A Kingdom and a Village

'Monumental' Sunday Times 'A sweeping, judicious and elegant history of Moscow' Times Literary Supplement 'Marvellous ... a wonderful conjuring up of Russia's great capital' Helen Rappaport, author of Four Sisters You cannot understand today's world without understanding Russia, and it is impossible to know Russia without knowing its uniquely beguiling capital city. From provincial fort to vast metropolis of immense geopolitical power, this is the spellbinding story of Moscow. Drawing on a rich array of rarely seen records, acclaimed historian Simon Morrison uncovers a thousand years of Moscow's history - through invasions war and peace; through famines, fire and pestilence; and through tsars, revolutionaries and autocrats. In so doing, A Kingdom and a Village unlocks the mysteries of Russia's past and the grim logic of its present like never before. 'Every page pulses with individual stories and historical insights' Mark Galeotti, author of A Short History of Russia 'A technicolour chronicle of Moscow' The Economist 'The erudition of A Kingdom and a Village ... is matched only by its readability' Financial Times 'Vivid and engaging ... Brings Moscow's streets to life' BBC History Magazine