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Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy
The author had an incredible access to secret KGB files in his role as historian for the Soviet Army. This book, the first of a trilogy written by Volkogonov on Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, takes advantage of the author's discoveries to reveal much heretofore unknown knowledge about Stalin's reign of terror in the early days of the Soviet Union. Photos.
642 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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About the author
Dmitri Volkogonov
18 books33 followersSee also: Дмитрий Волкогонов
Dmitri Antonovich Volkogonov (Russian: Дми́трий Анто́нович Волкого́нов) (22 March 1928 – 6 December 1995) was a Russian historian and colonel-general who was head of the Soviet military's psychological warfare department. After researching the secret Soviet archives, he published biographies of Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin, among others. Despite being a committed Stalinist and Marxist-Leninist ideologue for most of his career, Volkogonov came to repudiate communism and the Soviet system within the last decade of his life before his death from cancer in 1995.
Through his research in the restricted archives of the Soviet Central Committee, Volkogonov discovered facts that contradicted the official Soviet version of events, and the cult of personality that had been built up around Lenin and Stalin. Volkogonov published books that contributed to the strain of liberal Russian thought that emerged during Glasnost in the late 1980s and the post-Soviet era of the early 1990s.
Dmitri Antonovich Volkogonov (Russian: Дми́трий Анто́нович Волкого́нов) (22 March 1928 – 6 December 1995) was a Russian historian and colonel-general who was head of the Soviet military's psychological warfare department. After researching the secret Soviet archives, he published biographies of Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin, among others. Despite being a committed Stalinist and Marxist-Leninist ideologue for most of his career, Volkogonov came to repudiate communism and the Soviet system within the last decade of his life before his death from cancer in 1995.
Through his research in the restricted archives of the Soviet Central Committee, Volkogonov discovered facts that contradicted the official Soviet version of events, and the cult of personality that had been built up around Lenin and Stalin. Volkogonov published books that contributed to the strain of liberal Russian thought that emerged during Glasnost in the late 1980s and the post-Soviet era of the early 1990s.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 23, 2015
An in-depth look at how Stalin gained and kept power, one of the nastiest monsters the world has seen, who without the slightest regret instituted policies that he knew caused the needless torture and killing of tens of millions of his countrymen, who could value nothing except as it affected him personally. A paranoid whose chief attribute was an excellent memory, often used visciously, unjustly and lethally against his revolutionary comrades when they were of no further use to him. A man who rarely and reluctantly bothered to visit factories, farms or troops, content equally to deliver grand or detailed plans from his armchair and who for effect relied always first of all upon terror.
A good survey also of the Russian revolution of 1917 and preceding events. Good portraits of the more important Bolsheviks and their various fates at the hands of Stalin. Well-organized with information from many cited sources. Apparently an excellent translation.
The point of view is troubling. Much that happened within the USSR is not mentioned, such as anti-Jewish pogroms encouraged and ordered by Stalin. There is little or nothing about the sizable aid in food and military supplies shipped, at a high cost in western lives (U-boat sinkings) and goods, to Russia in World War II by the U.S. and Great Britain which likely saved hundreds of thousands of Soviets from starvation and additional battle losses in a prolonged war. Not mentioned is the forced building of cities and factories in Siberia at arbitrary and economically unsuitable locations resulting in continual drains on the rest of the economy.
There is discussion of the heroic work done in the Gulag (labs within prison grounds!) by wrongly imprisoned Russian scientists developing the A- and H-Bombs, but no hint that Russian spies in the U.S. and Great Britain had stolen detailed plans of both bombs several times over, so that the Russians had only to implement the discoveries made in the U.S. by the world's most brilliant scientists over a period of years and costing billions.
As the writer had access to secret Soviet files, it is remarkable that there is nothing about massive Russian spying the world over, particularly in the United States, some revealed by defecting spies and the extensive intercepts assembled by U.S. intellegence of covert coded Soviet espionage transmissions (the recently declassified Venona Project; see also Elizabeth Bentley, Whittaker Chambers and Igor Gouzenko) which eventually fingered Alger Hiss, Harry Dexter White, Julius Rosenberg and other highly placed U.S. (and British and Canadian) officials and scientists as Soviet spies who implemented and expoited numerous grave security breaches over many years. Other important subversive Soviet operations in other countries go unmentioned as well. All of this changed geopolitical balances and therefore the history of the 20th century.
