The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretative History of Russian Culture (Vintage)

The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretative History of Russian Culture (Vintage)

"A sweeping, intricate description of Russian cultural history, spanning the pre-Romanov era through six centuries to the reign of Joseph Stalin. Flowing with ease through time and topic — from art to music, literature, philosophy, mythology and more — the book provides readers with an alluring portrayal of Russia’s proud heritage. Its impressive scope and lasting insights have made it a foundational text in Russian studies. In fact, it was this book, more than any other, that captured my imagination and propelled me toward the study of Russia and the Soviet Union." --Condoleezza Rice, The New York Times "A rich and readable introduction to the whole sweep of Russian cultural and intellectual history from Kievan times to the post-Khruschev era." -   Library Journal Includes Illustrations, references, index. "This is indeed a very important book; I should like to see The Icon and the Axe reach not only the two or three thousand specialists who comprise the natural audience for such a book, but also the much wider select circle of those who, say, both bought and actually read Doctor Zhivago ." -- The New York Times "I cannot begin to touch on the riches of this book. It is packed with detail without being dry, vivd without being 'colorful,' and wide-randing without crying up special theories." --Elizabeth Janeway, Books Today "A rich and readable introduction to the whole sweep of Russian cultural and intellectual history from Kievan times to the post-Khruschev era." - Library Journal. Illustrations, references, index. '...I cannot begin to touch on the riches of this book. It is packed with detail without being dry, vivid without being 'colorful, ' and wide-ranging without crying up special theories. This is, moreover, a cultural history in which is implicit the knowledge that ideas do not follow simply from other ideas, that cultural history interprets and modifies political and economic history but rides on their currents and is swayed by their events.