What does Russia want from me? You know it’s easy to start a war but it’s very difficult to finish one." On June 24, 1812, ignoring the advice of his closest advisors, Napoleon invaded Russia.

Syracuse University professor Brian Taylor, author of Russian Politics: A Very Short Introduction, packs a wealth of analysis and interesting facts into a compact book. Taylor explains the Soviet ...

(Napoleon’s 1812 invasion was Russia’s first “patriotic war ... A poster advertising a “Book For A Soldier” committee, which called for Russians to donate books for frontline ...