Black Earth, Red Star: A History of Soviet Security Policy, 1917 1991

If you have an interest in Russian history, I highly recommend that you read this book. I found it to be very objective and it is obvious that the book is very well researched. Make sure that you look at the numerous footnotes: They are full of interesting facts. After reading this book, I feel that I have a better understanding of Russian history and even though I had read four books about the Eastern Front during WWII, I learned a lot of new information about this period. This is one book that you will need a highlighter.