Russia

Following his explosive #1 New York Times bestseller, Red Notice, Bill Browder returns with another gripping thriller chronicling how he exposed Vladimir Putin's campaign to steal and launder hundreds of billions of dollars from Russia—and how Putin is willing to kill anyone who stands in his...

Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 2004 The Gulag - a vast array of Soviet concentration camps that held millions of political and criminal prisoners - was a system of repression and punishment that terrorized the entire society, embodying the worst tendencies of Soviet communism. In this...

A major study of the collapse of the Soviet Union - showing how Gorbachev's misguided reforms led to its demise In 1945, the Soviet Union controlled half of Europe and was a founding member of the United Nations. By 1991, it had an army four million strong, 5,000 nuclear-tipped missiles, and was...

At 01:23:40 on April 26th 1986, Alexander Akimov pressed the emergency shutdown button at Chernobyl's fourth nuclear reactor. It was an act that forced the permanent evacuation of a city, killed thousands, and crippled the Soviet Union. The event spawned decades of conflicting, exaggerated, and...

Bloomsbury presents Bagration 1944: The Great Soviet Offensive by Prit Buttar, read by Leighton Pugh. A fascinating history of the great summer offensive launched by the Red Army in 1944 which turned the tide of the war. Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends...

In his monumental narrative of the outbreak of the First World War and the ill-fated Russian offensive into East Prussia, Solzhenitsyn has written what Nina Krushcheva, in The Nation, calls "a dramatically new interpretation of Russian history." The assassination of tsarist prime minister Pyotr...

A landmark collaboration between a thirty-year veteran of the CIA and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, The Main Enemy is the dramatic inside story of the CIA-KGB spy wars, told through the actions of the men who fought them. Based on hundreds of interviews with operatives from both sides...

Beginning in the 18th century with the building of St. Petersburg - a 'window on the West' - and culminating with the challenges posed to Russian identity by the Soviet regime, Figes examines how writers, artists and musicians grappled with the idea of Russia itself....

This essential biography, by the author most deeply familiar with the vast archives of the Soviet era, offers an unprecedented, fine-grained portrait of Stalin, the man and dictator....

Bloomsbury presents Putin's Wars by Mark Galeotti, read by David Sibley. THE FINANICAL TIMES – BEST BOOKS OF 2022 'The prolific military chronicler and analyst Mark Galeotti has produced exactly the right book at the right time.' – The Times A history of how Putin and his conflicts have...

The Russian Revolution had a decisive impact on the history of the 20th century. In the years following the collapse of the Soviet regime and the opening of its archives, it has become possible to step back and see the full picture. Starting with an overview of the roots of the revolution...

Revised and updated to reflect recent Russian and Western scholarship on the subject, this new edition maintains the 1995 original's distinction as a crucial volume in the history of World War II and of the Soviet Union and the most informed and compelling perspective on one of the greatest...

In October 1941, Hitler launched Operation Typhoon—the German drive to capture Moscow and knock the Soviet Union out of the war. As the last chance to escape the dire implications of a winter campaign, Hitler directed seventy-five German divisions, almost two million men and three of Germany's...

It is June 1936. Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) has finally been granted a visa for asylum in Norway, having been banned first from living in Paris, and then the whole of France. With him comes the draft of The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going?, which is completed...

Bloomsbury presents Forged in War: A military history of Russia from its beginnings to today by Mark Galeotti, read by Simon Shepherd. A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia’s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of...

On a moonless night in January 1991, a dozen US aircraft appeared in the skies over Baghdad. To the Iraqi air defenses, the planes seemed to come from nowhere. Each aircraft was more than 60 feet in length and with a wingspan of 40 feet, yet its radar footprint was the size of a ball bearing...

Bloomsbury presents To Save An Army by Robert Forsyth, read by Mark Meadows. Using the diaries of Luftwaffe commanders and other previously unpublished sources, Robert Forsyth analyzes the human, strategic, tactical and technical elements of one of the most dramatic operations arranged by the...

