A History of the Urals: Russia’s Crucible from Early Empire to the Post-Soviet Era

About the Author Paul Dukes is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Aberdeen, UK. He has held visiting appointments at Auckland University, New Zealand, and Cornell University, USA. The best known of his many publications include A History of Russia c.882-1996: Medieval, Modern, Contemporary (1997) and The Making of Russian Absolutism 1613-1801 (1990). He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and sits on the Editorial Advisory Board of History Today. Product Description The Urals are best known as the boundary between Europe and Asia. A History of the Urals demonstrates the region's importance in its own right, as a crucible of Russia's defence industry in particular. In the first English-language book to explore the subject fully, Paul Dukes examines the region's contribution to the power of the state in tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet times, offering a refreshing antidote to Moscow-centric interpretations of Russian history. The book contextualises more recent periods with chapters on the earlier years of the Urals and covers the key environmental as well as economic, political and cultural themes.The book contains illustrations and maps, plus lists of books and websites, as aids to further research and understanding of the subject. A History of the Urals is an important book that provides new and valuable insights for all students of Russian history. Review “The first of its kind in English, this book offers an accessible history of the Urals region. Critical of the tendency to focus on the Urals' supposed role as frontier between Europe and Asia, Dukes (Aberdeen) emphasizes the value of studying the region as ‘a significant part of the planet as a whole’ and key component of Russian history … Dukes provides sufficient background coverage of major events in Russian history to make his narrative comprehensible to general readers, while also including enlightening discussion of the experiences of those who called the Urals home. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.” - CHOICE“In this new book, renowned historian Paul Dukes brings his deep understanding of Russia's past to the task of chronicling the history of the Urals, and he succeeds brilliantly. Dukes has written a fascinating page-turner that focuses on the Urals region itself, not just the usual story of the relationship of 'Russia's Crucible' to the history of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Dukes is equally comfortable recounting the early modern history of the Urals and its experience under Bolshevik rule -- including the Second World War, during which the Urals played a vital role in the survival of the USSR and its ultimate victory over Nazi Germany. Dukes carefully examines the Urals during the break-up of the Soviet Union and the tumultuous presidency of Boris Yeltsin, a local boy who made good. The book ends with thoughtful comments about the Urals at the dawn of the 21st century. I had trouble putting this excellent, well-researched and well-written book down.” ―Chester Dunning, Professor of History, Texas A&M University, USA“In this ground-breaking work Dukes demonstrates conclusively that the Ural region is not simply the traditional geographical border between European and Asiatic Russia, but has also played an as yet insufficiently recognized role as a crucial area in the whole economic, social, technological and military history of Tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. A unique, seminal piece of scholarship.” ―Alan Wood, formerly Senior Lecturer in Russian History, Lancaster University, UK“This is the work of an historian at the very height of his powers. In it Paul Dukes traces the history of the Urals as a distinctive region, rather than as a mere dividing line between Europe and Asia, and offers a colourful and original portrait of the Urals' history, culture and economy, as well as the vital role that this 'crucible' played in the development of the Russian and Soviet empires – particularly th