The Soul Of Russia

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The Slave Soul of Russia

Author : Daniel Rancour-Laferriere
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 0814774822
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (147 download)

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Book Synopsis The Slave Soul of Russia by : Daniel Rancour-Laferriere

Download or read book The Slave Soul of Russia written by Daniel Rancour-Laferriere and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why, asks Daniel Rancour-Laferriere in this controversial book, has Russia been a country of suffering? Russian history, religion, folklore, and literature are rife with suffering. The plight of Anna Karenina, the submissiveness of serfs in the 16th and 17th centuries, ancient religious tracts emphasizing humility as the mother of virtues, the trauma of the Bolshevik revolution, the current economic upheavals wracking the country-- these are only a few of the symptoms of what The Slave Soul of Russia identifies as a veritable cult of suffering that has been centuries in the making. Bringing to light dozens of examples of self-defeating activities and behaviors that have become an integral component of the Russian psyche, Rancour-Laferriere convincingly illustrates how masochism has become a fact of everyday life in Russia. Until now, much attention has been paid to the psychology of Russia's leaders and their impact on the country's condition. Here, for the first time, is a compelling portrait of the Russian people's psychology.

Russia and Soul

Author : Dale Pesmen
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780801487095
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (87 download)

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Book Synopsis Russia and Soul by : Dale Pesmen

Download or read book Russia and Soul written by Dale Pesmen and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pt. 1. Situating soul. Is soul a thing? O.M.S.K. -- pt. 2. Against and for dusha. In public transportation and in the soul : you call this life? A channel between worlds. The language of music and the Russian language. The baths : a celebration for soul and body. Story : For Anna Viktorovna -- pt. 3. Everyone wants something, but only through someone. Two stories : Decency, generosity. Do not have a hundred rubles, have instead a hundred friends. Story : Pulling something out of a hat. Like the Trojan Horse's gut : hospitality and nationalism. Standing bottles, washing deals, and drinking for the soul. If you want to live you've got to krutit'sia : crooked and straight -- pt. 4. Authority. Depth, openings and closings. Story : A second soul. If you want to know a man, give him power -- pt. 5. Togetherness. Those who poke into my soul : Bakhtin, Dostoevsky, love. We lost some neatness -- pt. 6. Conclusions. Two discussions : semantics and national character, homo sovieticus. Epilogue. Non-Russian souls.

Reflections on the Russian Soul

Author : Dmitry S. Likhachev
Publisher : Central European University Press
ISBN 13 : 9633864925
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (338 download)

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Book Synopsis Reflections on the Russian Soul by : Dmitry S. Likhachev

Download or read book Reflections on the Russian Soul written by Dmitry S. Likhachev and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2000-01-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This compelling and often traumatic book is the memoir of one of the most important figures in modern Russian history, Dmitry S. Likhachev, revered as ‘a guardian of national culture’. Reflections on the Russian Soul is an incredible account of an intellectual’s turbulent journey through twentieth century Russia. Likhachev re-counts the fortunes of people with whom he came into contact and reproduces the air of passed years in Russia. Likhachev vividly portrays his childhood years in St. Petersburg and continues into his student life at Leningrad University that led to an agonizing period of imprisonment and near death. He describes how a harmless prank caught the attention of the Secret Police, resulting in his exile and confinement within the infamous prison island of Solovki. He describes his first-hand experience of brutality in prison during the early Stalin years and the incident that not only saved him but also haunted him for the rest of his life. He reflects on the years after his release from prison and the events leading up to the Second World War. His powerful recollection of the blockade of Leningrad provides the reader with a horrific insight into the harsh effects of war, hunger and survival. Lichachev goes on to describe post-war Russia and how his own livelihood developed from literary editor to a return to Leningrad University as Professor of History. This compelling autobiography finishes with Likhachev’s poignant return to Solovki as a free man.

