Madariaga Isabel. Ivan the Terrible. First Tsar of Russia

Yale: Yale University Press, 2006.This work is a thorough history of Russia during the mid-16th century. The author presents a balanced view of the source material, emphasizing what is known, why it is known, and what is not known, about a critical formative period of Russia. That said, it is not a book for a beginner. It presupposes an understanding of Russian history and institutions, as well as some knowledge of the Russian language.