The Volga
A History
Published on 12. January 2021
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-0-300-24564-6 (ISBN)
Description
A rich and fascinating exploration of the Volga River and its vital place in Russian history-named a Best Book of 2021 by the Financial Times
"A memorable journey into the heart of Russian social, political, and cultural history."-Jennifer Eremeeva, Moscow Times
"'Without the Volga, there would be no Russia.' The final words of Janet Hartley's book sound sweeping. But its 400 pages make the case powerfully."-The Economist
The longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches more than three and a half thousand km from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation-and has united and divided the land through which it flows.
Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the Volga from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire's control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.
"A memorable journey into the heart of Russian social, political, and cultural history."-Jennifer Eremeeva, Moscow Times
"'Without the Volga, there would be no Russia.' The final words of Janet Hartley's book sound sweeping. But its 400 pages make the case powerfully."-The Economist
The longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches more than three and a half thousand km from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation-and has united and divided the land through which it flows.
Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the Volga from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire's control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.
Reviews / Votes
"Meticulously researched and sympathetically written. . . . 'Without the Volga, there would be no Russia.' The final words of Janet Hartley's book sound sweeping. But its 400 pages make the case powerfully."-The Economist"Well-researched and accessible to general readers. . . . Hartley has a good eye for the significant detail."-Tony Barber, Financial Times, "Best Books of the Week"
"Janet Hartley's study of the Volga, the river that symbolises Russian identity, is a worthy companion to her 2014 book Siberia: A History of the People. She is particularly good on the way that Russians and non-Russians interacted in the centuries after Ivan the Terrible's conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan in the 1550s."-Tony Barber, Financial Times, "Best Books of 2021: History"
"This is a work of masterful condensation, commanding storytelling and an invitation to marvel at the 'gloomy grandeur' of one of the Earth's oldest residents."-Matthew Janney, Spectator
"Combines outstanding academic research with masterful and compelling storytelling. The result is a memorable journey into the heart of Russian social, political, and cultural history."-Jennifer Eremeeva, Moscow Times
"A vivid, human-centered story of the great river standing at a crossroad of peoples and cultures. . . . Hartley's voyage along the serpentine river is magical and full of charm."-Farah Abdessamad, Asian Review of Books
"Accessible to the interested lay person as much as thought-provoking to experts in the field of Russian and Eurasian studies."-Kees Boterbloem, Canadian-American Slavic Studies
"The strength of The Volga is always its rich cultural and economic history. . . . Twenty-two illustrations, ten maps and a note on place names complete The Volga, and make it a welcome addition to other biographies of the world's rivers."-Paul Josephson, Cahiers du Monde russe
"A splendid book. . . . This scholarly work provides not just a vivid chronicle of the Volga and its peoples, but an original perspective on the history of Russia as a whole."-Maureen Perrie, European History Quarterly
"Hartley does an excellent job of highlighting the many ethnic and religious groups that have lived in the shadows of Russia's greatest river [and] creates a vivid picture of this region throughout history, and the powerful river that has shaped so many lives."-Kit Gillet, Geographical, "Book of the Month"
"Hartley treats the reader to captivating stories of conflict, conversion, trade, famine, migration and myth [and] convincingly shows that any understanding of Russian history requires an understanding of the Volga."-Andy Bruno, History Today
"A lucid and well-researched book."-Anna Reid, Literary Review
"A work of great range and erudition informed by a deep reading in published and archival sources. As I followed along, struck repeatedly by Hartley's judicious attention to the river's ever-flowing impact on the peoples and cultures around it, I came away impressed more than anything by the sheer scope of the story, which matches the vastness and complexity of Russia itself."-Willard Sunderland, Slavonic and East European Review
"Provides not just a vivid chronicle of the Volga and its peoples, but an original perspective on the history of Russia as a whole."-Maureen Perrie, European History Quarterly
"[This] impressive book on the Volga . . . will appeal to a wide range of readers, including specialists of Russian and Eurasian history, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and many general readers. Containing a wealth of intriguing detail and written in elegant and accessible language, it delivers new insights on Russia's greatest river."-Stefan B. Kirmse, Europe-Asia Studies
"The Volga is an important study whose focus is the construction of Russian territorially-contiguous colonialism and its broad impacts, well worth the attention of both colleagues and the less specialist reader."-Carol B. Stevens, Slavic Review
"With clarity and commanding breadth of vision, Hartley chronicles the life of a great river through times of shocking violence and times of tranquillity."-Rachel Polonsky, author of Molotov's Magic Lantern
"Taking a majestic sweep through centuries of turbulent history, Hartley traces in vivid detail the significance of a river that has served Russia's multi-ethnic population as economic lifeline, strategic battleground and symbol of freedom."-Simon Dixon, author of Catherine the Great
"An impeccably documented and comprehensive history of the Volga region. It pays special attention to the ecological features of the region's territories, and to the economic, ethnic, religious and cultural characteristics of its peoples."-Geoffrey Hosking, Russia and the Russians
"Engrossing. In lively prose Hartley tracks the not-always-easy imprint of Russian power on the peoples and environments of this vast river as it snakes through parts of the world little known to an English-speaking audience."-Valerie A. Kivelson, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
22 color illus. + 10 maps
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-300-24564-6 (9780300245646)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Janet M. Hartley is emeritus professor of international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of Siberia: A History of the People.