"Merridale’s extraordinary history of the red fortress mixes politics, history, architecture and biography to lay bare the secret heart of Russia’s history… It is a delight to read, with pithy pen-portraits, poignant vignettes and mordant summaries of the twists and turns of fate and fortune… Merridale does a brilliant job of piecing together the clues from the past and evading the constraints of the present." —The Wall Street Journal "Catherine Merridale’s Red Fortress is a tour de force, as readable as it is extensively researched." —Financial Times "Red Fortress is much more than just another book about the Kremlin. It is a brilliant meditation on Russian history and the myths with which the Russians have sought to console themselves." —The Observer "This simply superb chronicle of the Kremlin is really a brilliant and unputdownable history of Russia itself from the early Tsars via Lenin and Stalin to Putin; anyone who wants to understand Russia today will not only learn a lot but will enjoy every page." —Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Telegraph "An exhilarating psychogeographical study of Moscow’s Kremlin will delight many ...a book of detail and imagination…Merridale’s book is a brilliant contribution to the "Xanadu" strand in English literature…an exhilarating journey." —The Guardian "Immensely readable…Merridale recounts its eventful history with great skill and tremendous narrative verve." —The Sunday Times "This unique and stunningly well illustrated book is going to be a definitive study." —Literary Review "An extensive and meticulous journey through Russian history… How have Russia’s leaders taken a history that is often either ‘difficult, contested, or fragmentary’ and melded it to fit the pervading ideology of the day? With thorough research, including rare access to the Kremlin’s dusty, permission-only archives, Merridale addresses this question and many more to weave an insightful, fascinating tale." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A comprehensive study of Moscow’s walled city, for centuries a byword for power, secrecy, and cruelty… Russian visitors and social historians alike will benefit from Merridale’s thoroughgoing research and lively writing." —Kirkus Reviews "A well-done portrait… Merridale does an excellent job of integrating Russia’s often tortured, bloody history, the actions of the rulers, and the building and rebuilding of the Kremlin." —Booklist.
