'An original analysis of the long sweep of Russian foreign policy over the last two centuries, examined through the prism of the concept of 'honour'. The work provides a convincing framework for analysis based on three modes of Russian behaviour, cooperation, defensiveness and assertiveness. The notion is then applied in ten cases studies, ranging from the Holy Alliance of 1814–53 to the Russo–Georgian war of 2008, in which honour is seen to have played a central role in shaping policy and perceptions. Tsygankov offers a compelling and original analysis of Russian foreign policy that will be essential reading for historians and political scientists, and above all for scholars of international relations.' Professor Richard Sakwa, University of Kent