Solzhenitsyn and American Culture

Author : David P. Deavel
Publisher : University of Notre Dame Pess
ISBN 13 : 0268108277
Total Pages : 461 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (681 download)

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Book Synopsis Solzhenitsyn and American Culture by : David P. Deavel

Download or read book Solzhenitsyn and American Culture written by David P. Deavel and published by University of Notre Dame Pess. This book was released on 2020-10-31 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These essays will interest readers familiar with the work of Nobel Prize–winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and are a great starting point for those eager for an introduction to the great Russian’s work. When people think of Russia today, they tend to gravitate toward images of Soviet domination or, more recently, Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. The reality, however, is that, despite Russia’s political failures, its rich history of culture, religion, and philosophical reflection—even during the darkest days of the Gulag—have been a deposit of wisdom for American artists, religious thinkers, and political philosophers probing what it means to be human in America. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn stands out as the key figure in this conversation, as both a Russian literary giant and an exile from Russia living in America for two decades. This anthology reconsiders Solzhenitsyn’s work from a variety of perspectives—his faith, his politics, and the influences and context of his literature—to provide a prophetic vision for our current national confusion over universal ideals. In Solzhenitsyn and American Culture: The Russian Soul in the West, David P. Deavel and Jessica Hooten Wilson have collected essays from the foremost scholars and thinkers of comparative studies who have been tracking what Americans have borrowed and learned from Solzhenitsyn and his fellow Russians. The book offers a consideration of what we have in common—the truth, goodness, and beauty America has drawn from Russian culture and from masters such as Solzhenitsyn—and will suggest to readers what we can still learn and what we must preserve. The last section expands the book's theme and reach by examining the impact of other notable Russian authors, including Pushkin, Dostoevsky, and Gogol. Contributors: David P. Deavel, Jessica Hooten Wilson, Nathan Nielson, Eugene Vodolazkin, David Walsh, Matthew Lee Miller, Ralph C. Wood, Gary Saul Morson, Edward E. Ericson, Jr., Micah Mattix, Joseph Pearce, James F. Pontuso, Daniel J. Mahoney, William Jason Wallace, Lee Trepanier, Peter Leithart, Dale Peterson, Julianna Leachman, Walter G. Moss, and Jacob Howland.

In Putin's Footsteps

Author : Nina Khrushcheva
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
ISBN 13 : 1250163242
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis In Putin's Footsteps by : Nina Khrushcheva

Download or read book In Putin's Footsteps written by Nina Khrushcheva and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Putin’s Footsteps is Nina Khrushcheva and Jeffrey Tayler’s unique combination of travelogue, current affairs, and history, showing how Russia’s dimensions have shaped its identity and culture through the decades. With exclusive insider status as Nikita Khrushchev’s great grand-daughter, and an ex-pat living and reporting on Russia and the Soviet Union since 1993, Nina Khrushcheva and Jeffrey Tayler offer a poignant exploration of the largest country on earth through their recreation of Vladimir Putin’s fabled New Year’s Eve speech planned across all eleven time zones. After taking over from Yeltsin in 1999, and then being elected president in a landslide, Putin traveled to almost two dozen countries and a quarter of Russia’s eighty-nine regions to connect with ordinary Russians. His travels inspired the idea of a rousing New Year’s Eve address delivered every hour at midnight throughout Russia’s eleven time zones. The idea was beautiful, but quickly abandoned as an impossible feat. He correctly intuited, however, that the success of his presidency would rest on how the country’s outback citizens viewed their place on the world stage. Today more than ever, Putin is even more determined to present Russia as a formidable nation. We need to understand why Russia has for centuries been an adversary of the West. Its size, nuclear arsenal, arms industry, and scientific community (including cyber-experts), guarantees its influence.

Engineers of the Soul

Author : Frank Westerman
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1468305336
Total Pages : 219 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (683 download)

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Book Synopsis Engineers of the Soul by : Frank Westerman

Download or read book Engineers of the Soul written by Frank Westerman and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2012-08-07 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “fascinating” account of how Gorky, Pasternak, and other great writers were coerced to create propaganda for Stalin (Cleveland Plain Dealer). Sunday Times Best Travel Book of the Year In the Soviet Union, writers of renown, described by Stalin as “engineers of the soul,” were encouraged to sing the praises of canal and dam construction under titles such as Energy: The Hydraulic Power Station and Onward, Time! But their enthusiasm—spontaneous and idealistic at first—soon became obligatory, and as these colossal waterworks led to slavery and destruction, Soviet writers such as Maxim Gorky, Isaak Babel, Konstantin Paustovsky, and Boris Pasternak were forced to labor on in the service of a deluded totalitarian society. Combining investigative journalism with literary history, Engineers of the Soul is a journey through contemporary Russia and Soviet-era literature. Frank Westerman, a correspondent living in post-Communist Moscow, examines both the culture landscape under Stalin’s rule and the books—and lives—of writers caught in the wheels of the Soviet system as art and reality were bent to radically new purposes. “Engagingly written and extensively researched, the book covers compelling historical and literary ground.” —Financial Times “A detailed and enthralling account of his journey through Soviet literature including discovering the revolution’s best kept secrets while trying to appreciate the talented writers who created a web of deceit in the name of success.” —Publishers Weekly “A literary travelogue revealing a remarkable geography and a strange, fraught alliance when the pen was not as mighty as the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union . . . insightful.” —Kirkus Reviews

