Russian Identities: A Historical Survey by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky This book investigates the question of
Russian identity, looking at changes and continues over a huge
territory, many centuries, and a variety of political, social, and
economic structures. Its main emphases are on the struggle against the
steppe peoples, Orthodox Christianity, autocratic monarchy, and
Westernization. (Amazon.Com)
The Grand Strategy of the Russian Empire, 1650-1831 by John P. LeDonne
At its height, the Russian empire covered
eleven time zones and stretched from Scandinavia to the Pacific Ocean.
Arguing against the traditional historical view that Russia, surrounded
and threatened by enemies, was always on the defensive, John P. LeDonne
contends that Russia developed a long-term strategy not in response to
immediate threats but in line with its own expansionist urges to
control the Eurasian Heartland. LeDonne narrates how the government
from Moscow and Petersburg expanded the empire by deploying its army as
well as by extending its patronage to frontier societies in return for
their serving the interests of the empire. He considers three theaters
on which the Russians expanded: the Western (Baltic, Germany, Poland);
the Southern (Ottoman and Persian Empires); and the Eastern (China,
Siberia, Central Asia). In his analysis of military power, he weighs
the role of geography and locale, as well as economic issues, in the
evolution of a larger imperial strategy. Rather than viewing Russia as
peripheral to European Great Power politics, LeDonne makes a powerful
case for Russia as an expansionist, militaristic, and authoritarian
regime that challenged the great states and empires of its time. (Amazon.Com)
History of the Later Roman Empire: From the Death of Theodosius I to the Death of Justinian by J. B. Bury
Book Description
Volume
1 of classic history. One of the world's foremost historians chronicles
the major forces and events in the history of the Western and Byzantine
Empires from the death of Theodosius (A.D. 395) to the death of
Justinian (A.D. 565). (Amazon.Com)
Greek Political Thought by Ryan K. Balot
Book Description
This wide-ranging history of ancient
Greek political thought shows what ancient political texts might mean
to citizens of the twenty-first century.
A provocative and wide-ranging history of ancient Greek political thought.
Demonstrates what ancient Greek works of political philosophy might mean to citizens of the twenty-first century.
Examines
an array of poetic, historical, and philosophical texts in an effort to
locate Greek political thought in its cultural context.
Pays careful attention to the distinctively ancient connections between politics and ethics.
Structured
around key themes such as the origins of political thought, political
self-definition, revolutions in political thought, democracy and
imperialism. (Amazon.Com)
A thorough guide to more than 100 popular herbs, grains, fruits and dietary supplements. Beautifully illustrated, each entry includes a description of the plant and its origin; culinary and nutritional value; popular claims and folklore; evidence of the plant's usefulness for health; and drug interactions and other warnings.... From ginkgo to henna, to nettle, nuts, and popular ingredients in sports supplements, the book offers a good base for further research into foods and supplements that many of us ingest regularly but may not know much about.
