This book is an important contribution to historical scholarship, rich both in pertinent details and insightful observations on the labyrinthine complexities of the political structure of Russian society.(Slavic Review) Whittaker has demonstrated beyond possibility of debate that the traditional picture of Uvarov the reactionary is simply wrong and must be revised. There was a need for a soundly researched, intelligently conceived, and clearly presented biography of Uvarov. Whittaker's book meets that need quite completely.(Russian Review) For those interested in the history of Russian education this book is an invaluable source of information on the first half of the nineteenth century.(Scottish Slavonic Review) This book is well written and thoroughly researched, with a wealth of documentary support. Whittaker's "revisionism" rings true.(Canadian Slavonic Papers) This volume is a stimulating intellectual experience providing many insights into the origins and development of Russian education and it explains many of the contradictions still found there.(Choice) Cynthia Whittaker's excellent book is a tour de force of the educational, intellectual, and social history of Russia from 1800 until the Russian Revolution.(Vitae Scholasticae)
