I84 SEER, 8I, I, 2003 overall, this is an immensely stimulatingvolume which will engage new and seasoned Russia-watchersalike. Department ofPolitics L. MARCH University ofEdinburgh Barry, Donald. RussianPolitics.ThePost-Soviet Phase.Peter Lang, New York, Bern, Oxford, 2002. Xi+ 250 pp. Tables. Notes. Appendices. Bibliography .Index. $29.95 (paperback). PROFESSOR BARRY has a skillmore scarce in academic circlesthan one might desire.In his book, which reviewsthe majorpoliticalchanges in Russiaduring the past decade, he manages to give an excellently clear account which tells the story in a straightforward,readable manner, whilst not ignoring relevant academic discussion. Barry's consummate achievement, however, and the factor which sets him as role model for aspiring authors, is his ability to explain complex technical detail, such as the voting system to establish membership of the Russian Duma, in an interesting and accessible manner. He leaves the reader understanding the significance of the specific rules as they were applied in the three Duma elections held so far, and how they have fostered (or not) the development of a functioning legislature in Russia. His deft touch is also applied in an explanation of the role and contents of the I993 Russian Constitution, and the interaction of the major political institutions. Neverjudgemental or patronizing,Barrygives Russian developmentstheir historicaland political context. He is able to takea long perspective,and as he reminds readers in his Preface, it is premature to leap to judgment about Russia's post-Soviet phase: 'the more proper course and one that gives due respect to readers trying to understandRussian politics, is to observe events closely and analysethe meaning of political and institutionaldevelopmentsas carefullyaspossible,keepingpredictionsand prescriptionsto a minimum.' These were the guidelines that Barry set himself, and in the view of this reviewer,he has achieved them admirably.As time takesitstoll of the number of scholarswho personallyremember the earliereras of Soviet development, it is important to remember the realities of those days, and to trace the changes, intentional and unintentional, of the Gorbachev era, which set Russia on its current path. Barry fulfilsthis task, and describes the current stateand political structurein the context of itshistoricaldevelopment. The book is intended to be an introductory piece. It could well be recommended as required reading for anyone with an interest in Russian affairs,not just Barry'smain constituency, political scientists.It is pleasantly free from unnecessary jargon, and is an exemplar of the principle that something written in easy-to-readprose does not have to be simple minded. There are no footnotes;referencesin the text lead to a list at the end of each chapter, which would also serve as a good stepping off point for further reading. Reviewers are expected to quibble:therefore,two smallcomments. Firstly, as one from a legal background, I might like mention of the resolution on REVIEWS I85 Legal Reform from the importantXIX Party Conference of I988, discussed towardsthe end of the firstchapter. This was the document which enshrined the transformingmaxim, 'Everythingnot forbidden is allowed'. Secondly, I would like a little more to be made of Yeltsin'sdecision to be active in the Russian legislature,as opposed to the Soviet one (p. 43). Was this prescience, pique, or dumb good luck?But these are smalldetailsin an excellent text, and do not detractfrom its overallhigh value. School ofLaw JANE HENDERSON King'sCollege London Huskey,Eugene. Presidential Power inRussia.The New RussianPoliticalSystem. M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, NY, and London, I999. Xi + 297 pp. Tables. Figures.Maps. Notes. Selectedbibliography.Index. ?2 I.50 (paperback). IMPORTANT as a resource of information on the Russian presidency under Yeltsin, Professor Eugene Huskey's study remains relevant by giving us an extremely detailed insight into the workings of the office of president, as well as an understanding of its modusoperandiunder Russia's first holder of that post. The title is apt, as the subject matter of the study is the impact on the distribution of power in Russia of the comparatively new role of executive president, with its large accompanying bureaucracy. Within months of the first Russian presidential election in June i99 i, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was banned and the USSR had dissolved. Thus the introduction of the new office coincided with a dramatic shift in...