After attending Queen Katherine School, Kendal, Cumbria, Alexander Hill gained a place to read History at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. From the University of Cambridge he gained both his BA and doctorate, which forms the basis for this work. Whilst preparing his thesis he learnt Russian and spent nearly two years working in Russia. He is currently Temporary Lecturer in Contemporary Russian History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London.