Russia Anxiety

'This exciting and provocative book blows apart misconceptions about the Russian past' Lara Douds, Times Higher Education

Russia is an exceptional country, the biggest in the world. It is both European and exotic, powerful and weak, brilliant and flawed. Why areweso afraid of it?

Time and again, we judge Russia by unique standards. We have usually assumed that it possesses higher levels of cunning, malevolence and brutality. Yet the country has more often than not been a crucial ally, not least against Napoleon and in the twoworldwars. We admire its music and its writers. We lavish praise ontheRussian soul. And still we think of Russia as a unique menace. Whatisit about this extraordinary country that consistently provokes such excessive responses? And why is this so dangerous?

Rangingfromthe earliest times to the present, Mark B. Smith's remarkable newbookis a history of this 'Russia Anxiety'. Whether ally or enemy,superpoweror failing state, Russia grips our imagination and fuels ourfearsunlike any other country. This book shows how history itselfoffers aclearer view and a better future.

Reviews

The Russia Anxiety is a valuable effort to assess the long history of the West's Russia-related worries ... Regrettably, more than five years [since the annexation of Crimea], the United States seems no closer to developing either a strategy or a policy to manage its relationship with Russia. Mark Smith's provocative book won't solve that problem alone, but it does offer some valuable guidance in thinking about solutions.