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£12.99
Published
5 April 2022
HB
9781913083151
Ebook
9781913083168
Press Release
Coming soon.
By Sheila Fitzpatrick:

 

The story of the rise and fall of the U.S.S.R. by one of the world’s leading Soviet historians.

The U.S.S.R. A nation that arrived in the world accidentally, and departed unexpectedly. Over a century after the Russian Revolution, the tumultuous history of the Soviet Union continues to fascinate us and influence global politics.

From revolution and Lenin to Stalin’s Terror, from World War II to glasnost, this is an authoritative distillation of 75 years of communist rule, and the disintegration of an empire.

Fitzpatrick charts the fate of countries often left out of Soviet histories, gives vivid portraits of key figures, and traces the aftermath of the regime’s sudden collapse. She explores the rise of the oligarchs, the rebirth of the Church and the enigmatic figure of Vladimir Putin: a Soviet creation but no Soviet nostalgic. Lastly, she considers the future of Communism. Who still worships Marx and Lenin? What lessons has today’s superpower, China, learned from yesterday’s Soviet failure?

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Old Street Publishing The Shortest History of the Soviet Union

The story of the rise and fall of the U.S.S.R. by one of the world’s leading Soviet historians.

The U.S.S.R. A nation that arrived in the world accidentally, and departed unexpectedly. Over a century after the Russian Revolution, the tumultuous history of the Soviet Union continues to fascinate us and influence global politics.

From revolution and Lenin to Stalin’s Terror, from World War II to glasnost, this is an authoritative distillation of 75 years of communist rule, and the disintegration of an empire.

Fitzpatrick charts the fate of countries often left out of Soviet histories, gives vivid portraits of key figures, and traces the aftermath of the regime’s sudden collapse. She explores the rise of the oligarchs, the rebirth of the Church and the enigmatic figure of Vladimir Putin: a Soviet creation but no Soviet nostalgic. Lastly, she considers the future of Communism. Who still worships Marx and Lenin? What lessons has today’s superpower, China, learned from yesterday’s Soviet failure?

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12.99
 
 

‘Close to a miracle… The Shortest History of the Soviet Union is an immensely readable overview of the entire history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991, full of anecdotes and lively detail, but also meeting the highest academic standards’
—Slavoj Zisek on THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF THE SOVIET UNION

 
 
  • 'Brief and highly readable… channel[s] the pithy, punchy spirit of the great Norman Stone’s short histories.'
    —Owen Matthews, Spectator on THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF THE SOVIET UNION
  • ‘A triumph of concision and incise analysis by a scholar who knows more than almost anyone about the early years of the Soviet system.’
    —Orlando Figes on THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
  • ‘[Gives] a series of wonderful, horrifying and, at times, hilarious insights into what the top Stalinists were actually like.’
    —David Aaronovitch on ON STALIN'S TEAM
  • ‘An impressive, rare and highly accomplished piece of scholarship… Fitzpatrick shows herself to be a master storyteller as well.’
    —Lara Cook, Times Higher Educational Supplement on ON STALIN'S TEAM
  • ‘The insanely readable, crowning achievement of a distinguished career.’
    —Slavoj Zisek on A SPY IN THE ARCHIVES
  • ‘An exceptionally lucid and purposive account.’
    —Catriona Kelly, Guardian on A SPY IN THE ARCHIVES
 
 
Sheila Fitzpatrick

Sheila Fitzpatrick is Professor of History at the University of Sydney and Distinguished Service Professor Emerita of History at the University of Chicago. She is considered to be the founder of the field of Soviet history. She regularly contributes to the London Review of Books, and is the multi-award winning author of numerous titles including Everyday Stalinism, On Stalin’s Team, The Russian Revolution and A Spy in the Archives.