Abraham Ascher is Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

"In a major speech last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Stolypin in laudatory terms, . . . presumably a signal of Mr. Putin's own intended balancing act between reformer and authoritarian tough-guy. With Mr. Ascher's highly readable biography, we're all better placed to understand the legacy that Mr. Putin inherits. . . . A book well worth waiting for. . . . P. A. Stolypin is carefully researched, well argued, and highly readable."—Wall Street Journal "The first major biography of Petr Arkadevich Stolypin, prime minister and minister of internal affairs of the Russian Empire from 1906 unitl his assassination in 1911. This is a major contribution to our understanding of these important years following the 1905 revolution and will be welcomed by all students of the period."—History "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Stolypin . . . more than any previous work, it examines thoroughly and in detail the major episodes of Stolypin's political career. Ascher's treatment of these controversial issues is invariably careful, judicious, and illuminating. . . . Ascher has plumbed archives not just in Russia, but in Helsinkin, Bonn, and Vienna and in a wealth of documentation goes far beyond previous studies. . . . There will always be a place for thoroughly researched, carefully thought-through, and well written narrative history. Abraham Ascher's Stolypin is a fine example of this genre and is required reading for any serious study of Russian history."—Theodore R. Weeks, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale "[A] definitive account of Stolypin's achievements and shortcomings."—European History "His work may well set off a new trend in the scholarly investigation of prerevolutionary Russia."—American Historical Review "Ascher's masterful account gives the prime minister the credit that he deserves, but it also creates the sad image of a well-intentioned reformer who was the victim of his devotion to the monarchy (so inadequately embodied in Nicholas II), of his own uncompromising nature, and of his readiness to use illegal means to implement reforms."—The Journal of Interdisciplinary History "...this elegantly argued and well-written book throws new light on a controversial figure...and deserves the wider audience that a paperback edition would make possible."—David A.J. Macey, Middlebury College

Abraham Ascher is Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

"In a major speech last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Stolypin in laudatory terms, . . . presumably a signal of Mr. Putin's own intended balancing act between reformer and authoritarian tough-guy. With Mr. Ascher's highly readable biography, we're all better placed to understand the legacy that Mr. Putin inherits. . . . A book well worth waiting for. . . . P. A. Stolypin is carefully researched, well argued, and highly readable."—Wall Street Journal "The first major biography of Petr Arkadevich Stolypin, prime minister and minister of internal affairs of the Russian Empire from 1906 unitl his assassination in 1911. This is a major contribution to our understanding of these important years following the 1905 revolution and will be welcomed by all students of the period."—History "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Stolypin . . . more than any previous work, it examines thoroughly and in detail the major episodes of Stolypin's political career. Ascher's treatment of these controversial issues is invariably careful, judicious, and illuminating. . . . Ascher has plumbed archives not just in Russia, but in Helsinkin, Bonn, and Vienna and in a wealth of documentation goes far beyond previous studies. . . . There will always be a place for thoroughly researched, carefully thought-through, and well written narrative history. Abraham Ascher's Stolypin is a fine example of this genre and is required reading for any serious study of Russian history."—Theodore R. Weeks, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale "[A] definitive account of Stolypin's achievements and shortcomings."—European History "His work may well set off a new trend in the scholarly investigation of prerevolutionary Russia."—American Historical Review "Ascher's masterful account gives the prime minister the credit that he deserves, but it also creates the sad image of a well-intentioned reformer who was the victim of his devotion to the monarchy (so inadequately embodied in Nicholas II), of his own uncompromising nature, and of his readiness to use illegal means to implement reforms."—The Journal of Interdisciplinary History "...this elegantly argued and well-written book throws new light on a controversial figure...and deserves the wider audience that a paperback edition would make possible."—David A.J. Macey, Middlebury College

Abraham Ascher is Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

"In a major speech last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Stolypin in laudatory terms, . . . presumably a signal of Mr. Putin's own intended balancing act between reformer and authoritarian tough-guy. With Mr. Ascher's highly readable biography, we're all better placed to understand the legacy that Mr. Putin inherits. . . . A book well worth waiting for. . . . P. A. Stolypin is carefully researched, well argued, and highly readable."—Wall Street Journal "The first major biography of Petr Arkadevich Stolypin, prime minister and minister of internal affairs of the Russian Empire from 1906 unitl his assassination in 1911. This is a major contribution to our understanding of these important years following the 1905 revolution and will be welcomed by all students of the period."—History "This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Stolypin . . . more than any previous work, it examines thoroughly and in detail the major episodes of Stolypin's political career. Ascher's treatment of these controversial issues is invariably careful, judicious, and illuminating. . . . Ascher has plumbed archives not just in Russia, but in Helsinkin, Bonn, and Vienna and in a wealth of documentation goes far beyond previous studies. . . . There will always be a place for thoroughly researched, carefully thought-through, and well written narrative history. Abraham Ascher's Stolypin is a fine example of this genre and is required reading for any serious study of Russian history."—Theodore R. Weeks, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale "[A] definitive account of Stolypin's achievements and shortcomings."—European History "His work may well set off a new trend in the scholarly investigation of prerevolutionary Russia."—American Historical Review "Ascher's masterful account gives the prime minister the credit that he deserves, but it also creates the sad image of a well-intentioned reformer who was the victim of his devotion to the monarchy (so inadequately embodied in Nicholas II), of his own uncompromising nature, and of his readiness to use illegal means to implement reforms."—The Journal of Interdisciplinary History "...this elegantly argued and well-written book throws new light on a controversial figure...and deserves the wider audience that a paperback edition would make possible."—David A.J. Macey, Middlebury College