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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 5 stars for the info and pictures, 0 stars for the binding. Aug 30, 2007
The information presented in this book is fabulous. I love the pictures as well. It's a great coffee table book if you just want to leave it out. And it looks great on a book shelf as well. However, as another reviewer already noted, the binding on this book is horrendous. Just taking it out of the shipping box and reading the first couple of pages was too much for it to handle. The cover is already nearly ripped from the book, and the individual pages are all falling out. I tried putting it back together with some glue, but it didn't work. It just keeps coming apart. It seems deplorable to charge so much for a book that will not even withstand a single reading. For this reason, I gave the book five stars for the info, but no stars for the construction. I split the difference and came up with the 3 star rating.
In short, if you just want the info and don't care how the book looks after your reading- go for it. But, if you're like me, and prefer your books to be in good, presentable shape, then no dice. It's just not worth it.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 outstanding work Aug 23, 2006
This is a spectacular book. The historical coverage is broad and reasonably deep; the illustrations and explanatory sidebars are fun and well constructed; and the maps are a wonderful complement to the text. It was just so complete! Glorious period photos on every page: Trotsky, Stalin, Lenin, Alexander II. Stunning works of medieval and modern art. Unfortunately, the trailing atlas-style section was a bit weaker than the rest of the book, even if the photos were excellent. Albeit, I still think the photographic characterization of Moscow was trite: enough photos of the Kremlin and St. Basil's!
17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
An Interesting, Easy-To-Read Overview Apr 05, 2000
Loaded with pictures and maps, this cultural atlas of Russia is an excellent quick reference. Written concisely, it recounts major events/rulers in Russian history, putting them in perspective with regards to European history and, at least for me, clarifying some confusing areas (e.g. "The Time Of Troubles"). As a history major in college, I studied Russian history, but had forgotten many details. Was most pleased to discover this atlas and the easy-to-follow, refresher course it provided. Atlas is written in a reader-friendly fashion, easy to pick up after an interruption, and I expect it would be as interesting to a first time student of Russian history as it was to me.
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