Dr. Reina Pennington made substantial progress on her manuscript, a nonfiction work of history that examines the surprising lessons in military history that the Russian and Soviet experience has to offer. In it, she argues that from the emergence of Muscovy through the Soviet era to the present day, Russian and Soviet military history offers perspective and insight into major issues in the study of warfare. The book examines a variety of key aspects of war by using case studies from Russian and Soviet military history. Offense versus defense; treatment of civilians; motivation of soldiers; racial integration in the armed forces; the unpredictability of war -- all are examined through the Russian lens.