In short, the author's research and book appear to have been tailored especially to satisfy a Russian view, and there was much else that I was interested in but did not find.
A good survey also of the Russian revolution of 1917 and preceding events. Good portraits of the more important Bolsheviks and their various fates at the hands of Stalin. Well-organized with information from many cited sources. Apparently an excellent translation.
The point of view is troubling. Much that happened within the USSR is not mentioned, such as anti-Jewish pogroms encouraged and ordered by Stalin. There is little or nothing about the sizable aid in food and military supplies shipped, at a high cost in western lives (U-boat sinkings) and goods, to Russia in World War II by the U.S. and Great Britain which likely saved hundreds of thousands of Soviets from starvation and additional battle losses in a prolonged war. Not mentioned is the forced building of cities and factories in Siberia at arbitrary and economically unsuitable locations resulting in continual drains on the rest of the economy.
There is discussion of the heroic work done in the Gulag (labs within prison grounds!) by wrongly imprisoned Russian scientists developing the A- and H-Bombs, but no hint that Russian spies in the U.S. and Great Britain had stolen detailed plans of both bombs several times over, so that the Russians had only to implement the discoveries made in the U.S. by the world's most brilliant scientists over a period of years and costing billions.
As the writer had access to secret Soviet files, it is remarkable that there is nothing about massive Russian spying the world over, particularly in the United States, some revealed by defecting spies and the extensive intercepts assembled by U.S. intellegence of covert coded Soviet espionage transmissions (the recently declassified Venona Project; see also Elizabeth Bentley, Whittaker Chambers and Igor Gouzenko) which eventually fingered Alger Hiss, Harry Dexter White, Julius Rosenberg and other highly placed U.S. (and British and Canadian) officials and scientists as Soviet spies who implemented and expoited numerous grave security breaches over many years. Other important subversive Soviet operations in other countries go unmentioned as well. All of this changed geopolitical balances and therefore the history of the 20th century.
In short, the author's research and book appear to have been tailored especially to satisfy a Russian view, and there was much else that I was interested in but did not find.
August 26, 2012
Volkogonov's unparelled access means for those interested in Russian history, this really is a behind the scenes read, complete with supporting evidence through Stalin's own personal memo's and communications.
I was impressed with Volkogonov's work - it could have so easily been a hugely biased diatribe about the evil's of Stalinist rule, given the fate of the author's father. The book is shocking in its detail of the fate of Stalin's supposed real and suspected enemies but it is the archival material that keeps you gripped throughout.
I was impressed with Volkogonov's work - it could have so easily been a hugely biased diatribe about the evil's of Stalinist rule, given the fate of the author's father. The book is shocking in its detail of the fate of Stalin's supposed real and suspected enemies but it is the archival material that keeps you gripped throughout.
June 11, 2012
This book tells how others allowed Stalin to do what he dared to do. How Stalin was emboldened when he got away with his acts of terror upon individuals. How Stalin grew bolder and became more protected by the same individuals who feared him. And, how a cult of fear is grown. Essential read for all who love freedom.
December 7, 2012
Because of the authors position in the secret soviet society we are treated to a real but rare look at Stalin. Few historians would have access to such details of his life. Very well written and informative.
January 12, 2013
A balanced look at Stalin, neither an condemning him entirely or lionizing him. Volkogonov is primarily interested in telling the tale of how he rose to such power, given that he wasn't brilliant, gifted, or even inspiring.
August 31, 2016
Slavoj Zizek got it right in arguing that the phenomenon of Stalinism is far more problematic than that of Hitlerism. Whereas the latter is the culmination of a reactionary, anti-enlightenment tradition, the former claimed the mantle of the enlightenment itself. In searching for insights into the man and his times that may explain this conundrum, the biography by Dmitri Volkogonov strikes a balance that has proven hard to achieve for many Western biographers of Stalin. The subtitle is apt: Triumph and Tragedy. In forcing the rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union in a mere decade, Stalin enabled the country to withstand the Nazi invasion and eventually emerge as a world superpower. His leadership during the war, frequently flawed and often destructive as it was, could not be separated from the eventually victorious outcome. The price of course was a bloodbath suffered by Bolsheviks, old comrades and party cadres alike, the peasants (Kulaks), the army leadership, entire ethnic nations shipped into exile, and whoever was perceived to stand in the way of Stalin's consolidation of power and vision for the future of the country. In all of this, Volkogonov reveals Stalin as a man of many facets: a sociopath who enjoyed destroying his enemies, individuals and collectives (Trotsky, Kulaks), who nevertheless was shrewd and highly intelligent; a strategist who could size complex problems at hand in a succinct and informative manner yet a mediocre tactician who obsessed about irrelevant details. And always we have Stalin the paranoid, scheming to destroy real and imagined enemies.