The Venona Files are several intercepted communiques between the Soviet Union and American Communists following WWII....

This timely book offers a world history of insurgencies and of counterinsurgency warfare....

Trace the epic state-building of Eastern Europe as nomadic tribes and Viking warlords clash to forge a massive empire. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive historical narrative transports you across ancient rivers and frozen steppes. Witness the ruthless ambition and shifting alliances...

The Russo-Ukraine War is a vital learning opportunity for military strategists across the globe. The first and clearest lesson to be gleaned from it is this: the soundness of a military's strategy and the nimbleness with which it can adapt to unforeseen circumstances are the two most important...

Brought to you by Penguin. A sweeping, original history of the Cold War, from an acclaimed historian of the USSR Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of...

“BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE 20TH CENTURY.” —Time “It is impossible to name a book that had a greater effect on the political and moral consciousness of the late twentieth century.” —David Remnick, The New Yorker The Nobel Prize winner’s towering masterpiece of world literature...

Dawn on Sunday, June 22, 1941 saw the opening onslaughts of Operation Barbarossa as German forces stormed forward into the Soviet Union. Few of them were to survive the five long years of bitter struggle. A posting to the Eastern Front during the Second World War was rightly regarded with dread...

Bloomsbury presents To Besiege a City by Prit Buttar, read by Leighton Pugh. '[An] excellent account.' - Richard Overy, The Telegraph Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award 2024 A ground-breaking history of the siege of Leningrad, masterfully brought to life by a...

One reactor. One lie. One empire brought to its knees. What really happened inside Unit 4 in the seconds before the explosion—and why did the men who understood the danger stay silent while a nation slept beneath a radioactive sky? Chernobyl tears open the official record to reveal the human catastrophe behind the world's worst nuclear disaster: the arrogance, the miscalculations, and the institutional cowardice that turned a flawed reactor into a continental poison.

Some words are born in laboratories and die in footnotes. A rare few escape, slip into ordinary speech, and take on a life their makers never intended. “Passionarity” is one of these escapees—a strange, electric word coined by the Russian historian Lev Gumilev to explain why peoples suddenly blaze into history, conquer, build, overreach, and burn out. He meant it as science. It became something stranger: a myth, a mirror, a political slogan, and a way of feeling time. This book tells the biography of that idea.

Step into the gripping true history of ruthless espionage and covert operations that fueled the Cold War shadow wars. Perfect for a suspenseful daily commute, this cinematic narrative exposes how a besieged Bolshevik regime weaponized deception into a global intelligence machine. Follow the...

Dive into a gripping true mystery of WWII looted art and a legendary lost treasure that vanished without a trace. Perfect for your daily commute, this captivating historical investigation traces a shimmering chamber of fossilized resin from ancient Baltic forests to the heights of Russian...

Witness the dramatic political history of a modest forest outpost that ruthlessly transformed into a global superpower. Perfect for your daily commute, this epic narrative plunges you straight into the lived reality of a capital forged by fire, invasion, and rebellion. Step away from dry lists...

Trace the dramatic Russian history of a medieval marvel that survived centuries of war, revolution, and destruction. Whether you are commuting or unwinding with an educational deep dive, this resilient narrative transports you straight to the bustling edge of Red Square. Witness the rise and...

Uncover the gripping Russian history of a single hilltop fortress that violently shaped a global political empire. From a minor timber stockade on the Moscow River to a sprawling stone stronghold, this atmospheric citadel survived fires, foreign invasions, and devastating dynastic crises...

Dive into an educational time-travel adventure that transforms epic historical events into thrilling storytelling for kids. Perfect for your next family road trip or curious homeschooling sessions, this lively audio journey follows siblings Max and Lena alongside eccentric Professor Petrov...

Experience the gripping European history of a capital that endured a brutal WWII siege and refused to die. Perfect for an immersive daily commute, this atmospheric journey plunges you into the marshy origins of a glittering empire. Discover the harrowing yet triumphant story of a metropolis...

