Forged in War

Forged in War by Mark Galeotti

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Forged in War:

No lies detected.

Quick synopsis:

A look at Russian wars throughout its history.  

Fact for Non-History People:

Galeotti posits that Oleg the Wise should get the credit for creating Russia rather than the usually named Ryurik.

Fact for History Nerds:

After the fall of the USSR, Pepsi briefly found itself as the 6th largest naval power in the world after acquiring some old Soviet vessels.

My Take on Forged in War:

Have you ever asked yourself, “Geez, what is Russia’s deal?” Well, Mark Galeotti is here to explain! His newest book, Forged in War, is a (relatively) short look at the life of what we call Russia today but was called a lot of things during its lifetime. The main focus is on the numerous wars fought by the Russian people to create, consolidate, and defend the motherland. Along the way, Galeotti helpfully points out specific events which Putin uses to try and fool anyone within hearing distance that there is historical precedence for the various countries he tramples over.

Galeotti himself points out a true detailing of all of these wars would fill numerous volumes. Each chapter ends with a supplemental reading list in case you want to know more about how, for example, Ivan the Terrible was actually a great state builder until he become… well, terrible. This does mean the narrative will have some overlapping timelines and I am sure some generous generalizing. What I find makes Galeotti so readable under these circumstances is his ability to focus on a character and tell their story which applies to the general time period. A listing of wars and who won them would be very dull. Explaining how Peter the Great built his military apparatus and used it is much more entertaining. It also helps that Galeotti’s dry wit is still in full force. I highly recommend it.

(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)

Verdict:

Very enlightening. Buy it here!

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