The biography is billed as one of the first to have access to previously secret Soviet documents. While I am certain that this exposure shed light on the subject matter, it was probably less essential for the outcome than advertised. Volkogonov probed carefully into Stalin's achievements and crimes, both enmeshed in the eventual victory of the Soviet union in the second world war and the ultimate tragedy of countless lives wasted and potential destroyed. The transition of the post war period into the Cold War and the Division of Europe is also well addressed. The problematic emergence of Stalinism out of the Leninist tradition (the question of the inevitability of such outcome) is tackled with insight. For me two elements of interest emerged. The first is the continuity of a country's political traditions across drastic regime transitions: Stalin's style of governance owes more to Russian Tsarism than to any "revolutionary" program. It is no coincidence that he showed special interest in sponsoring Serge Eisenstein's otherwise great film Ivan the Terrible, and he probably thought of himself in the tradition of Ivan. The second point well made in Volkogonov's biography is that geostrategic concerns of a nation do not change if a Tsar or a Generalismo is in power. Stalin's interest in creating a buffer zone on the Western approaches to the Soviet Union would have been understood by anyone in power in Moscow, communist or otherwise. In that regard, Volkogonov was particularly fair in analyzing Stalin strategic decisions in the periods 1938-39 and 1945-48 in a manner not usually dealt with by such biographies.
Rare is the biography that is perfect, and this one has its own drawbacks. Perhaps the most salient is that it fails to address or underestimates the support for Stalin among sectors of the populace. During his reign, Stalin did not suffer an assassination or coup attempt, even when the Germans were at the very gates of Moscow at the climax of Operation Typhoon in December 1941, following a disastrous six month of war. In contrast, the attempt by Beria to consolidate power following the death of Stalin was crushed by the military in no time. Terror explains some but not all of this paradoxical acquiescence, and I feel that a more careful probing of Stalin's support amongst the populace is a missing aspect of this biography that is shared by several others. The second drawback is that in many sections it felt disconnected, with frequent leaps forward and backward in time and sudden digressions. Still, this is an excellent biography of a difficult subject and is probably one of the best out there. Strongly Recommended.
The biography is billed as one of the first to have access to previously secret Soviet documents. While I am certain that this exposure shed light on the subject matter, it was probably less essential for the outcome than advertised. Volkogonov probed carefully into Stalin's achievements and crimes, both enmeshed in the eventual victory of the Soviet union in the second world war and the ultimate tragedy of countless lives wasted and potential destroyed. The transition of the post war period into the Cold War and the Division of Europe is also well addressed. The problematic emergence of Stalinism out of the Leninist tradition (the question of the inevitability of such outcome) is tackled with insight. For me two elements of interest emerged. The first is the continuity of a country's political traditions across drastic regime transitions: Stalin's style of governance owes more to Russian Tsarism than to any "revolutionary" program. It is no coincidence that he showed special interest in sponsoring Serge Eisenstein's otherwise great film Ivan the Terrible, and he probably thought of himself in the tradition of Ivan. The second point well made in Volkogonov's biography is that geostrategic concerns of a nation do not change if a Tsar or a Generalismo is in power. Stalin's interest in creating a buffer zone on the Western approaches to the Soviet Union would have been understood by anyone in power in Moscow, communist or otherwise. In that regard, Volkogonov was particularly fair in analyzing Stalin strategic decisions in the periods 1938-39 and 1945-48 in a manner not usually dealt with by such biographies.
Rare is the biography that is perfect, and this one has its own drawbacks. Perhaps the most salient is that it fails to address or underestimates the support for Stalin among sectors of the populace. During his reign, Stalin did not suffer an assassination or coup attempt, even when the Germans were at the very gates of Moscow at the climax of Operation Typhoon in December 1941, following a disastrous six month of war. In contrast, the attempt by Beria to consolidate power following the death of Stalin was crushed by the military in no time. Terror explains some but not all of this paradoxical acquiescence, and I feel that a more careful probing of Stalin's support amongst the populace is a missing aspect of this biography that is shared by several others. The second drawback is that in many sections it felt disconnected, with frequent leaps forward and backward in time and sudden digressions. Still, this is an excellent biography of a difficult subject and is probably one of the best out there. Strongly Recommended.