Experience the epic military history of the Baltic conflict that shattered an empire and forged a modern superpower. Perfect for your daily commute, this intense narrative plunges you into the frozen battlefields and royal courts of 18th-century Europe. Witness the dramatic clash between a...

Experience the sweeping saga of Central Asian history, where ancient nomadic empires shape modern global geopolitics. Perfect for a focused daily commute, this atmospheric narrative transports you directly to the windswept Eurasian steppes. Immerse yourself in the epic clash between mobile...

Discover the dramatic collapse of a global superpower and the political shockwaves that ended the Cold War era. Perfect for an engaging morning commute or a session of deep-focus learning, this gripping historical narrative tracks the sudden implosion of a seemingly invincible empire. Experience...

Uncover a suspenseful World War II true crime mystery detailing a dazzling Baroque wonder looted by Nazi forces. Whether you are settling in for a focused listen or embarking on a long commute, this gripping historical account transforms a notorious cultural theft into an immersive narrative...

Step into a dramatic European history epic where a glittering imperial capital transforms into a crucible of revolution. Perfect for your daily commute or an immersive educational deep dive, this atmospheric narrative traces a desolate swamp's evolution into a formidable maritime gateway. Hear...

Witness the epic political history of how medieval principalities violently forged an enigmatic, global empire. Perfect for your morning commute, this gripping narrative sweeps across a millennium of turbulent geopolitical conflict. Discover the recurring clashes between absolute authority and...

Witness the gripping political history of a collapsing empire and the bloody revolution that birthed a radical state. Perfect for your daily commute or focused learning, this tense narrative transports you to the brutal streets of late Imperial Russia. Feel the raw, volatile energy of desperate...

Uncover the dramatic Russian history and political conflicts hidden within Moscow's greatest architectural marvel. Perfect for an immersive commute, this atmospheric journey transports you to the heart of Red Square under the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Witness how a sixteenth-century conquest...

Witness the dramatic collapse of a superpower in this gripping Cold War history of systemic failure. Perfect for your commute, this intense narrative explores how a massive empire unraveled in mere years. Experience the turbulence of a stagnant regime pushed to the brink by radical reforms and...

Experience the dramatic historical collapse of an empire as rigid autocracy erupts into a radical communist revolution. Perfect for an educational commute, this tense and immersive narrative brings early twentieth-century rebellion to life. Hear the voices of desperate peasants, mutinous...

Explore the dramatic history and brutal geopolitics that turned a frozen Slavic frontier into a nuclear superpower. Perfect for your daily commute, this epic narrative sweeps through a millennium of turbulent conquests, shattering revolutions, and enduring autocratic regimes. Dive into an...

Step inside the epicenter of Russian political history and uncover the secrets of Europe’s most formidable fortress. Transform your daily commute into an immersive journey through seven centuries of dynastic ambition, military sieges, and architectural triumph. Discover how a humble wooden...

Explore the Central Asian crossroads where ancient Silk Road traders and Soviet engineers battled to forge an empire. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive historical journey transports you to bustling bazaars and ambitious streetscapes constantly caught between local traditions and...

Experience the gripping political history of how a sudden, dramatic revolution shattered a three-century autocracy. Perfect for your daily commute, this fast-paced narrative plunges you into the turbulent final days of the Romanov dynasty. Listen as mounting tensions and devastating World War I...

Experience the dramatic political history of a vulnerable medieval frontier transforming into a massive Eurasian empire. Perfect for your daily commute or a session of deep focus, this epic narrative explores the fierce tension between relentless territorial expansion and inevitable societal...

Unravel a gripping historical mystery and track the lost medieval manuscripts that haunted Russia for centuries. Perfect for an immersive commute, this suspenseful narrative separates documented facts from wild rumors surrounding one of Europe's most tantalizing vanished archives. Escape into...