The Russia anxiety - Mark B Smith

Russia is an exceptional country, the biggest in the world. It is both
European and exotic, powerful and weak, brilliant and flawed. Why are
we
so 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 two
world
wars. We admire its music and its writers. We lavish praise on
the
Russian soul. And still we think of Russia as a unique menace. What
is
it about this extraordinary country that consistently provokes such
excessive responses? And why is this so dangerous?

Ranging
from
the earliest times to the present, Mark B. Smith's remarkable new
book
is a history of this 'Russia Anxiety'. Whether ally or enemy,
superpower
or failing state, Russia grips our imagination and fuels our
fears
unlike any other country. This book shows how history itself
offers a
clearer view and a better future.