The impressive array of Russian and American historians possess a remarkable, collective breadth of expertise.

The Russian Review

Led by two of the finest historians in Russia, a team of distinguished American and Russian scholars address a wide range of ways that American intellectuals have thought about Russia and Russian academics have analyzed the United States since the middle of the nineteenth century. The authors make significant contributions to our growing understanding of how images of ‘the Other’ have figured in American and Russian mutual understanding—and misunderstanding. The publication of this collection at a time of revived suspicion and antipathy between the United States and Russia is especially welcome.

David Foglesong, Rutgers University

At a time of regrettable retrenchment in the support of academic studies on American–Russian relations, this impressively researched collection of sixteen essays by scholars from both countries sheds significant light on the historical and institutional factors that have shaped how Americans and Russians have understood—and, sadly, misunderstood—one another throughout the centuries. The editors' preface and conclusion are especially valuable in summarizing the focus and methodology of the volume.

John Brown, Georgetown University

During this time of new tension between the United States and Russia, it is more important than ever to understand where our understandings of each other come from. On this question, one can find no better resource than this book. Editors Ivan Kurilla and Victoria Zhuravleva pull together a dream team of experts from both countries to examine the history of how Russians study America and how Americans study Russia, going back to the nineteenth century and carrying us through today’s post-Crimea crisis in relations. The book exposes not only the political, but also the deeply personal factors that have influenced the contours of these academic fields and prevalent biases in both countries, making for a fascinating and enlightening read.

Henry E. Hale, George Washington University