Stalin: Man of Steel or Mass Murderer?

by Michael Kerrigan

'I trust no one, not even myself.' Joseph Stalin Thug, armed robber, activist, revolutionary, tyrant we know the headlines, we know about the atrocities, but what do we really know of the man at the heart of it all? Stalin looks behind the image of the dictator and explores Ioseb Jughashvili's Georgian childhood, his early political awakening, his criminal life, his rise within the Bolshevik party, and his times in exiles. It examines his personal life, including his two marriages and children from other relationships, his son's attempted suicide and his second wife's suicide. It charts his emergence as leader, his political ideology, his handling of famines, his secret police, gulags and murderous purges. It explores Stalin as war leader through the Civil War, Polish-Soviet War and World War II, and examines how he brought Eastern Europe behind the 'Iron Curtain' after 1945. It investigates the theory that the dictator might have been murdered by those close to him, and looks at just how quickly leading Soviet figures denounced the personality cult around him after his death. Stalin industrialised the Soviet Union and established the country as a world power but at immense human cost. Expertly written and illustrated with 180 photographs, paintings and artworks, Stalin tells the inside story behind one of the most significant figures of the 20th century.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

Published October 14, 2018

About the author

Michael Kerrigan is a seasoned freelance writer and editor with over thirty years of experience across a wide spectrum of publishing work, from advertising and catalogue copy to book blurbs and specialist nonfiction. A prolific author, he has written around sixty full-length books on subjects ranging from ancient warfare and Slavic myth to modern architecture and the science of consciousness, all aimed at a general readership. He contributed a weekly Books in Brief column to The Scotsman for two decades and has reviewed extensively for the Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, and Financial Times.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I don’t think this biography of Stalin brought anything new to the table, I did think it was an entertaining and very readable volume which in particular would be an excellent introduction to the man and his times to those not already steeped in Stalin knowledge. It’s extensively illustrated, perhaps more of an overview of the man and his life rather than in an-depth study, but none the worse for that. It’s fully researched, presented in an accessible and lively manner, and if there are no new facts or analysis, I don’t feel that matters, as there are plenty of other studies that can delve deeper into this most puzzling and frightening of leaders. A good read, enjoyable and informative.

[Ionia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think this was an awful book, but it doesn't contain a terrible lot of new information or ideas that have not already been expressed about Stalin. I never felt like the finish line was crossed on a determination of whether or not Stalin was, in fact, a mass murderer or the supposed Man of Steel.

There are a lot of photos and historical facts in this book, but there is also a lot of hearsay and rumour. I'm not sure if I expect a book like this to be perhaps, more scholarly or if it was just the author's choice to include other things besides strictly historical material, but in the end, I found it was just okay. If you are looking to learn the basic facts and you know enough not to believe certain things, this book will do.

It wasn't bad, I simply didn't think it was great. It is still worthy of a read and a recommendation because it wasn't boring and does have some substance. More than one can say about a lot of books recently released.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[JEAN-PHILIPPE PEROL · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is probably very difficult to write a biography of Stalin after Montefiore and Khlevniuk, but Kerrigan tried. Forgetting the strength of Russian political history, refusing to remember the dramatic international relationships, ignoring the impact of German invasion, he doesn't bring new facts or new analysis to the debate about Stalin's role in Soviet Union and world History. Unable to hide his hostility to the his hero, he mix his actual talent of historian with unchecked ideological stories.

[Debi Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Kerrigan. Great insight into a troubled mind and a troubling period. I particularly like how Kerrigan provides both sides of an argument and leaves you to decide. More historians should write this way.

[Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Along with a standard biography, this book seems to want to answer the question about whether Stalin was as bad as or worse than Hitler. Perhaps not, making him the second worst person. That's not great.

[Talon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like in history, we mostly talked about Mussolini and Hitler and barely touched on Stalin. The thing is there's so much on the lad that it's hard to just brush aside. I really liked the writing style of this book and how it was told chronologically from his birth to his death. I do also appreciate the illustrations that give a visual representation of what is being talked about. I did find some of the illustrations to be a tad big and therefore made the book feel short overall. I definitely think this is a good read if you ever wanted to learn about the Man of Steel.

[Sara Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley were great enough to send me a copy of this book. I love reading Russian history, their Royal family make ours look normal and their drastic political changes are fascinating. However, this book is lacking something. I didn't feel like there was any new information in this book. By no means badly written, and gives an insight into Stalin, but there are better biographies out there.

[Cultural Wasteland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice high-level biography. It was only 200 pages with lots of pictures, but it was just what I was looking for — a quick overview of Stalin’s life.

[Joe Biscoe IV · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written very informative look at Stalin's life from childhood to death, with as much context surrounding his life as can be given in 200 pages.

[Oto Bakradze · Rating 3 out of 5]

ინფორმაციულად დაბალი და პოლიგრაფიულად მაღალი ხარისხის წიგნია.

[Vazha · Rating 2 out of 5]

მწერალი ძაან ცდილობს ნეიტრალური გამოჩნდეს მაგრამ აშკარად არაა. "სტალინს ისე უყვარდა საქართველო, რომ არ ემეტობოდა იგი თავისუფლებისთვის".
ვაი დედა, შენ მოგიკვტი მე ძია სტალინ როგორ გყვარებივართ.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historic illustrations and photos are possibly the best part of the book. Other reviewers have mentioned that nothing really new in this biography is uncovered. On a more technical level, Michael Kerrigan consistently uses annoying contractions--"isn't" rather than "is not" etc- an unscholarly technique which draws attention to itself and takes away from the text. At times it feels as though the author almost harbors a soft spot for the man of steel, comparing him favorably to Adolf Hitler, neglecting documented mutual admiration between the two dictators. On the positive side, it retraces a chronology of events, where the Georgian native played a pivotal role. Still, one would have wanted greater depth and analysis. Ioseb Besarionis dzе Djugashvili remains something of an enigma.