A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Volume I

A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia, Volume I is a comprehensive history that spans the region from the time of its first inhabitants up to the breakup of the Mongol Empire in 1260 AD. The author, David Christian, defines Inner Eurasia as comprising most of the former Soviet Union, Russia's vast Siberian territories, Russia's former empire in Central Asia, China's Central Asian empire, and Mongolia, including parts within China and those within the Mongolian People's Republic.

Christian presents Inner Eurasia as a coherent region with a unifying geography and history, despite its cultural and ecological diversity. This volume, the first of two, traces developments from the Old Stone Age through the periods dominated by groups such as the Scythians, the Huns, and the Turks, leading to the rise of an identifiable "Rus"—the society from which modern Russia and Ukraine have evolved.

The book places political events within the broader context of social and economic change, linking these developments to the expansive geography of the territories it describes.

Alongside Volume II, which covers the period up to the present, A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia represents the most thorough and up-to-date study of this intriguing and often misunderstood region of the world.