[An] excellent introductory read, often presented in a lively fashion, and demonstrating a remarkable ability to succinctly describe what were sometimes enormously complicated processes or developments … All in all, the portrait of daily life, micro-economic practices, family relations, and childhood, is vivid and persuasive. The author should be congratulated for undertaking such a bold enterprise and daring to challenge the standards of quibbling academics in order to reach a wider audience.

Canadian Journal of History

[A] truly laudable achievement in the academic literature on the Russian peasantry. Gorshkov's comprehensive yet brief and readable survey of this profoundly complex topic provides a brilliant introduction for the lay reader and an instructive summary for the specialist. This book should be considered a necessary resource for any course or study on modern Russian history or society.

Revolutionary Russia

[Gorshkov] makes a very strong case that non-agricultural labour was not just an add-on to the peasant economy, but an intrinsic part of it ... [there is] overall value of his study.

Social History

Gorshkov's approach [to the Russian peasantry], which cuts through older stereotypes, is a real strength of this book.

The American Historical Review

In this engrossing book, Boris Gorshkov provides both an accessible introduction to peasant culture and the village economy and a sweeping history of the countryside during the crucial period when peasants grappled with economic and political revolutions that transformed their lifestyle. For readers interested in modern Russian history, this book is a perfect place to start.

Aaron Retish, Associate Professor, Wayne State University, USA