In a sweeping narrative, one of the English-speaking world's leading historians of Russia follows the country's history from the first emergence of the Slavs in the historical record in the sixth century C.E. to the Russians' persistent appearances in today's headlines. The second edition covers the presidencies of Vladimir Putin and Dmitrii Medvedev and the struggle to make Russia a viable functioning state for all its citizens. - Publisher.

Introduction: Geopolitics, ecology, and national character -- I. Pre-imperial Rus and the beginnings of empire. Kievan Rus, the Mongols, and the rise of Muscovy ; Ivan IV and the expansion of Muscovy -- II. The troubled building of empire. The turbulent seventeenth century ; Peter the Great and Europeanization -- III. Russia as European empire. State and society in the eighteenth century ; The reigns of Paul, Alexander I, and Nicholas I -- IV. Imperial crisis. Alexander II's uncertain reforms ; The rise of nationalism -- V. Revolution and utopia. Social change and revolution ; War and revolution ; Social transformation and terror ; Soviet society takes shape -- VI. The decline and fall of utopia. Recovery and Cold War ; Soviet society under "developed socialism" ; From Perestroika to Russian Federation -- Chronology.