From the Publisher
“Anastasia Edel provides a beautifully written and richly illustrated introduction to Russian cultural and political history. Russia: Putin’s Playground is equally lively and insightful, a guide to Russia’s future as much as its past, a perfect primer to a country too often misunderstood in America.” — Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
This book is perfect for anyone with a growing concern about Russia, but without the knowledge to make informed opinions about the interests of the Russian state and the foreign policy decisions of its leader, Vladimir Putin. This book rightly explains the Russian foreign policy psyche via its history and culture, and explains with nuance as to why Russia and the West, especially the United States, have disagreements on many geopolitical issues.—Dr. Ryan Maness, PhD, Visiting Fellow of Security and Resilience Studies in the Department of Political Science at Northeastern University and co-author of Russia’s Coercive Diplomacy
Excellent introduction to political and historical Russia. Up to date, accurate, and visually arresting. This would be my recommendation for anyone wanting to catch up on and understand modern Russia. —Dr. Brandon Valeriano, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Political Science and Global Security at the University of Glasgow and co-author of Russia’s Coercive Diplomacy
Smart, balanced, concise, Putin's Playground includes a history of Russia and an overview of its cultural and intellectual history. Plus, Putin! If you or someone you know has any interest in Russia, get this book! —Dan Lyons, former editor at Newsweek and Forbes, co-producer of HBO's Silicon Valley, and author of Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-up Bubble.
