An excellently documented analysis of Stalin's campaign to cut wages and degrade the living conditions of Soviet industrial workers, and of how they adapted. Explains how shoddy production was workers' inevitable response to the unrealistic speed-up of the Five Year Plans, and why huge Stalinist production gains tend to disappear when evaluated for quality. Written primarily for a scholarly audience, but is quite readable for the general public. Prof. Filtzer, possibly of Left-wing Anarchist sympathies, wrote favorably of Russia's 1917 Communist revolution, but considers Stalinism a betrayal of that revolution. --Hugo S. Cunningham

in Spanish linguistics. This book gives concise but valuable information about the different linguistic variants in Spanish America and Spain. It also contains useful maps. Recommended for experts and beginner linguists!

Anyone who is interested in the history of international media and how the Cold War was won by the West should read this book--it was extremely well-written, informative and engaging. The author, a former Radio Liberty programming executive and PhD in Russian from Columbia, has put together a fascinating account of the mission of Radio Liberty (RL) from its beginning broadcast at the time of Stalin's death in 1953 to its joining force with Radio Free Europe (RFE) in 1976 as RFE/RL. The book ends with RFE/RL's current status at the end of the 1990s. It was very interesting to read this account from a Western viewpoint of how the emigre Russian intelligentsia connected with the intelligentsia and average citizen in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In many ways this account is a heroic but not overly aggrandized portrait of how the idea of freedom of speech rent the Iron Curtain by means of radio broadcasts--it could have been very pro-Western and propagandistic in outlook but wasn't, thank goodness. The book seems fairly balanced in that it also discusses internal problems the Radio staff had over a period of time--these conflicts were in effect microcosms of the ethnic tensions that existed within the Soviet Union. I found it also to be a case study on international broadcasting and how the U.S. government has decided to fund it in the past and the present. After finishing this, I wanted to read more books about the history of the dissident movement in the Soviet Union and the history of Western broadcasting.

Speak Clearly Into The Chandelier: Cultural Politics Between Britain And Russia 1973-2000 is the political memoir of John Roberts who was appointed Director of the Great Britain-USSR Association in 1973 (eventually renamed The Britain-Russia Centre). A post he held for almost twenty years. From this unique advantage, Roberts presents the reader with a real-life adventure story set during and after the Cold War and starring a roster of British and Russian cultural and political personalities. His candid, revealing, fascinating account of people and events, politics and compromise, accomplishments and setbacks, in a complex struggle of ideologies is nothing short of riveting. What finally emerges is a respect for the Russian people, their culture, and their efforts to establish a post-communist future. Speak Clearly Into The Chandelier is an informative and welcome contribution to international studies in general, and Cold War era cultural politics in particular.

This is a fantastic book that walks you through the nature and development of the REAL 1984. Radzinsky is a fantastic writer and describes how Stalin was able to construct and dominate the soviet state and turn it into an almost surreal hell of intrigue, paranoia and terror. To really understand how the Soviet Union operated under Stalin you must understand one of Stalin's favorite Trotsky quotes: "Terror is the tool that turns capitalist man into communist man".

This book is an excellent account of the efforts of a group of militant workers inspired by the Russian Revolution to organize the Allis-Chambers plant outside Milwaukee for a ten year period just before and after the Second World War. This book gives you a feeling for the tremendous committment these workers had to improving the wages and working conditions in the plant. The book starts with the organizing effort in the late thirties and the resistance they met from management. It takes a break during the war when many of the leaders of the effort signed up to fight fascism in Europe. When they returned they renewed the struggle. But this time they had to fight not only manageemnt but also the internatonal leadership of the UAW which was being influenced by the advent of the Cold War. After a long and bitter strike the UAW seized control of the local, ousted the communist leadership of the local and settled with the company. Most of the key organizers never returned to work in the plant.

The book closes with a reunion of the Local in the 1980's on the 50th Anniversary of its founding. The original president of the local is invited to return and given a warm reception by the younger members. He reminds them of his committment to a communist future by telling them that his leadership was based not so much on winning a few extra coins but rather on his vision of the future.

This is an excellent book for those who have heard the various lies put forth about Trotsky by Stalinists and their ilk. It corrects the history of the Russian Revolution, tossing out the fumbling falsifications brought by it's second leader, Joseph Stalin. Trotsky's commentary is quite informative and intelligent, and it gives insight into why the "comrades" of the Soviet Party against Trotsky behaved in the matter in which they did. Great book for those who want the truth; Stalinists won't like it.

This is a well-written and lucid book by a noted scholar of Soviet-South Asia relations focusing on Stalin's policies towards India. His analysis suggests the need for a re-thinking of current dogma on the Soviet attitude towards the Indian subcontinent, providing a fresh perspective that helps illuminate the current role of India and its relations to traditional Western powers. Highly recommended for all persons interested in this exciting period of Soviet and Indian foreign policy.

Reese does maginficent job at describing the poor state of the Red Army before the Second World War. According to Reese the main reason for the defeats that the Red Army suffered during the opening phases of the Second World War was due to the lack of training prior to the German attack. Soldiers spent more time working in factories or collective farms rather than training for war. To make matters worse the huge expansion of the army according to Reese left a huge shortage of junior officers and NCOs to train the new recruits. Stalin only excerbated the situation by abolishing the national guard in order to spend money on the new recruits, this only led to a lack of any reserve units in case of a emergency. Due to the above mentioned factors, Reese concludes that the Red Army suffered massives defeats during the opening phases of the Second World War. I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who wants to understand why the Russian army performed so poorly at the outset of World War II.

Before I read his novel, I had my doubts about Stanislavski. I had tried active memory with some disastrous results. However, Gordon clarifies these misconceptions and others in his novel.

He begins each section by explaining the lives of Stanislavski and his disciples (Chekov and Vakhtangov). Hence, the reader gets an understanding of the motivations for each section or interpretation of the System. Furthermore, Gordon gives exercises designed by each man that are useful for actors. Perhaps the greatest thing I gained from this novel is an understanding of what disciple of the System I follow. Chekov and I have similar views on acting. If I had not read this novel, I may never have discovered this. My advice to any young actor who is persuing the Stanislavski's System as a method for acting to read this insightful book