Listen to a sample
A Kingdom and a Village
- Author
- Simon Morrison
- Narrator
- Curt Ford
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 26 March 2026
- Run Time
- 15 hours 49 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
An erudite and entertaining history of Moscow, a city whose rich past offers crucial insight into contemporary global politics
Moscow stands at the centre of a nation comprising eleven percent of the globe’s landmass, eleven time zones and nearly one hundred and fifty million people, some thirteen million of whom live in the capital. A Kingdom and a Village vividly brings to life Russia’s heart and soul, tracing its transformation from a ‘big village’ into a metropolis of vast geopolitical import.
It is a stranger-than-fiction arc. The last century alone has featured invasions and battles, the destruction and reconstruction of sacred landmarks, and the collapse of the Soviet republic – not to mention the rise of an authoritarian leader who is a keen student of Russian history. Morrison reaches back to the city’s founding as a fortress on a river nearly a millennium ago. In the following centuries, any number of external forces – from Tatar Mongols and Swedes to Napoleon and Hitler – set their sights on Moscow, bolstering its self-conception as a glittering prize and site of perpetual defence and resurrection.
Understanding Moscow not only unlocks the spellbinding mysteries of Russia’s past, but also the grim logic of its present. A Kingdom and a Village is an essential guide to a people and a nation.
'A marvellous book' HELEN RAPPAPORT, author of The Rebel Romanov
‘Every page pulses with individual stories and historical insights' MARK GALEOTTI, author of A Short History of Russia
‘Morrison is the perfect biographer of Moscow’ SHAUN WALKER, author of The Illegals
© Simon Morrison 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
-
A marvellous book ... It takes huge imaginative vision and a deep on-the-ground knowledge of Moscow, acquired over many years, to grasp the full dynamism of the city’s history. But Simon A Morrison has pulled it off. His ambitious, erudite account is vivid and compelling, a wonderful conjuring up of Russia’s great capital in all its beauty, fire and fury
Helen Rappaport, author of The Rebel Romanov
-
[A] sweeping, judicious and elegant history of Moscow from the origins of the city to the present day … Morrison is brilliant in chronicling, rhapsodizing and dissolving Moscow all at once
Times Literary Supplement
-
[A] monumental, sweeping book … as much a history of Russia over the past millennium as a portrait of a city
Sunday Times
-
[A] technicolour chronicle of Moscow
Economist, Best books of 2026 so far
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
[A Kingdom and a Village] abounds in details that will surprise even the cultural insider… a brave undertaking amid the ongoing war and the shifting boundaries of Russian studies
Literary Review
-
An engaging book … [Morrison] works hard and successfully lifts scenes off the page … The prose is a model of clarity
Spectator
-
The erudition of A Kingdom and a Village .... is matched only by its readability
Financial Times
-
Vivid and engaging … Morrison … brings [Moscow’s] streets to life
BBC History Magazine
-
As Morrison shows in his technicolour chronicle of the city, beneath the petro-funded sheen, Moscow is a domain of purges, paranoia and ravenous power. History has shaped its character; equally, as much as that of any metropolis, Moscow’s character has shaped history, both Russia’s and the world’s
Economist
-
A sweeping, near-encyclopaedic history ... [Morrison] immerses readers into the past so deeply, they can see, feel, hear and even smell it ... [An] engrossing biography of Russia's capital ... Morrison's narrative is filled with arresting historical nuggets which throw an unexpected light on the present
New European
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Simon Morrison
- Narrator
- Curt Ford
- Duration
- 15 hours 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9781529947229
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- European history, Social and cultural history, Geopolitics
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. An erudite and entertaining history of Moscow, a city whose rich past offers crucial insight into contemporary global politicsMoscow stands at the centre of a nation comprising eleven percent of the globe’s landmass, eleven time zones and nearly one hundred and fifty million people, some thirteen million of whom live in the capital. A Kingdom and a Village vividly brings to life Russia’s heart and soul, tracing its transformation from a ‘big village’ into a metropolis of vast geopolitical import.It is a stranger-than-fiction arc. The last century alone has featured invasions and battles, the destruction and reconstruction of sacred landmarks, and the collapse of the Soviet republic – not to mention the rise of an authoritarian leader who is a keen student of Russian history. Morrison reaches back to the city’s founding as a fortress on a river nearly a millennium ago. In the following centuries, any number of external forces – from Tatar Mongols and Swedes to Napoleon and Hitler – set their sights on Moscow, bolstering its self-conception as a glittering prize and site of perpetual defence and resurrection.Understanding Moscow not only unlocks the spellbinding mysteries of Russia’s past, but also the grim logic of its present. A Kingdom and a Village is an essential guide to a people and a nation.'A marvellous book' HELEN RAPPAPORT, author of The Rebel Romanov‘Every page pulses with individual stories and historical insights' MARK GALEOTTI, author of A Short History of Russia‘Morrison is the perfect biographer of Moscow’ SHAUN WALKER, author of The Illegals© Simon Morrison 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.