About the Author

James Sherr is an Associate Fellow and former Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

Reviews

"This slim volume should be required reading by all policy-makers and diplomats as itis a primer for understanding the internal triggers of international behaviour generallyand of Russia's strategic culture specifically. Sherr returns here to themes from his earlier works, namely how Russia's history informs its international objectives and the strategies chosen to pursue those objectives. His trenchant insights warrant comparison with another short classic, George Kennan's Russia and the West under Lenin and Stalin (1961). Sherr's recommendations for Western strategists are powerful, not least letting Russia reap the consequences of its choices. This is the masterwork of one of the few top Russia specialists of his generation." —S. Enders Wimbush, Executive Director for Strategy & Development, National Bureauof Asian Research (NBR)|"This concise book is rich in original interpretations of Russia's ability to turn weakness into strength. Its logic, while eschewing the conventional juxtaposition of intentions and capabilities, is far straighter here than in most demand-driven policy analysis. James Sherr wins over any traditional realist or rational-choice economist more through the intense power of his arguments, but the persuasive elegance of his prose also beats most academic narrative by a huge margin." —Pavel Baev, Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO)|"James Sherr expertly lays out Russia's approach to the world and foreign affairs. This book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what shapes and motivates Russian policies toward the United States, NATO, Europe and Russia's neighbourhood." —Dr. Fiona Hill, Director, Center on the United States and Europe and Senior Fellow,Foreign Policy Program, Brookings Institution.