Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British–Russian Relations
Description
A history of relations between Britain and Russia from the nineteenth century to the present.
With Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma, statesman and author David Owen tells the story of Britain’s relationship with Russia, which has been surprisingly underexplored. Through his characteristic insight and expertise, he depicts a relationship governed by principle as often as by suspicion, expediency, and necessity.
When the two nations formed a pragmatic alliance and fought together at the Battle of Navarino in Greece in 1827, it was overwhelmingly the work of the British prime minister, George Canning. His death brought about a drastic shift that would see the countries fighting on opposite sides in the Crimean War and jostling for power during the Great Game. It was not until the Russian Revolution of 1917 that another statesman had a defining impact on relations between Britain and Russia: Winston Churchill, who opposed Bolshevism yet never stopped advocating for diplomatic and military engagement with Russia. In the Second World War, he recognized early on the necessity of allying with the Soviets against the menace of Nazi Germany. Bringing us into the twenty-first century, Owen chronicles how both countries have responded to their geopolitical decline. Drawing on both imperial and Soviet history, he explains the unique nature of Putin’s autocracy and addresses Britain’s return to “blue water” diplomacy. Newly revised, this paperback edition features extended chapters on Putin’s Russia and the future of British–Russian relations after the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Praise for Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British–Russian Relations
"Having spent several years living in Russia and the FSU in the 1990s, my personal highlight is his depiction of the freewheeling, hopeful years under Boris Yeltsin, when the flame of democracy flickered, albeit not long enough for the rule of law to properly establish itself. Owen also had twenty years of commercial experience in Russia, between 2005 and 2015. And that is, above all, what makes this such an enjoyable read: he is writing as someone who has penetrated the steely veneer and experienced the turbulent soul of the real Russia, as a businessman, foreign secretary, and peace negotiator."
— Perspective Magazine
"David Owen was an unconventional politician and in his latest book, Riddle, Mystery and Enigma he takes an unconventional approach to history. . . . [This] is. . . personal essay on episodes in two centuries of Euro-Atlantic history, enlivened by frequent digressions and excursions into contemporary affairs."
— Inside Out
"All my adult life, it seems, I have been learning from David Owen. His new book is the latest example, allying his striking qualities of independence of mind and originality with his solid body of knowledge."
— Daniel Finkelstein, House of Lords
“Any book on Anglo-Russian relations by our finest living foreign secretary would be interesting enough, but one written with verve and insight by so fine an historian as Lord Owen marks a major publishing event. As well as understanding the distant past, Owen weaves in the near-past—such as his own protest against the Soviet invasion of Hungary of 1956—and takes us up to the present day with the noble heroism of Alexei Navalny. Thoughtfulness, learning and sound judgement infuse every page.”
— Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