March 5, 2012
I was a bit conflicted when I began this book. Would it be a fair telling of Stalin's story, or would the author, a Soviet general, sugar coat some aspects of arguably one of history's top five tyrants? For the most part, I think Volkogonov did a good job. The book is quite thorough (at 581 pages of fairly small print it ought to be) and well organized. It's quite readable and engaging, which points to a skilled translator as well as author.
I am somewhat amused at the author's repeated use of the phrase "administrative coercion" when he's talking about war communism, dekulakization, the purges of the late '30's, and so on. Such a nice, harmless phrase for such nasty processes.
Volkogonov describes Stalin's rise to power in the Party as a ride on Lenin's coattails. Stalin made himself the authority on Lenin, the expert, the constant companion. Those who knew better were all killed in the '30's, if not before. Volkogonov's language when discussing Lenin makes me think he drank the Kool-aid himself, which shouldn't surprise me as he wrote this before the fall of the Soviet Union.
I am somewhat amused at the author's repeated use of the phrase "administrative coercion" when he's talking about war communism, dekulakization, the purges of the late '30's, and so on. Such a nice, harmless phrase for such nasty processes.
Volkogonov describes Stalin's rise to power in the Party as a ride on Lenin's coattails. Stalin made himself the authority on Lenin, the expert, the constant companion. Those who knew better were all killed in the '30's, if not before. Volkogonov's language when discussing Lenin makes me think he drank the Kool-aid himself, which shouldn't surprise me as he wrote this before the fall of the Soviet Union.
January 4, 2017
This is tough sledding.
The author shows signs of a common fallacy -- that Communism is a dandy theory, it's just that the wrong people wind up in charge.
If that's true, then the Commies are batting .000.
It's hard to say from this if Stalin was always a bloodthirsty sociopath or if he developed into one, but I can tell you one thing -- he was one boring guy.
All these Bolsheviks were dull, in fact. Reading how Stalin consolidated his power after Lenini's death, you wonder how anyone had time to set up a police state when there were all these goddamn speeches to be made about the Kamenev deviationism or the right deviationism or the NEP deviationism or the...
It's still fascinating, however. But prepare to take your time. One chapter per night, and then switch over to something fun to get the taste out.
The author shows signs of a common fallacy -- that Communism is a dandy theory, it's just that the wrong people wind up in charge.
If that's true, then the Commies are batting .000.
It's hard to say from this if Stalin was always a bloodthirsty sociopath or if he developed into one, but I can tell you one thing -- he was one boring guy.
All these Bolsheviks were dull, in fact. Reading how Stalin consolidated his power after Lenini's death, you wonder how anyone had time to set up a police state when there were all these goddamn speeches to be made about the Kamenev deviationism or the right deviationism or the NEP deviationism or the...
It's still fascinating, however. But prepare to take your time. One chapter per night, and then switch over to something fun to get the taste out.
August 28, 2007
Looking for the longest, most epic book available about Stalin? I didn't think so. If you ever change your mind, this this one is sick. It was written by some guy who was in the KGB for like 50 years. Unfortunately it's out of print.
January 8, 2015
A difficult book if you don't have a ton of background since it is written from a Russian perspective, but ultimately tremendously rewarding as the author unpacks the wound on the russian soul left from Stalin's time.
April 4, 2020
How does the personal triumph of a man become the tragedy of a nation? "Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy" by the former Soviet general Dmitri Volkogonov tries to give us the answer to this question, examining the path to power, personality cult and political invulnerability of one of the most gruesome dictators in history: Joseph Stalin. The author himself wrote that he didn't consider this book to be a biography but rather a "political portrait" of the Soviet tyrant. So this book does not necessarily follow the pattern of other biografical works on Stalin or similar historical figures. Still, it is one of the best works on the matter, only recently rivaled by Steven Kotkin's "Stalin".
"Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy" is a masterful analysis of one of history's most brutal and cynical regimes. Thanks to the author's unprecedented opportunity to use never-before-published secret documents from KGB archives, it offers an insight to every acpect of the process of ruling an empire with an iron fist. The books examines not only the psychological and intellectual traits of a Georgian outsider who manages to outmanouver (then unscrupolously demolish) all of his political enemies and become the sole leader of the newly-founded Soviet Union, then preserve his unlimited power for more than thirty years, but also the political, economic and social conditions and circumstances which let that happen.
