Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia's Secret Archives

I have read many, many books about Adolf Hitler, one of the most despicable people to ever live, but I don't think I ever looked true evil in the eye, so to speak, until I read Radzinsky's account of Stalin's reign(s) of terror. Hitler's crimes, ghastly though they were, seem born from a misguided sense of being slighted and unrecognized for his "genius", whereas Stalin seems to be the textbook example of a psychotic sociopath whose paranoia knows no limits. I am reminded of a scene in Martin Scorcese's "Casino", where the mob bosses are discussing the fate of an associate. They go around the table, talking about what a stand-up guy he is, he would never crack, he's done a lot for us - then its time for the last boss to speak. "The way I figure is - why take chances?", he says, and just like that, the associate is as good as dead. Stalin took this one step further, it seems - to have even known him or any of his associates in any capacity whatsoever, or for that matter, to even be a well-known person in any field, seemed enough to warrant a death sentence. The writing and narrative are strong throughout (I particularly enjoyed the account of the end of Beria, the child-molesting deviant) and Radzinsky keeps a strong moral compass without becoming preachy. If anyone, anywhere is still under the misconception that there was something romantic and glorious about the Russian Revolution, please read this book and disabuse yourself of your delusions. Highest recommendation for this one.

The common view of Stalin is that he was a paranoid psychopath who murdered tens of millions due to his own insecurites. Radzinsky's view is different-- he believes that every move Stalin made during his long, bloody career was carefully calculated, that he always stayed a few steps ahead of his foes. He makes the quite convincing case that Stalin instilled terror as the primary characteristic of the Soviet regime because Stalin recognized early on that terror alone could keep the people and the Party obedient. The Stalin Radzinsky presents is a far more sinister and frightening figure than a mere psychotic. It describes a man of extraordinary evil, not just a psychological case study. Even if you don't buy all the theories that the author presents, Radzinsky's writing is so energetic and dramatic that you can't help but be fascinated, horribly fascinated by this man who probably murdered more people than anyone in history.While many people prefer to think of Stalin as insane, Radzinsky presents compelling evidence to support his view. This was, after all, a man who seized power from some very ambitious men who were enormously skilled at treachery. He took power and then over the course of 30 years ruthlessly and methodically crushed anyone who even vaguely threatened his position. He killed his enemies, his friends, his family-- no one was safe.And he didn't just destroy these people-- he made them destroy themselves. Radzinsky's descriptions of the great show trials are the most interesting part of the book, because archives show that Stalin not only orchestrated the trials but also even wrote much of the dialogue the condemned men happily parroted from the dock. That these once-powerful men (like Zinoviev, Kamenev, and Bukharin) collapsed so completely and yet naively believed that Stalin would spare them if they confessed completely shows how rotten at its core the Soviet system was. Only during the war was Stalin's rule threatened, first by Hitler (though the author argues that Stalin was actually planning a sneak attack on Germany) and later by Zhukov and the rest of the general staff, who enjoyed a measure of freedom as they beat back the Nazis. Stalin relaxed the terror to inspire a patriotic fury in his people as they fought the invaders, but once the danger passed he clamped down as hard as ever. Cold, ruthless acts like these lend weight to Radzinsky's idea of Stalin as the master puppeteer. Stalin died in 1953 and the controversial part of this book focuses on what may have happened had Stalin lived. It did appear that Stalin was preparing another purge, yet another bloodletting that would send millions to the camps and the grave. This initial culprits were seven Jewish doctors, and Razinsky raises the possibility that Stalin was preparing a Holocaust of his own. By now Stalin had the hydrogen bomb, and Radzinsky theorizes that perhaps Stalin was thinking about using the Bomb, thinking about star

Despite the problems that a previous reviewer or two had about this book, I found it fascinating and easy to read for several reasons: 1) it is written in the "I" first person, so we can follow Radzinsky as he progresses through the research of his narrative; 2) it is very revealing since it is based on Soviet archives that have just now been opened after 50 years or so; 3) it takes the reader from Stalin's childhood, through his ascendancy, and finally to his supremacy in the Soviet; and 4) it reports rather than analyzes, forcing the reader to listen to the "facts" and come up with conclusions of his/her own, creating a less "preachy" story. The only difficulty in the reading is the Russian names, but that can't be helped.As another reviewer has said, the story has something for everyone from the general reader to the student of Soviet history. I read the book since I didn't have a general understanding of the Soviet Union under Stalin, and now I feel I have a good grasp of what went on, both on the Leninist/Stalinist organizational level, and on the personal level of not only Stalin, but many of those who were liquidated.If the book was originally written in Russian, this is then a very good translation: easy to read and no clumsy expressions. I had a hard time putting it down. As far as content, I feel I "learned" a lot, not just about the personality of Stalin, but also that of Lenin, Lenin's wife, Trotsky, Motolov, Stalin's wives, his children, and others, all very surprising, intimate and interesting stuff.An excellent, smooth flowing account about people and their character. I give it a strong five star rating.

Much to the chagrin of leftist apologists, Stalin is a superior account of the true murderous nature of the Soviet Empire in its bloodiest of days. The first person accounts enhance the readability, and provide color to the well-researched accounts of the institutional abuse and murder that was the Soviet Union. For any history buff, this is a must.