Russian-American Dialogue on the American Revolution

Russian-American Dialogue on the American Revolution is the second volume to be published in the Russian-American Dialogues series. Written by some of the most highly respected Russian historians of our time, including Nikolai N. Bolkhovitonov, Gennadi P. Kuropiatnik, Boris M. Shpotov, and V. L. Ushakov, this is a collection of essays on topics pertaining to the American Revolution--the single most important event in American history. Many Russian scholars have studied the American Revolution because they believe it is what has linked together the destinies of the American people and the people of the former Soviet Union through much of the twentieth century.

Each Russian essay is followed by a commentary from a noted American historian of the American Revolution, such as Jack P. Greene, Ronald Hoffman, James A. Henretta, and Pauline Maier. Most of the Russian authors, in turn, respond to the American critiques, a few of them quite strongly. These rebuttals are included with the essays and responses, resulting in a fascinating critical dialogue between the West and the East.

Many of the Russian historians have written on the same subjects that American historians have examined: the politics of the Continental Congress, the Articles of Confederation, Shays's Rebellion, and the ideas and activities of the Founding Fathers. However, a significant difference between the Russian and the American approaches to the subjects and events of the Revolution is seen in the frequent Russian application of Marxist principles to the subjects under discussion. American historians will find it fascinating to see their own history from this different perspective.

Russian-American Dialogue on the American Revolution, standing as the latest and most highly regarded expressions of contemporary Russian scholarship on the American Revolution, will be an invaluable historical resource, as well as engrossing reading for general readers with a special interest in the American-Russian connection.