Volkogonov uses many unpublished before orders, reports, protocols of various sessions and meetings, even personal letters and notes, to depicture Stalin's regime, his personality, as well as his inner circle. The book does, of course, condemn Stalin's brutal dictatorship but it is far from being biased and overly denigrating. Author's personal comments on the many documented facts he presents, are of course profound and well-informed.
To me, the only flaw of "Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy"'s objectivism is it being too apologetic to Vladimir Lenin, as he is depicted as some kind of a prophet whose ideas and advices - if only followed strictly by Stalin and his political heirs - would never lead the Soviet Union into any of its' later crisis situations. It is, however, understandable and - Volkogonov himself renounces his attitude towards Lenin in his later work of the same name.
A must-read for everyone interested in the matter.
"Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy" is a masterful analysis of one of history's most brutal and cynical regimes. Thanks to the author's unprecedented opportunity to use never-before-published secret documents from KGB archives, it offers an insight to every acpect of the process of ruling an empire with an iron fist. The books examines not only the psychological and intellectual traits of a Georgian outsider who manages to outmanouver (then unscrupolously demolish) all of his political enemies and become the sole leader of the newly-founded Soviet Union, then preserve his unlimited power for more than thirty years, but also the political, economic and social conditions and circumstances which let that happen.
Volkogonov uses many unpublished before orders, reports, protocols of various sessions and meetings, even personal letters and notes, to depicture Stalin's regime, his personality, as well as his inner circle. The book does, of course, condemn Stalin's brutal dictatorship but it is far from being biased and overly denigrating. Author's personal comments on the many documented facts he presents, are of course profound and well-informed.
To me, the only flaw of "Stalin: Triumph and Tragedy"'s objectivism is it being too apologetic to Vladimir Lenin, as he is depicted as some kind of a prophet whose ideas and advices - if only followed strictly by Stalin and his political heirs - would never lead the Soviet Union into any of its' later crisis situations. It is, however, understandable and - Volkogonov himself renounces his attitude towards Lenin in his later work of the same name.
A must-read for everyone interested in the matter.
November 11, 2011
Very long and comprehensive approach by a man who had, due to his rank and responsibilities, the access to secret KGB documentation about one of histories most brutal dictators.
October 12, 2015
I learned a lot about Stalin. He was a monster, no doubt about it.
This was my second reading of this book, and was worth it.
This was my second reading of this book, and was worth it.
December 4, 2018
1938 год Сталин встретил шестидесятилетним. Позади добрые пожелания Гитлера. Впереди ожидается война с Германией, скорее всего ей будет положено начало в 1942 году. Пока же нужно озаботиться о судьбе украинцев и белорусов, проживавших на территории Польши. Следует аннексия, устроенная совместно всё с той же Германией. И вот Сталин – уже не Сталин, отныне он есть лицо, воплощающее собой всё государство. Как о нём следовало рассказывать далее? Волкогонов рассудил необходимым сообщать о происходивших событиях, делая акцент на отношении к ним вождя социалистического движения восточноевропейских стран. Приходилось действовать на опережение. Однако, с мнением Советского Союза не хотели соглашаться. Сперва был получен больной удар от Финляндии, а затем разразилась война. Что же… Волкогонов готов говорить, уточняя по мере необходимости.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
June 21, 2025
This book is a guided tour of the Soviet archives by a high official who knows about defeat and where many of the bodies are buried. Documents are cited with Stalin’s underlining and comments annotating the event. DV makes many judgements on the behavior of Stalin and his gang. Like all autocrats, he is only able to thrive in a self contained world where he makes all the decisions. He has a warped interpretation of Marxism which tolerates no deviations. He never forgets a slight and he always takes his revenge. He is truly a monster, but without Stalin, would Russia have been able to defeat the greatest evil in human history? The impact of the crimes committed by Stalin are still with us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2021
This is an astounding biography. It is a testament to the personal bravery, intelligence, and integrity of Volkogonov. His analysis of Stalin and Soviet history is patient and clearheaded, and he sheds light on the difficulties of both average citizens and high-ranking officials under one of history's evilest men. To de-mystify Stalin and reveal the truth behind his madness is a sensational achievement (especially considering that this was written in the USSR) and we owe Volkogonov a great debt. For me, this is the definitive text on Stalin and early Soviet history.
