Amazon US/UK/Germany are not much help.
Could anyone recommend a readable, comprehensive, exhaustive, not too biased history of the Soviet Union 1917 - 1991?
The book should cover both domestic politics and foreign/international politics.
It should not devote 80% of the book to Lenin/Stalin, 15% to Gorbachev and the remaining 5% to Khrushchev/Brezhnev, but should be focused a bit broader.
A history of Russia in 20th century would also be ok.
And why the interest in this subject, Genosse Syt? :yeahright:
:P
Quote from: Syt on April 15, 2009, 11:36:22 AM
Could anyone recommend a readable, comprehensive, exhaustive, not too biased history of the Soviet Union 1917 - 1991?
Gee, you're not asking for much. :D
Only thing that comes to mind is I bought a copy of Decline and Fall of the Soviet Empire at an airport a few years back. It lacks much of what you want, in that it only covers the post-Stalin era, and the writer was a former US news correspondent in Msocow and much of the book is from his own observations which means it very much lacks any pretense at being "comprehensive". I don't know that I'd recommend it.
But maybe if you start with that book in Amazon it could suggest a few others...
I read "Utopia in power" back in Highschool. Though it's outdated since the Soviet Union lived on for another 6 years or so.
Quote from: Razgovory on April 15, 2009, 12:12:14 PM
I read "Utopia in power" back in Highschool. Though it's outdated since the Soviet Union lived on for another 6 years or so.
We have access to a hell of a lot more information about the USSR than we did in the 80s.
Quote from: Barrister on April 15, 2009, 12:25:19 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on April 15, 2009, 12:12:14 PM
I read "Utopia in power" back in Highschool. Though it's outdated since the Soviet Union lived on for another 6 years or so.
We have access to a hell of a lot more information about the USSR than we did in the 80s.
Which is why this search is so frustrating. Oodles of stuff about Stalin, WW2, Lenin. Littl about post-war USSR (Last of the Empires would probably the best bet).
Quote from: Barrister on April 15, 2009, 12:25:19 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on April 15, 2009, 12:12:14 PM
I read "Utopia in power" back in Highschool. Though it's outdated since the Soviet Union lived on for another 6 years or so.
We have access to a hell of a lot more information about the USSR than we did in the 80s.
Yeah but my Highschool library didn't have any books that weren't 10 years old at least.
The Passing of an Illusion: The Idea of Communism in the Twentieth Century by the late Francois Furet (http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Illusion-Communism-Twentieth-Century/dp/product-description/0226273415)
Not limited solely to the Soviet, but principally covers it. You want exhaustive? It is exhaustive.
Good recommendation, Seedy, I'll check it out.
I usually like books that give overviews; if a topic interests me I'll usually go for specialized books after that.