Soul to Soul

Author : Yelena Khanga
Publisher : W W Norton & Company Incorporated
ISBN 13 : 9780393311556
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (115 download)

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Book Synopsis Soul to Soul by : Yelena Khanga

Download or read book Soul to Soul written by Yelena Khanga and published by W W Norton & Company Incorporated. This book was released on 1994 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yelena Khanga tells the compelling story of growing up black in Russia and journeying through cultures to learn about her forebears and meet relatives she had never known. From the days of slavery in the cotton fields of Mississippi to the Moscow of Stalin and Brezhnev, from Jewish New York and Harlem in the twenties to modern-day Los Angeles, Long Island, and Zanzibar, Soul to Soul is a four-generation family memoir.

Soul

Author : Andrey Platonov
Publisher : New York Review of Books
ISBN 13 : 9781590172544
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (725 download)

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Book Synopsis Soul by : Andrey Platonov

Download or read book Soul written by Andrey Platonov and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2007-12-04 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Review Books Original The Soviet writer Andrey Platonov saw much of his work suppressed or censored in his lifetime. In recent decades, however, these lost works have reemerged, and the eerie poetry and poignant humanity of Platonov’s vision have become ever more clear. For Nadezhda Mandelstam and Joseph Brodsky, Platonov was the writer who most profoundly registered the spiritual shock of revolution. For a new generation of innovative post-Soviet Russian writers he figures as a daring explorer of word and world, the master of what has been called “alternative realism.” Depicting a devastated world that is both terrifying and sublime, Platonov is, without doubt, a universal writer who is as solitary and haunting as Kafka. This volume gathers eight works that show Platonov at his tenderest, warmest, and subtlest. Among them are “The Return,” about an officer’s difficult homecoming at the end of World War II, described by Penelope Fitzgerald as one of “three great works of Russian literature of the millennium”; “The River Potudan,” a moving account of a troubled marriage; and the title novella, the extraordinary tale of a young man unexpectedly transformed by his return to his Asian birthplace, where he finds his people deprived not only of food and dwelling, but of memory and speech. This prizewinning English translation is the first to be based on the newly available uncensored texts of Platonov’s short fiction.

Russian Magic

Author : Cherry Gilchrist
Publisher : Quest Books
ISBN 13 : 0835608743
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (356 download)

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Book Synopsis Russian Magic by : Cherry Gilchrist

Download or read book Russian Magic written by Cherry Gilchrist and published by Quest Books. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the heart of Russia, old ways of perceiving the spirits of home and nature still prevail. Fairy stories, folk art, and calendar customs carry hints of the old gods and offer a now rare way of linking human life to the landscape. This is as true for city dwellers and villagers, for the Russian soul is open to the power of myth and the mysteries of the universe. This book explains how Russia's concept of soul ("dusha") and sensitivity to the landscape extends to archaeologists, scientists, and doctors in Russia, who retain an open-minded approach and a keen interest in psychic phenomena, along with folk traditions and faith healing. Author Cherry Gilchrist has traveled often to Russia and researched its traditional lore, gaining knowledge she interweaves into this book. She blends that first-hand knowledge with serious research to paint a lively picture of these remarkable magical traditions and their enduring power.

Beyond Holy Russia

Author : Michael Hughes
Publisher : Open Book Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1783740124
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (837 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond Holy Russia by : Michael Hughes

Download or read book Beyond Holy Russia written by Michael Hughes and published by Open Book Publishers. This book was released on 2014-02-19 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biography examines the long life of the traveller and author Stephen Graham. Graham walked across large parts of the Tsarist Empire in the years before 1917, describing his adventures in a series of books and articles that helped to shape attitudes towards Russia in Britain and the United States. In later years he travelled widely across Europe and North America, meeting some of the best known writers of the twentieth century, including H.G.Wells and Ernest Hemingway. Graham also wrote numerous novels and biographies that won him a wide readership on both sides of the Atlantic. This book traces Graham’s career as a world traveller, and provides a rich portrait of English, Russian and American literary life in the first half of the twentieth century. It also examines how many aspects of his life and writing coincide with contemporary concerns, including the development of New Age spirituality and the rise of environmental awareness. Beyond Holy Russia is based on extensive research in archives of private papers in Britain and the USA and on the many works of Graham himself. The author describes with admirable tact and clarity Graham’s heterodox and convoluted spiritual quest. The result is a fascinating portrait of a man who was for many years a significant literary figure on both sides of the Atlantic.

