The Unknown Stalin

Rating:
Summary: Stalin; Still Unknown
Review: As my children are related to Molotov by marriage, I am always interested in new books about Russian figures, especially since the fall of communism. I will persevere with this book, but it is frustrating to be told "Stalin eliminated many rivals on his way to the top; historians know their names." Thanks; what about the rest of us? Also, Russian translations have a certain annoying quality bordering on condescension: "If you're reading this book you must be ignorant; otherwise you'd know it all and wouldn't have to read this book"! In general, are translators working from first to second language, or vice versa? That would affect their choice of words,and we should be told. There is still a lot of habitual excuse-making and spin control, even when one of the authors has been exiled since 1973! This must be part of the Slavic genome. But I still plan to finish it, and I think it's worth reading, especially if you are part of the Russian diaspora as I am.

Rating:
Summary: Stalin; Still Unknown
Review: As my children are related to Molotov by marriage, I am always interested in new books about Russian figures, especially since the fall of communism. I will persevere with this book, but it is frustrating to be told "Stalin eliminated many rivals on his way to the top; historians know their names." Thanks; what about the rest of us? Also, Russian translations have a certain annoying quality bordering on condescension: "If you're reading this book you must be ignorant; otherwise you'd know it all and wouldn't have to read this book"! In general, are translators working from first to second language, or vice versa? That would affect their choice of words,and we should be told. There is still a lot of habitual excuse-making and spin control, even when one of the authors has been exiled since 1973! This must be part of the Slavic genome. But I still plan to finish it, and I think it's worth reading, especially if you are part of the Russian diaspora as I am.

Rating:
Summary: The Medvedev Saga Continues
Review: The editorial hype about this book promised to lift the lid on many unknown facets of the Stalin regime and the central figures surrounding it. I found that upon reading the chapter headings they tallied with many of the Medvedev brothers previous books. I am not stating that the research that Roy and Zhores Alexandrovitch Medvedev is incorrect, just that the subject matter is farmiliar to those that have read a previous book by one of the authors. I had recently read Roy A. Medvedevs book on Nokolai Bukharin and the chapter on Bukharin in the current book is an updated version (with less spleen vented upon Alexander I. Solzhenitsyn).

The revelations that are revealed about Iosif V. Stalin are more in the nature of possible scenarios of vague, but important, periods of Stalins career.

This book is not bad or wrong, but the title seems to be misleading.