This is a sweeping history of Russia from the time of Peter the Great through the years of Gorbachev and the end of the Soviet Union covered in 36 thirty-minute lectures by Professor Mark D. Steinberg. Professor Steinberg is reknowned in the field of Slavic studies and focuses on cultural aspects more than rote historical timelines. He digs down into how the common people felt at the time period being studied--often using archival documents written by the people themselves, or oftentimes anecdotes found in others' works; particularly as throughout most of history the main group of people; the peasants, were illiterate.

I found these lectures to be extremely informative and interesting. A huge amount of material is covered concisely and effectively. ( )