This slim book is a translation of a Russian text that originated as a series of lectures at Irkutsk State Technical University, where the author is the head of the History Department. It is notable as being almost the sole such history written by a native-born Sibiriak, and the author's background gives him a depth of understanding rarely equalled in writings about this vast region, which covers the entire northern part of the Asian continent.
The book is divided into eight chronological sections, and, within those, 30 chapters. As these cover the thousands of years of the region's history, from the appearance of man to the twenty-first century, the chapters are, by necessity, rather brief. This makes the book more of a primer than an in-depth investigation into any particular aspect of Siberian history, and therefore more appropriate for students and novices in the field than those with significant expertise. That said, there is a great deal of information here for anyone without extensive knowledge of Siberia, and it is produced in a very reader-friendly fashion, with numerous information boxes, maps, and photographs adding greatly to the main text (although the photographs have been printed in uniformly poor quality).
The early sections of the book, giving general information about the region and then overviews of Siberia in antiquity and in the period up to the eve of its annexation by Russia, simply fly along, because there is so much material to cover in a limited space, all being done in 50 pages. The heart of the book, occupying slightly less than half of the total, is the history of the Tsarist period, divided into three sections: the early penetration, subjugation, and exploration; the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; and the mid-nineteenth century to the Russian Revolution. The section that receives the most in-depth treatment is that about the Revolution and Civil War, three chapters being dedicated to the period from 1917 to 1922. The final section of the book, which is about the same length as that for the Revolution and Civil War, covers Siberia since the 1920s. This limited treatment is reasonable because so much more has been published elsewhere in recent years about the harsh realities of life under the rule of the former Soviet regime, the struggles and advances of the native peoples of the region, the socio-economic and cultural changes brought about by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Siberia's prospects for the future.
In summary, this is a book that it is very worthwhile reading for those who do not already have extensive Siberian knowledge. Unfortunately, its price will make it more likely to be found in university or specialist libraries than in the hands of those thirsty for knowledge about this fascinating region.