Russia in Search of Itself

Author : James H. Billington
Publisher : Woodrow Wilson Center Press
ISBN 13 : 0801879760
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Russia in Search of Itself by : James H. Billington

Download or read book Russia in Search of Itself written by James H. Billington and published by Woodrow Wilson Center Press. This book was released on 2004-03-19 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Billington describes the contentious discussion occurring all over Russia and across the political spectrum. He finds conflicts raging among individuals as much as between organized groups and finds a deep underlying tension between the Russians' attempts to legitimize their new, nominally democratic identity, and their efforts to craft a new version of their old authoritarian tradition. After showing how the problem of Russian identity was framed in the past, Billington asks whether Russians will now look more to the West for a place in the common European home, or to the East for a new, Eurasian identity.

Lost and Found in Russia

Author : Susan Richards
Publisher : Other Press, LLC
ISBN 13 : 159051369X
Total Pages : 369 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (95 download)

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Book Synopsis Lost and Found in Russia by : Susan Richards

Download or read book Lost and Found in Russia written by Susan Richards and published by Other Press, LLC. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the fall of communism, Russia was in a state of shock. The sudden and dramatic change left many people adrift and uncertain—but also full of a tentative but tenacious hope. Returning again and again to the provincial hinterlands of this rapidly evolving country from 1992 to 2008, Susan Richards struck up some extraordinary friendships with people in the middle of this historical drama. Anna, a questing journalist, struggles to express her passionate spirituality within the rules of the new society. Natasha, a restless spirit, has relocated from Siberia in a bid to escape the demands of her upper-class family and her own mysterious demons. Tatiana and Misha, whose business empire has blossomed from the ashes of the Soviet Union, seem, despite their luxury, uneasy in this new world. Richards watches them grow and change, their fortunes rise and fall, their hopes soar and crash. Through their stories and her own experiences, Susan Richards demonstrates how in Russia, the past and the present cannot be separated. She meets scientists convinced of the existence of UFOs and mind-control warfare. She visits a cult based on working the land and a tiny civilization founded on the practices of traditional Russian Orthodoxy. Gangsters, dreamers, artists, healers, all are wondering in their own ways, “Who are we now if we’re not communist? What does it mean to be Russian?” This remarkable history of contemporary Russia holds a mirror up to a forgotten people. Lost and Found in Russia is a magical and unforgettable portrait of a society in transition.

Kremlin Capitalism

Author : Joseph R. Blasi
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780801483967
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (839 download)

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Book Synopsis Kremlin Capitalism by : Joseph R. Blasi

Download or read book Kremlin Capitalism written by Joseph R. Blasi and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kremlin Capitalism provides a wealth of data and analyses not previously available. The authors articulate the political and economic goals of Russian privatization, examine the current ownership of the largest enterprises in Russia, and chart the challenges of corporate governance and restructuring in Russia's new corporations.

The Return of Holy Russia

Author : Gary Lachman
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620558114
Total Pages : 555 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (25 download)

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Book Synopsis The Return of Holy Russia by : Gary Lachman

