In Russia in the Making (originally published in 1957), John Lawrence presents long and complicated history of Russia as a living and intelligible whole from the very beginning. Based on a wide knowledge of Russian history and a considerable experience of Soviet ways, his book provides an admirable starting point for wider reading.

John Lawrence was a British diplomat and writer. He lived in Russia as British Press Attaché for more than three years during the war. Among other things, he was the editor of British Ally, an uncensored weekly newspaper in Russian which circulated freely all over the Soviet Union. He was also the editor of The Christian News Letter.