Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMichael Khodarkovsky’s originally conceived and highly readable
Russia’s 20th Century: A Journey in 100 Stories helps us understand: how, over the course of one very long century, Russia repeatedly failed to become a liberal democracy, why she continues to mistreat her citizens and threaten her neighbors, and why so many Western observers missed both the coming of the Soviet demise in the late 1980s and Russia’s revanchist resurgence in the early 2000s? In contrast to most textbooks on late Imperial and Soviet periods that use traditional survey or monographic approaches, Khodarkovsky takes the reader on an exciting journey to explore Russia through numerous stories filled with captivating, often personal insights into her society and culture. The result is a comprehensive picture of Russia’s ravaged 20th century that allows educators to teach the subject by exploring and expanding the themes of individual vignettes in a way that is likely to trigger further interest in a subject.
Russia's 20th Century is perfectly suited for introductory college courses or general reader. I, for one, cannot wait to assign this new fascinating book to my undergraduates. * Semion Lyandres, Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, USA *
Michael Khodarkovsky weaves together 100 short vignettes based on episodes in Russia's political, social, cultural and intellectual life, from the Romanovs to President Putin. The result is a book of great originality—a truly panoramic expedition across the turbulent landscape that was Russia's 20th century. Khodarkovsky writes with a conciseness that sacrifices neither learned insight nor analytical sophistication, and readers used to the ponderous detail of much of today's historiography will be refreshed by his text's brevity and eclecticism. * Mark Bassin, Professor of History, Sodertorn University, Sweden *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction
Part I - Empire Must Die 1. Autocracy Wrestles with Change (1900-1910) 2. Wars and Revolutions (1911-1920)
Part II - Utopia in Power 3. Socialism Delayed (1921-1930) 4. Stalin’s Socialist Revolution (1931-1940) 5. War (1941-1950) 6. End of Stalinism and Khrushchev’s Revolution (1951-1960) 7. Between Reforms and Dissent (1961-1970) 8. Stagnation (1971-1980) 9. Paradise Lost (1981-1990)
Part III - The Democratic Experiment 10. The Rise and Fall of Russian Democracy (1991-2000) Bibliography Index
