Review: It's interesting but too short
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 23, 2013
The author does a great job in accumulating information. I thought the book had a neat appendix which might be very useful for any college student. The book highlights the events, which might have led to Ivan IV. becoming a cruel ruler but also makes it very clear that it was difficult to rule Russia in the 16th century and that it was typical for the times that rulers enforced their concepts with at least some cruelty. This even more so since Ivan not only became the first Czar of Russia but also conquered vast lands, thereby transforming Russia into a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state.Author Charles River Editors does also a fine job in portraying the complicated balances of power, between Grand Prince of Moscow/Czar, the mighty boyars, and the Russian church. I truly appreciated the many pictures, which added liveliness to the topic but thought that the book could have been a bit longer.Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger