A History of Twentieth-Century Russia

An extraordinary depiction of Russian history from the end of the Czarist periods through Communism and to the current market capitalism. The "secret society" of Soviet Russia has always fascinated me, and I have searched for a book that would detail why the Russian people moved toward Communism, how they got there and what went wrong that this type of government only lasted about seventy years. Mr. Service thoroughly answers my questions by examining Russian attitudes, cultures, history and practice. One of the qualities I look for in a historian is a sense of fairness. The author does a fairly good job staying neutral during the discussion, but does occasionally unfavorably (and in my opinion unfairly) compare Communist Russian to western democracy.

Russia is the ultimate story, a story of grandeur of false hopes and shattered dreams. Churchill gave Russia that interesting title of the enigma inside the mystery inside the riddle. However this book does better by truly telling us the grand story of Russia, without the weakness of similar books on the subject. Many important subjects are covered, from the traditional tale of revolution, Stalin, stagnation, collapse. Here the reader is treated to nuanced stories, such as Krushchevs suppression of the church which left only 7500 Churches ion Russia, whereas 12000 Mosques were left standing. Also evident is the population upheavals of the 1920s and 1930s. Equally important is a very good rendition of the complications of the Civil war and the creation of War communism. All the characters are given a fair portrait from Derzinsky, to Sverlov, to the obvious, such as Zinoviev and Stalin. The successive chapters on the `mystery years' of Brezhnev is enlightening, to view a nation in stagnation. Although not as insightful as Volkoganov's expose on soviet leadership this book brings to light many tales and is a fascinating, easy digestion, that brings the reader up to date, with Vladimir Putin. Seth J. Frantzman

There's no question that the Soviet regime was an indiscriminately ruthless entity. What is often overlooked is the fact that throughout it's existence it had the support of a large percentage of the population. This is often a bit shocking to Americans like myself who've spent time in Russia (even today many of the older generation still praise Krushchev for providing housing and dachas to the general populace). In "A History of Twentieth Century Russia" Robert Service brings a well written general history that in many ways addresses this. Service identifies the origins of the great terror in the Bolshevik regimes early years and the ascension of Stalin to power. He also identifies many of the educational, medical and other services much of the population recieved. This doesn't mean that Service ignores the genocide that occurred under the Bolsheviks. Not at all. Service, as a historian, merely attempts a general history- the good, the bad and the ugly. Service correctly attempts to show why some elements of the population where willing to put up with certain measures beyond just the terror they were exposed to. This is a good general history, more balanced and lacking the political bent that many American scholars often approach modern Russian history with. Service shows the brutality of the regime up front and as well as the constuctive changes that took place. And, as Service shows, these changes came at a very high price.Very readable and highly recommended.

Robert Service does an excellent job his history of 20th Century Russia. His book is extremely detailed, yet it is so well written that the reader absorbs almost everything. Service ties in agriculture, economics, Russians, and most importantly Soviet leadership, to create a vivid story about why the Soviet Union became such a major power, and how it lasted seven decades on such a precarious pedestal. Everyone who wants to learn about Russia should have the History of Twentieth-Century Russia on their bookshelf.