Hochschild strikes an excellent balance between the historical and personal impacts of Stalin's dictatorship and how it defined Russia's status as a nation for many decades. He moves from the factual to the anecdotal with surprising ease and never gets mired in the historical minutia as so many historians do. For those with an interest in how tyranny and ideology become melded in totalitarian systems, and how human beings are seduced and later make a bitter peace with such systems, this is a worthy read.
Robert S. (bull-snake) reviewed The Unquiet Ghost : Russians Remember Stalin on + 5 more book reviews
I am reluctant to present my views on a particular book. My views and my opinions are mine and you are not me thus you will have other views and opinions. In this case, the author stepped on my toes. The author does a great job of presenting his material. It is clear, well written, shocking, and yet very readable. In fact, I highly recommend this book with one caveat. I must warn the reader that the author inserts his own political agenda and opinions within the context of a scholarly book. This agenda and the opinions have little to do with the subject matter. Case in point, page 276:
And today? If there is a greenhouse effect, a depletion of the ozone, a shrinking of ocean stocks, and an expansion of deserts, a steadily widening gap between the worlds rich and poor, then that, too, means that the whole system has gone mad.That very lack of urgency is our form of denial, as foolhardy as the denials of the fellow travelers. For the knock, from all these things, will come.
In this regard, Mr. Hochschild is as guilty as the NKVD. In this paragraph, he places all people who disagree with him as fools and their opinions, research, knowledge, theories, and positions are denying the truth. There is a very real danger that in our haste to respond to a crisis we silence other voices of reason. Just as the voices of reason were silenced in the Soviet Union under Stalin.
So read the book feel the anger, disgust, horror, and reflect on the fact we would do the same. Just remember that there are a number of times that the author wanders away from the topic of the Stalin Purge and goes off on his on tirade.
And today? If there is a greenhouse effect, a depletion of the ozone, a shrinking of ocean stocks, and an expansion of deserts, a steadily widening gap between the worlds rich and poor, then that, too, means that the whole system has gone mad.That very lack of urgency is our form of denial, as foolhardy as the denials of the fellow travelers. For the knock, from all these things, will come.
In this regard, Mr. Hochschild is as guilty as the NKVD. In this paragraph, he places all people who disagree with him as fools and their opinions, research, knowledge, theories, and positions are denying the truth. There is a very real danger that in our haste to respond to a crisis we silence other voices of reason. Just as the voices of reason were silenced in the Soviet Union under Stalin.
So read the book feel the anger, disgust, horror, and reflect on the fact we would do the same. Just remember that there are a number of times that the author wanders away from the topic of the Stalin Purge and goes off on his on tirade.
