Chris Miller is author of Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia and The Struggle to Save the Soviet Economy. An Assistant Professor of International History at Tufts University, he writes for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.
In a panoramic account of three hundred years of Russian history, Miller presents a Russia little known in the West: a Eurasian power that treats its eastern calling as seriously as it does its western one. Exceptionally well written and argued, We Shall Be Masters helps us understand Russia on its own terms and offers historical insight into the future of its relations with China, its main rival and occasional ally in the region and the world.--Serhii Plokhy, author of Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis Few historians have probed as deeply into the complex history of Russia's imperial engagements in East Asia as Miller has done here. He weaves a subtle theme through a sweep of events, as Russian tsars, officials, diplomats, and explorers are lured east in various 'spasms of enthusiasm, ' only for these various pivots to peter out owing to military failure, excessive cost, or simple exhaustion. A supple, well-written, and important work.--Sean McMeekin, author of Stalin's War: A New History of World War II A sweeping overview of Russia's long-running pattern of aspiring to yet often falling short of securing lasting influence over Asian affairs. Engaging and impressively researched, Miller's book offers an insightful historical perspective on contemporary Russian-Asian relations.--Willard Sunderland, author of The Baron's Cloak: A History of the Russian Empire in War and Revolution