Janet L. B. Martin Knihy

This book is a concise, yet comprehensive narrative history of Russia from 980 to 1584. Exploring the realm of the Riurikid dynasty from the reign of Vladmir I the Saint, who monopolised political power over the eastern Slav lands, through the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible, who sealed the end of his dynasty's rule, it delves into social and economic issues as well as political history, foreign relations, religion, and culture. Janet Martin's analysis of these issues and emphasis on the dynamic qualities of Russian society form a basis for understanding the mechanisms and results of change in the principalities of Rus'. Her lines of argumentation are clear; her conclusions and interpretations provocative. They combine to make Medieval Russia, 980-1584 an informative, broadly accessible, up-to-date account of the states and society of early Rus' from the Kievan to the Muscovite eras.