Book Review: Siberia: Its Conquest and Development Essays -- essays re

Ronald Frank2004-05-03T005800Beyond the UralsSemyonov, Yuri. Siberia Its Conquest and Development. Baltimore Helicon Press, 1963. 414.What would go men to venture into some of the harshest areas on Earth, often with a olive-sized amount of supplies and an overwhelming chance of not returning alive? Plenty, argues Yuri Semyonov, bulk of freedom, plenty of natural resources, and little authority (86). Yet, Siberia Its Conquest and Development if off the beaten track(predicate) from a simple retelling of several adventure tales. What the author presents is a encyclopedic history of Siberian exploration spanning roughly 500 years, complete with pure(a) analysis of the political, cultural and economic factors that were at play throughout.Semyonov begins with a picture introduction of Russian history prior to Ermaks journey, discussing key forces at last responsible for Siberias conquest. All the important expeditions from Ermak, to Deshnev, to Bering are discussed in capital deta il. Certainly the story of Ermak drowning in his heavy armor has not at peace(p) untold throughout the book Semyonov gives both historical facts and traditional legends in order to create a more complete picture. Siberia covers a coarse range of geographical locations, including Siberia, Alaska, and even touches on Hawaii and Japan. In effect, each area related to Siberian conquest is given attention. Yet, just as the title would have you believe, Siberia Its Conquest and Development, at its heart is still...