russians. Please don't get me wrong, I found very interesting to learn those things, but I think the Professor spends too much time on them with almost emotional opinions related to some events. Those comments gave me the impression that the course may be not as object and impersonal as the other courses I took.

Besides I have to agree with other reviewers when they said they have missed more information about major events. Ok, it is impossible to cover more than 200 years of a huge nation like Russia, but I have also missed some details as well, especially in the twenty century.

The strongest positive aspect (very well explained, by the way) is the clash between the Slavs culture (mixed with others) versus the European culture and values. This is actually an ongoing ‘battle’. It has started during the Tsar era (Peter the Great has played the great big push towards Europe, and in this sense, he can also be considered the one who has started this quarrel). A recent book, “The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin” (also available in the Audible system), shows how the clash is still alive today. By not understanding the reasons for this clash, it is not possible to fully acknowledge why Russia is so unique and has attracted so many suspicions from European countries through history.

Finally, I would recommend the course only calling the attention that it may frustrate some of the listeners who are expecting more emphasis in big historic events in comparison to the historical developments and evolution of this great nation and people.

Good overview

Professor Steinberg is good, speaks well. This doesn't go too deep with the early czars, but I've enjoyed it.

Not a complete history of Russia

An interesting course, but calling it a history of Russia is a bit of a stretch. This is a history of culture and political views in Russia, but not a history of the country as a whole. The author is happy to talk for hours about a particular philosophical idea in Russia's history, but is clearly uncomfortable or simply uninterested in any aspect of geography, geopolitics, relations with neighbours, war, or any of the other aspects that form the history of a country. The multitude of wars with the Ottoman empire is only mentioned as "the Ottomans, whom Russia was fighting all the time, did this and that". The wars and interactions with any of its other neighbours are completely ignored. WW2 is the only one where some detail is provided, though not much. The war if Afghanistan, which was an important part of modern Russian history, is mentioned in one sentence, only in the context of listing things that made people unhappy at the time.
It's not just war that is completely left out - aspects of competition for resources, particular geopolitical interests, things like the desire for a warm water port, they are all only briefly mentioned, with no explanation or context, or just ignored completely.
Throughout the book I never get any sense of understanding Russia's place in the world, its borders or its conquers back in the imperial days. From this point of view it is a massive disappointment.

This is wonderful

What made the experience of listening to A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev the most enjoyable?

Such scale, such knowledge, such a personable style of delivery. I loved every minute of it. Makes me want to go and read about each and every one of the figures and events described. Truly inspiring. My only slight reservation is that Mark's voice gets a little hoarse which is not surprising, given the amount of text, while the canned applause is not convincing.

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

I thought he was great - obviously, he is steeped in the subject!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - i had to listen to each lecture separately, as the amount of information was daunting.

Great overview of modern russian history

If you could sum up A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev in three words, what would they be?

informative, interesting, surprising

What did you like best about this story?

I think this was a good overview of a very complex history, I really liked the lecture format of the great courses (first one I have listened too). I am a big fan of Audible and listen to a lot of audio books, particularly whist driving, and I do find on occasion my attention will wander with a conventional audio book. But in this instance, there is something about the lecture format that keeps you engaged and wanting to hear more. There is also some subtle repetition from one lecture to the next, which reinforces elements that can easily be forgotten, especially if you listen to a lot of weighty history books on audible.

Have you listened to any of Professor Mark Steinberg’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first thing I have ever heard with Mark Steinberg, but will prompt me to look him up elsewhere.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not so much moved, given they are lectures, but you do feel for the peasantry and Russian people at large, and the "life is cheap" attitude where soldiers where sent to war under equipped and told there are plenty of guns and bullets lying next to dead soldiers. Also the fatalism of Nicholas the II, who attended a ball on the night of his coronation after over thousand had died only hours earlier in a crowd stampede, saying god wills it.

Any additional comments?

Really enjoyed the format and really enjoyed finding out more about Russian history, will definitely download more Great Courses in the future. There are some occasions where the lectures can have you a bit out of sync, talking extensively about in-fighting among the soviets in one chapter, and bouncing back to 1905 revolution in the next, but fortunately it wasn't too jarring. I am sure each individual chapter of the history could form a course in of itself, and I hope that there will be further works in this area.

An entertaining overview of modern Russian history

Like with many great courses the course is quite broad and shallow in some places, but it gives a good overview with an emphasis on the history of ideas in Russia. In particular I liked the episodes on the intelligentsia and the nihilists, in general the lecturer excels when he talks about intellectual and social history. I would of liked to have heard more about events like the Cuba missile crisis and the war in Afghanistan but I understand there wasn't enough time and they weren't relevant to domestic affairs.

great to hear about russian

A really good guide to give you a thorough history of Russia and it rulers

Very cursory but OK for a complete novice

The lecturer is very good and I especially liked the fact that he knows a lot or Russian phrases and terms and uses them correctly. Surely is enjoyable, but no depth at all, which isn't surprising, given how huge is the scope. You won't get details and some interesting events are skipped.

It’s a very understanding of the Russian mindset

I would listen to this lecture again.

It’s a very understanding of the Russian mindset

Brilliant

He conjure up vivid sense of what society throughout different periods. Detailed enough to be thorough but without being dense.

Great!

Excellent lecturer, both detailed and digestible. Good course layout, with central events in Russian History sorted into easily-followed episodes.

Great lectures

Although, history continued and did not at all turn out to be as positive as hoped for Russians, at the end of the lectures.