{"title":"Ian Barnes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIan Barnes\u003c\/strong\u003e offers compelling narratives that delve deep into the intricacies of history and the complexities of military affairs. His works often explore empire dynamics, strategic conflicts, and the forces that shape nations, providing readers with thoughtful analysis and vivid storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFans of history and military literature will appreciate Barnes's ability to blend detailed research with engaging prose, making challenging subjects accessible and engrossing. His books invite reflection on power, ambition, and the restless currents that have influenced global history.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"restless-empire-by-ian-barnes-9780674504677","title":"Restless Empire","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the first Slavic migrations to the Romanovs' rise to the Putin era, Russia has endured for centuries as a nation whose sheer size and diversity have challenged its rulers and shaped its identity. \u003cem\u003eRestless Empire\u003c\/em\u003e illuminates the epic sweep of Russian history in a beautifully illustrated full-colour atlas depicting the essential cultural, political, economic, and military developments of Russia's past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLike the double-headed eagle that is its state emblem, Russia has always looked abroad to both the East and West, searching for secure trade routes, trustworthy allies, and defensible frontiers. Expansion beyond Muscovy's forested confines began in the fifteenth century, when Ivan III rejected Mongol rule and moved into the Russian steppe. The waterways linking the Baltic to the Black and Caspian seas were crucial to Russia's development from the Middle Ages onward. The age-old quest to acquire warm-water ports culminated in the construction of St. Petersburg in the eighteenth century, when imperial Russia began to rival Europe's Great Powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great, Lenin and Stalin to Yeltsin and Putin, Russia's rulers have carved their nation's destiny into world history, sometimes bending Russia toward despotism or democracy, internationalism or brusque independence. Russia's titanic conflicts—against the Tatars and Turks, Napoleon, Nazi Germany, and the United States—and its political upheavals from the Time of Troubles to the Soviet Union's downfall, as well as ongoing strife in Chechnya and Crimea, are presented chronologically in accessible text accompanied by detailed maps and illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47603111493868,"sku":"9780674504677","price":99.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780674504677-restless-empire.jpg?v=1778055619"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/ian-barnes.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}