{"title":"Mark B. Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the insightful world of Mark B. Smith, an esteemed author known for delving deep into history and military themes. His thought-provoking works provide readers with a profound understanding of historical narratives, particularly focusing on themes that resonate with contemporary anxieties and geopolitical contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong his notable works is \u003cem\u003eThe Russia Anxiety\u003c\/em\u003e, a compelling exploration of the complex and often misunderstood relationship between Russia and the world. Smith's meticulous research and engaging writing style make his books an essential read for anyone interested in history, international relations, or military studies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMark B. Smith's books offer a meticulous blend of scholarly insight and accessible prose, making complex historical topics approachable for a wide audience. Whether you are a history enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, Smith's works promise to enlighten and challenge your understanding of world events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDive into this collection to gain a clearer perspective on history through the eyes of one of the field's most knowledgeable authors.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-russia-anxiety-by-mark-b-smith-9780141986500","title":"The Russia Anxiety","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe can all treat history with more respect. If we do, we might find that the cure for the \u003cem\u003eRussia Anxiety\u003c\/em\u003e is within reach...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRussia is an exceptional country, the biggest in the world. It is both European and exotic, powerful and weak, brilliant and flawed. Why are we so afraid of it?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTime and again, we judge Russia by unique standards. We have usually assumed that it possesses higher levels of cunning, malevolence, and brutality than other countries. Yet it has more often than not been a crucial ally, not least against Napoleon and in the two world wars. We admire its music and its writers. We lavish praise on the Russian soul. And still, we think of Russia as a unique menace. What is it about this extraordinary country that consistently provokes such excessive responses? And why is this so dangerous?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMark B. Smith's remarkable new book is a history of this \u003cem\u003eRussia Anxiety\u003c\/em\u003e. Whether Russia has been ally or enemy, superpower or failing state, it has always had an exceptional status in our imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46343697858796,"sku":"9780141986500","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14666983482238.jpg?v=1744004163"},{"product_id":"exit-stalin-by-mark-b-smith-9780241400852","title":"Exit Stalin","description":"An extraordinarily atmospheric and powerful history of the world's largest state and its decline and fall\n\nWith Stalin's death, the Soviet Union remained a repressive, harsh and belligerent place. Yet it also became one that was more predictable for its citizens, and made a genuine attempt to create the egalitarian, progressive country the Russian Revolution had once promised. That this attempt would fail was not clear until the 1980s.\n\nMark B. Smith's original and evocative book recreates the day-to-day life of this vast state, the largest ever to exist. What was life like in a country which made such absolute claims for the future, which claimed to be on its way to creating a people's utopia and which, like the USA, owned enough atomic weapons to end human life on Earth?\n\nExit Stalin is filled with extraordinary stories about those who lived in the USSR and the distinctive and functioning civilization that they built. Many of them embraced its values, understood its goals and could not imagine life outside such a vastly ambitious and progressive project. The shortages, coercion and incompetence that underlay the USSR - and which by the late 1980s would doom it - have to be understood alongside the acceptance it always had from many of its citizens. And this in turn is a crucial issue for understanding Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union in the twenty-first century.","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288441372908,"sku":"9780241400852","price":100.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/ffead45e5db282e7868d84769aca6fd9.jpg?v=1770631736"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/mark-b-smith.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}