By Honor Bound

"Based on extensive archival research, Kollmann's book is a groundbreaking study of early modern Russia.Reflecting a thorough familiarity with social science theory, the author argues in support of a new periodization of Russian history on the basis of her findings and for something of a 'convergence' in the Western and Russian historiography of relations between state and society. Required reading for all graduate students and specialists alike."-Choice "This book challenges many accepted tenets, including the type of state erected in Muscovy, the basic periodization of Russian history, and the emergence of new identities and mentalities. It deserves to be read widely."-American Historical Review "The codification of 'honor,' Nancy Kollmann tells us in her impressive book, coincided with the expansion of the Muscovite state between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. The incorporation of new territories, the burgeoning size of the Muscovite court, and the necessity of integrating newly conquered provincial elites into the political order necessitated codes that simultaneously co-opted these elites into the political order and differentiated them from the older Muscovite serving men at court."-Slavic and East European Journal "This is an important, imaginative, well-researched work of history. The author invokes an impressive range of scholarship, theoretical and comparative, to place her findings in a broader perspective."--Gregory Freeze, Brandeis University "This is the first book in any language on Muscovite conceptions of honor, and the author's handling of this topic opens to view a broad spectrum of Muscovite culture and society. The research is of irreproachable quality, and the interpretations are completely convincing."-Eve Levin,The Ohio State University