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Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I can't speak or read Russian and I'm not a trained specialist in Russian history. All I am is a person who is fascinated by the history of that great nation and people. And this book seems to me to be pretty close to essential for anyone who shares that interest.The Emergence of Rus tells of the origins of the Russian people and the first great Russian state at Kiev. Given that few written sources are available for the time period, this book relies heavily on archaelogical information early on. Such written sources as exist are compared and contrasted and the conclusions drawn seem eminently reasonable. Even though there is a lot of archaelogical data presented in the first part of this book, it is by no means dry. Franklin and Shepard have a interesting story to tell and they tell it very well. I found The Emergence of Rus to be a very good read, something I'll definitely go back to. If you are interested in Russian history at all, this book is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I can't speak or read Russian and I'm not a trained specialist in Russian history. All I am is a person who is fascinated by the history of that great nation and people. And this book seems to me to be pretty close to essential for anyone who shares that interest. The Emergence of Rus tells of the origins of the Russian people and the first great Russian state at Kiev. Given that few written sources are available for the time period, this book relies heavily on archaelogical information early on. Such written sources as exist are compared and contrasted and the conclusions drawn seem eminently reasonable. Even though there is a lot of archaelogical data presented in the first part of this book, it is by no means dry. Franklin and Shepard have a interesting story to tell and they tell it very well. I found The Emergence of Rus to be a very good read, something I'll definitely go back to. If you are interested in Russian history at all, this book is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A great overview of the orignins of Russian history
Review: It is truly unfortunate that this book has yet to be released in an affordable edition, because the Longman History of Russia series is a definite must-have for anyone interested in Russia. There are not enough good overviews of Medieval Russian history, and Franklin's book is a thorough analysis and explanation of the origins of the Kievan state. Great read, even if you have to go to a library...
Rating:
Summary: A great overview of the orignins of Russian history
Review: It is truly unfortunate that this book has yet to be released in an affordable edition, because the Longman History of Russia series is a definite must-have for anyone interested in Russia. There are not enough good overviews of Medieval Russian history, and Franklin's book is a thorough analysis and explanation of the origins of the Kievan state. Great read, even if you have to go to a library...
Rating:
Summary: Great refence book
Review: This is a wonderfully written, extremely helpful book. The footnotes alone are worth the price of the book!
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