Download or read book The Return of Holy Russia written by Gary Lachman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 555 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of how mystical and spiritual influences have shaped Russia’s identity and politics and what it means for the future of world civilization • Examines Russia’s spiritual history, from its pagan origins and Eastern Orthodox mysticism to secret societies, Rasputin, Roerich, Blavatsky, and Dostoyevsky • Explains the visionary writings of the spiritual philosophers of Russia’s Silver Age, which greatly influence Putin today • Explores what Russia’s unique identity and its history of messianic politics and apocalyptic thought mean for its future on the world stage At the turn of the 20th century, a period known as the Silver Age, Russia was undergoing a powerful spiritual and cultural rebirth. It was a time of magic and mysticism that saw a vital resurgence of interest in the occult and a creative intensity not seen in the West since the Renaissance. This was the time of the God-Seekers, pilgrims of the soul and explorers of the spirit who sought the salvation of the world through art and ideas. These sages and their visions of Holy Russia are returning to prominence now through Russian president Vladimir Putin, who, inspired by their ideas, envisions a new “Eurasian” civilization with Russia as its leader. Exploring Russia’s long history of mysticism and apocalyptic thought, Gary Lachman examines Russia’s unique position between East and West and its potential role in the future of the world. Lachman discusses Russia’s original Slavic paganism and its eager adoption of mystical and apocalyptic Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He explores the Silver Age and its “occult revival” with a look at Rasputin’s prophecies, Blavatsky’s Theosophy, Roerich’s “Red Shambhala,” and the philosophies of Berdyaev and Solovyov. He looks at Russian Rosicrucianism, the Illuminati Scare, Russian Freemasonry, and the rise of other secret societies in Russia. He explores the Russian character as that of the “holy fool,” as seen in the great Russian literature of the 19th century, especially Dostoyevsky. He also examines the psychic research performed by the Russian government throughout the 20th century and the influence of Evola and the esoteric right on the spiritual and political milieus in Russia. Through in-depth exploration of the philosophies that inspire Putin’s political regime and a look at Russia’s unique cultural identity, Lachman ponders what they will mean for the future of Russia and the world. What drives the Russian soul to pursue the apocalypse? Will these philosophers lead Russia to dominate the world, or will they lead it into a new cultural epoch centered on spiritual power and mystical wisdom?

In Search of the Free Individual

Author : Svetlana Alexievich
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 1501726927
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis In Search of the Free Individual by : Svetlana Alexievich

Download or read book In Search of the Free Individual written by Svetlana Alexievich and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2018-01-15 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I love life in its living form, life that’s found on the street, in human conversations, shouts, and moans." So begins this speech delivered in Russian at Cornell University by Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature. In poetic language, Alexievich traces the origins of her deeply affecting blend of journalism, oral history, and creative writing. Cornell Global Perspectives is an imprint of Cornell University’s Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. The works examine critical global challenges, often from an interdisciplinary perspective, and are intended for a non-specialist audience. The Distinguished Speaker Series presents edited transcripts of talks delivered at Cornell, both in the original language and in translation.

Siberian Odyssey

Author : Frederick Kempe
Publisher : Putnam Publishing Group
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Siberian Odyssey by : Frederick Kempe

Download or read book Siberian Odyssey written by Frederick Kempe and published by Putnam Publishing Group. This book was released on 1992 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Berlin Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal--author of Divorcing the Dictator--comes a dramatic account of an expedition to an almost mythical place, the land of Russia's grandest dreams and cruelest nightmares. In a place where contradictions arise at ever turn, Kempe found not only an adventure but an unparalleled window into the Russian soul. 8 pages of photographs.

For the Soul of Mankind

Author : Melvyn P. Leffler
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 142996409X
Total Pages : 1032 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis For the Soul of Mankind by : Melvyn P. Leffler

Download or read book For the Soul of Mankind written by Melvyn P. Leffler and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2008-09-02 with total page 1032 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A masterful account of the Cold War by a distinguished historian in full stride.” —G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs To the amazement of the public, pundits, and even the policymakers themselves, the ideological and political battles that endangered the world for half a century came to an end in 1990. How did that happen? What caused the cold war in the first place, and why did it last as long as it did? To answer these questions, Melvyn P. Leffler homes in on four crucial episodes when American and Soviet leaders considered modulating, avoiding, or ending their global struggle “for the soul of mankind,” and asks why they failed: Stalin and Truman devising new policies after 1945; Malenkov and Eisenhower exploring the chance for peace after Stalin’s death in 1953; Kennedy, Khrushchev, and LBJ trying to reduce tensions after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962; and Brezhnev and Carter aiming to sustain détente after the Helsinki Conference of 1975. Leffler then illuminates how Reagan, Bush, and, above all, Gorbachev managed to extricate themselves form the policies and mind-sets that had imprisoned their predecessors, making it possible to reconfigure Soviet-American relations after decades of confrontation. Praise for For the Soul of Mankind “[A] sweeping work . . . Leffler is one of America’s most distinguished cold war historians, and this enlightening, readable study is the product of years of research and reflection.” —Jonathan Rosenberg, The Christian Science Monitor “Leffler has produced possibly the most readable and insightful study of the Cold War yet.” —Publishers Weekly, (starred review) “Professor Leffler has the benefit of almost two decades of hindsight as well as access to recently declassified American and Soviet documents. The result is a series of fresh and often provocative perspectives on the struggle.” —Booklist