The Story of Russia

The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes

Stafan Rudniki narrates many of Orson Scott Card's science fiction works. Hearing his voice on a historical audiobook was an interesting experience. I half expected an alien invasion to suddenly occur.

This comprehensive history of Russia starts at prehistoric times and goes to Putin and the current days. For today, a thesis is that Russians look back with positive nostalgia at the communist times. Putin has been able to use that experience to help build his support. It is also clear that Russia has long had a chip on it's shoulder. It has felt inferior to other European countries. The Asian portion of the country is more "colony" than anything else. Ukraine has an interesting history that is claimed by Russia as part of the "birth" of the culture. Despite many political systems coming and going, Russians seem to always find themselves ruled by a dominant boss.