My Russia

War or Peace?

By: Mikhail Shishkin, Gesche Ipsen - translator

Narrated by: Matt Bates

A passionate, eye-opening account of a state entangled in a complex and bloody past, as well as a love letter to a conflicted country.

In his timely new audiobook, Mikhail Shishkin, argues that Russia is not a 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma': we just don't know enough about it. So what is the real story behind Putin's autocratic regime and its invasion of Ukraine?

In My Russia: War or Peace? Shishkin traces the roots of Russia's problems, from the 'Kievan Rus' via the Grand Duchy of Moscow, empire, revolution and Cold War, to the now thirty-year-old Russian Federation. He explores the uneasy relationship between state and citizens, explains Russian attitudes to people's rights and democracy, and proposes that there are really two Russian peoples: the disillusioned and disaffected, who suffer from 'slave mentality', and those who embrace 'European' values and try to stand up to oppression.

Both deeply personal and taking a broader historical view, My Russia is a passionate, eye-opening account of a state entangled in a complex and bloody past, as well as a love letter to a conflicted country. Will Russia continue its vicious circle of upheaval and autocracy, or will its people find a way out of history—and how can we help?

©2023 Mikhail Shishkin (P)2023 Quercus Editions Limited

Russian content

the narrator didn't have very good Russian pronunciation throughout. I want to hear it read by the author!

important book.

There are some books that have to be written. This is one of them. Many of us did have romantic views of Russia, many of us still do. Some are even cheerleaders of this Country without actually knowing a thing about how life is in Russia. I found this book honest and passionate, only a true patriot could have written it, because what is patriotism other than to work hard to make your country better? You should listen to this, because it is important. The reading is good and clear.