April 16, 2023
This was a real schocker when i read it in the 1990s. Volkogonov had full access to the Soviet archives and some of the Stalin's actions and his more infamous orders were written about in detail for the first time. Re-reading it, "triump and tragedy" is still a good well-written book, but its been superceded by more detailed and narrowly focused books.
September 10, 2022
Another great biography by the disillusioned former Soviet military insider.
November 10, 2025
Not on the level of Kotkin or Tucker. Plus, you sense the bias of the author throughout the book. Archival information the author drew upon is useful, though.
December 10, 2025
A Herculean effort by this author in using his access to facts and documents to tell the story of what was suppose to be a revolution for the people but which turned into a monstrous reign of terror by Stalin. That this story was commissioned to be told in a window of time when Russia was seeking transparency (glasnost) was a miracle. That they then tried to keep this book from being published- predictable. This authors determination to tell the story and tell it honestly deserves 5 stars. He states, “it is senseless to try to take revenge on history. What was done cannot be undone. It must, however, become known and remembered. “
What should be remembered is how these men were able to do what they did as a governing body? First, tyrants are not afraid to kill to maintain their position. Second, prisoners used as slave labor because tyrants need a lot of free labor. Third, they devalue the life of the individual. Fourth, the government bureaucracy is a lawless government system. Next, you have a people willing to be patient, silent, and submit and the intelligences silenced. Always there must be a scapegoat to hide all the crimes.
“Revolution had been freedom, and yet its victory did not free the people. Freedom can exist only in conditions of real democracy. Without democracy only a shadow of freedom can be present….social freedom, however, can only emerge in partnership with spiritual freedom. “
What should be remembered is how these men were able to do what they did as a governing body? First, tyrants are not afraid to kill to maintain their position. Second, prisoners used as slave labor because tyrants need a lot of free labor. Third, they devalue the life of the individual. Fourth, the government bureaucracy is a lawless government system. Next, you have a people willing to be patient, silent, and submit and the intelligences silenced. Always there must be a scapegoat to hide all the crimes.
“Revolution had been freedom, and yet its victory did not free the people. Freedom can exist only in conditions of real democracy. Without democracy only a shadow of freedom can be present….social freedom, however, can only emerge in partnership with spiritual freedom. “
September 26, 2016
I definitely recommend this biography of the world leader of Communism from 1923 - 1953. It is both incredible, and awful, to read such a vivid description of what Josef Stalin accomplished for himself. That being said, I came away wishing for more clarity on how it all was possible.
I'm no scholar, and can't argue the pros and cons of Marxism vs Leninism, Communism, Trotskyism, or even Socialism. Before reading this book, I was unaware of Menshevicks and Kulaks. That ignorance admitted, I was interested in understanding how Stalinism came to pervade Soviet life, how it became so universally accepted in the USSR, why was it celebrated and glorified, and to understand how it differed from the other horrible dictators we've seen in the last 100 years?
I ended up with more concern and questions than when I started. Maybe I was hoping for a 'Short Course' when I really needed an indoctrination. I have more to lean than I thought and that's frustrating. Some of what this book offers was lost on me as I lack the depth of knowledge required.
(For me) 3 Stars
★ = Horrid waste of time
★★ = May be enjoyable to some, but not me
★★★ = I am glad I read it
★★★★ = Very enjoyable and something I'd recommend
★★★★★ = A rare find, simply incredible
I'm no scholar, and can't argue the pros and cons of Marxism vs Leninism, Communism, Trotskyism, or even Socialism. Before reading this book, I was unaware of Menshevicks and Kulaks. That ignorance admitted, I was interested in understanding how Stalinism came to pervade Soviet life, how it became so universally accepted in the USSR, why was it celebrated and glorified, and to understand how it differed from the other horrible dictators we've seen in the last 100 years?
I ended up with more concern and questions than when I started. Maybe I was hoping for a 'Short Course' when I really needed an indoctrination. I have more to lean than I thought and that's frustrating. Some of what this book offers was lost on me as I lack the depth of knowledge required.
(For me) 3 Stars
★ = Horrid waste of time
★★ = May be enjoyable to some, but not me
★★★ = I am glad I read it
★★★★ = Very enjoyable and something I'd recommend
★★★★★ = A rare find, simply incredible
October 5, 2010
Not horrible. Volkogonov offers an interesting look at Stalin. Eh, not much more to say about it.
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