A Good American Book On Russian History (B2, C1)
In The Icon and the Axe: An Interpretive History of Russian Culture (Vintage Books, 1966), the recently-deceased American author James H. Billington provides a sweeping (широкомасштабный) yet penetrating exploration of Russian culture from ancient Kievan Rus, to the Soviet epoch. Billington sets himself apart from (отличается от других) other 20th century scholars on Russian history by drawing attention to the pivotal (решающий, исторически важный) role played by the rituals and theology of the Orthodox Church in shaping Russian culture across the centuries. As the church returns to prominence in Russian culture and society, Billington’s analysis is vital for tracing Russia’s trajectory–past, present and future. Billington’s writing style is accessible to upper-intermediate students, but may exhaust the reader with an incredible array of historical personages and events throughout the book’s 500+ pages. This book will be a challenge for speed-readers, but is well worth the effort.
