Robert Service is a fellow of both the British Academy and St Antony’s College, Oxford. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Russia needs a period of quiet, but it would be idle to assume, he concludes, that its capacity to astound the world has been exhausted. ). Robert Service brings a new light to current Russia and I loved the historian's approach to politics. Robert Service's The Penguin History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-first Century provides a superb panorama of Russia in the modern age. This book deserves a place among the best studies of one of the most fascinating figures in modern history' Harold Shukman, The Times. Despite this, there have been signs of liberal growth and Putin – and Russia – now faces a far from certain future.In Kremlin Winter, Robert Service, acclaimed biographer of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky and one of our finest historians of modern Russia, brings his deep understanding of that country to bear on the man who leads it. Russia's recent past has encompassed revolution, civil war, mass terror and two world wars, and the country is still undergoing huge change. This is a story that moves--fast, dramatically, and brutally--as when Service narrates the unlikely events by which the Bolsheviks seized power or the grim ideological instigation of collectivization and purges in the 1930s, compounded by Stalin's colossal diplomatic and military blunders in the run-up to World War II. Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2005. At times the emphasis was upon shaking up the ingredients, at others upon stabilization. A straightforward and able analysis, in a text agreeably free of academic jargon. Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography. In wide-ranging discussions on topics from Kremlin politics to rock music and macroeconomics to contemporary poetry, Service takes us inside to witness the changes from both … He served two terms as president, before himself relinquishing the post to his prime minister, Dimitri Medvedev, only to return to presidential power for a third time in 2012. This new edition takes the story from 2002 through the entire presidency of Vladimir Putin to the election of his successor, Dmitri Medvedev. In Kremlin Winter, Robert Service, acclaimed biographer of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky and one of our finest historians of modern Russia, brings his deep understanding of that country to bear on the man who leads it. But Service also tarries to analyze the "Soviet compound," his chemical metaphor for the political techniques that made the Leninist state work for so many decades. Robert Service, a professor at the University of London's School of Slavonic and Eastern European studies, closely looks at this period in. ( The book is incredibly well-researched and thorough. . Nevertheless, this book, which is written cleanly and with a bit of humor, is sure to become a reference work that few libraries and students of 20th-century Russian politics will want to be without. . Service identifies the origins of the great terror in the Bolshevik regimes early years and the ascension of Stalin to power. He is a prolific writer, penning eight books on modern Russian history, including biographies of Vladimir Lenin , Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin . ... Robert Service is something of a titan in the world of Soviet historiography. by Robert Service 414pp, Macmillan, £20 Robert Service has written an informative and necessary book on the catastrophe that overtook Russia in the 1990s. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. He is currently a professor of Russian history at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford, and a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. 9 Paperback Please try again. As the first Communist society, the USSR was both an admired model and an object of fear and hatred to the rest of the world. He also includes an afterword that assesses the future of post-Communist Russia. His prose is great and enjoyable. Yet an impact was made and, as this book expertly documents, Russia since 1991 has encountered difficulties in completely eradicating the legacy of Communism. Please try again. I overall really enjoyed the structure of the book, and it made it easy to get into. This is a splendid book, much the best that I have ever read about Lenin ...I was overwhelmed by the power and vividness of this portrait.' Just recently finished reading it. This popular, concise and highly readable study discusses the key themes and debates about the Russian Revolution. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. He reveals a premier who cannot take his supremacy for granted, yet is determined to impose his will not only on his closest associates but on society at large. History books. Russia had an extraordinary twentieth century, undergoing upheaval and transformation. He manages to pack quite a bit of information in such a small space from such a long period. Robert Service has revised and updated his popular book on the Russian Revolution, offering an integrated account of politics, sociology and economics. 'Immensely scholarly but also vivid and readable. Read 89 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Robert Service was until his retirement professor of Russian History at Oxford University. Through the prism of Lenin's career, Service examines events such as the October Revolution and the ideas of Marxism-Leninism, the one-party state, economic modernisation, dictatorship, and the politics of inter-war Europe. 73 A History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-First Century, Third Edition, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, Wolf Hall Trilogy 3 Books Collection Set By Hilary Mantel (The Mirror and the Light [Hardcover], Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies), Kremlin Winter: Russia and the Second Coming of Vladimir Putin, Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire, From the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 to the collapse of communism in 1991, from Lenin to Yeltsin, the history of Russia in the 20th century is a complex, tumultuous story of social, geographic, and political upheaval. However this book does better by truly telling us the grand story of Russia, without the weakness of similar books on the subject. This is no easy task considering the complexity and the romantic view that many people still maintain of the last Russian Tsar. Sold by: Simon & Schuster Digital Sales Inc. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. He shows how seven decades of communist rule, which penetrated every aspect of Soviet life, continue to influence Russia today. Books Advanced Search Amazon Charts Best Sellers & more Top New Releases Deals in Books School Books Textbooks Books Outlet Children's Books Calendars & Diaries 1-16 of 25 results for Books : History : Russia : Robert Service Learn more about the program. This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Yet, just six years earlier, when Mikhail Gorbachev became general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and chose Eduard Shevardnadze as his foreign minister, the Cold War seemed like a permanent fixture in world politics. This biography simultaneously provides an account of one of the greatest turning points in modern history. Well written narrative history of modern Russia, Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2002. No less could have been expected from the author of a series of magisterial … This book tells the story of these complex interactions in detail, revealing that revolutionary Russia was shaped not only by Lenin and Trotsky, but by an extraordinary miscellany of people: spies and commissars, certainly, but also diplomats, reporters, and dissidents, as well as intellectuals, opportunistic businessmen, and casual travelers. of Slavonic and East European Studies, Univ. The Russian Revolution, 1900-1927 (Studies in European History), ( For those seeking an overview of 20th century Russian history it doesn't really get much better than this. In consequence, his assessment of certain eventsfor example, whether Stalin was prostrated by the German invasiondoes not incorporate the newest evidence that he was. ( The last 50 pages are devoted to developments since the implosion of the Soviet Union. I'm not a history buff, and I have no training in history. Updating his acclaimed History of Modern Russia, Robert Service provides a panoramic perspective on a country whose Soviet past encompassed revolution, civil war, mass terror, and two world wars. Russia had an extraordinary twentieth century, undergoing upheaval and transformation. But Yeltsin has ``reintroduced violence as a method of political struggle'' in his attack on the Duma and in Chechnya, and democratic and legal procedures ``have been treated with contempt.'' What is often overlooked is the fact that throughout it's existence it had the support of a large percentage of the population. Service identifies the origins of the great terror in the Bolshevik regimes early years and the ascension of Stalin to power. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Through this sharply observed exposéf conflicting loyalties, we get a very vivid sense of how diverse the shades of Western and Eastern political opinion were during these years. His research interests cover Russian history from the late 19th century to the present day and he has written numerous books on the subject. Robert Service's new book, Russia: Experiment With a People, From 1991 to the Present, is published by Macmillan. Robert Service gives a general overview in this book of the years 1900-2000 in Russia. His other books include biographies of Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky, a textbook on the Russian Revolution and Russia: Experiment with a People, from 1991 to the Present. Instead of getting lost in the forest of revolutionary events, Service connects the revolution to the New Economic Policy of 1922-28, the five-year plans, and the Great Terror of 1937-38. This is the story of these characters: everyone from the ineffectual but perfectly positioned Somerset Maugham to vain writers and revolutionary sympathizers whose love affairs were as dangerous as their politics. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. . Rodric Braithwaite, New StatesmanVladimir Putin has dominated Russian politics since Boris Yeltsin relinquished the presidency in his favour in May 2000. Intimidation of the populace, though essential, was not the only ingredient extending the Soviet Union's longevity. Lenin is a colossal figure whose influence on twentieth-century history cannot be underestimated. He does not believe in demonising the Russian leader. When Mikhail Gorbachëv introduced perestroika in the mid-1980s, the USSR went through a springtime of growth and release. A History of Twentieth-Century Russia treats the years from 1917 to 1991 as a single period and analyzes the peculiar mixture of political, economic, and social ingredients that made up the Soviet formula. He has written several books, including the highly acclaimed Lenin: A Biography, Russia: Experiment with a People, Stalin: A Biography and Comrades: A History of World Communism, as well as many other books on Russia's past and present. Stalin book. But he makes a useful contribution in discussing the origins of the Stalinist terror. It's an intellectual read, but very well written - as a non-academic I enjoyed it greatly. There's a problem loading this menu right now. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Churchill gave Russia that interesting title of the enigma inside the mystery inside the riddle. Russia is now undergoing tremendous changes on several fronts, and its history is likewise ready to be reinterpreted. Rather, in a piece of superb analysis, he sets out how Putin the man was swallowed up by the machine he created. , Spies and Commissars: The Early Years of the Russian Revolution, ( Discover Book Depository's huge selection of Professor of Russian History Robert Service books online. All this occurred against a background of dictatorship, civil war, forcible industrialization, terror, world war, and the postwar arms race. That said, it is an entertaining and educational read. Indeed, one of his main triumphs lies in his ability to depict the totalitarian nature of the regime, while simultaneously illuminating the unwieldy, chaotic society that co-existed with that regime. Students of Russian history will find this book informative and surprisingly powerful, in particular, Service's narrative on the causes of the Soviet collapse, which he believes Gorbachev's radical social reforms brought about by inadvertently opening the door for dramatic change to take place. I meant to hit 4 stars. A professor of Russian history and politics at the University of London and the author of a trilogy on Lenin, Service avoids the politicization that has plagued Soviet history of recent years. Communist ideas and practices never fully pervaded the society of the USSR. Robert Service Penguin, 1998 - Russia (Federation) - 653 pages 1 Review Russia had an extraordinary twentieth century, undergoing upheaval and transformation. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Stalin was one of a handful of members of the Bolshevik Central Committee who formed its inner core. It is a riveting insight into power politics as Russia faces a blizzard of difficulties both at home and abroad. I'm going on my first trip to Russia in a month and wanted to understand more about Russian history than the five pages of context in my Fodor's. Book was in good condition. It is hard to think of another country - including the United States - that had more of an impact on world politics. Buy a cheap copy of Reinterpreting Russia book by Robert Service. Service (Russian history and politics, Sch. ). Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks tried to spread their revolution across Europe at the same time they were seeking trade agreements that might revive their collapsing economy. In discovering the origins of the USSR, he casts light on the nature of the state and society which Lenin left behind and which have not entirely disappeared after the collapse of the Soviet regime in 1991. A History of Twentieth-Century Russia is the first work to use the mass of material that has become available in the documentary collections, memoirs, and archives over the past decade. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Worth a read for anyone interested in the subject or would like an insight into what makes the Russians of today 'tick. This book deals almost exclusively with internal affairs in the USSR and then Russia and the break away republics. He is also salutary in emphasizing the limitations of centralization in a country as disorganized as Russia and the growing ineffectiveness of terror in dealing with an increasingly complex society. Service covers his topic comprehensively, beginning with the final years of the tsarist regime and continuing through the rise of the Bolsheviks, the terror of the Stalinist years and the slow, uneven disintegration that culminated with the reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev and the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. Nor was it at all obvious that that the Soviet political leadership would undertake a huge internal reform of the USSR, or that the threat of a nuclear Armageddon could or would be peacefully wound down. Select the department you want to search in. The American Historical Review has published a critical examination of two books: the denunciatory biography Trotsky by British historian Robert Service and In … In "A History of Twentieth Century Russia" Robert Service brings a well written general history that in many ways addresses this. It is obvious that he is very well-studied on Russian history, and he does a great job explaining what was going on in the country through all the different time periods and regime changes the people endured. 31 ), Kremlin Winter: Russia and the Second Coming of Vladimir Putin, ( To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. There's no question that the Soviet regime was an indiscriminately ruthless entity. I did not expect to laugh while reading it but some moments were surprisingly funny. Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2007. Robert Service is the author of twelve books, including The End of the Cold War; Spies and Commissars; the acclaimed Lenin: A Biography; Stalin: A Biography; and Comrades: A History of World Communism. The achievements of the 1990s have been substantial in terms of elections, a free-market economy, press freedom, and economic recovery. At times, the author's attention to detail becomes excessive, and he pays only glancing attention to cultural trends that would have deepened his study. What a history that country had in the twentieth century and what repercussions it had on the entire world! Please try again. This collection of essays views Russia in a... Free shipping over $10. Robert Slusser’s book supplies chapter and verse on the way Trotsky misconstrued Stalin’s role in the months before October 1917. ', A History of Modern Russia--Readable and Insightful, Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2007. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2016, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2015, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2014, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2013, This item arrived quickly and efficiently. These years of civil war in Russia were years when the West strove to understand the new communist regime while also seeking to undermine it. Robert Service is a Fellow of the British Academy and of St Antony's College, Oxford. Topics. Reading this book, helped me understand better the Russian view which was very different from the US view!I highly recommend this book for background information on Russia. 149 Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Robert Service does a very good job in illustrating the last couple of years on the life of Nicholas II and his family. Robert Service, our pre-eminent Kremlinologist, does not offer a lot of new gossip about Putin. . It's important to understand the context of this review. Service (Russian History and Politics/Univ. Robert Service's lively analysis examines: Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Educated at Cambridge and Essex Universities, Service held a professorship at Oxford until 2013. Audible Audiobook After reading this book you will have a very good understanding of what Russia and the former SSR's have been through and through this what may be in store for their future. If you just want a medium-strength review of Russia (more than Fodors, but not 600 pages), it might be a little more than you need. It is far more than a comprehensive summary of the established facts, and provides an introduction to the results of western and Russian research. Robert Service is Professor of Russian Studies at St Antony’s College, Oxford. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Follow to get new release updates and improved recommendations. This was quite a lot more than that, but it has served me well. He reveals a premier who cannot take his supremacy for granted, yet is determined to impose his will not only on his closest associates but on society at large. He notes that many of the elements of Soviet dictatorship had their roots in Lenin's time: a belief in the one-party state, in arbitrary rule, in extreme centralism, and in terror as an acceptable method of governance. 38 A comprehensive beginners guide to 20th century russia, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2006. Bought this book as I was studying the history of Russia and found this book very interesting and helpful. I’ve tried in this book to bring back the historical Nicholas – a decent family man, complacent ruler and a far-right political thinker – a much more complex man than the rather romantic figure that appears in both Russian and western books to this day. Overthrowing the conventional image of Stalin as an uneducated political administrator inexplicably transformed into a pathological killer, Robert Service reveals a more complex and fascinating story behind this notorious twentieth-century figure. The chapters concerning the Russian Revolution and the break-up of the USSR are particularly well presented and enjoyable. 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). Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019. The latter is of obvoius relevance to anyone wishing to understand 21st century Russia. Unable to add item to List. It is an extraordinarily lucid, masterful account of the most complex and turbulent period in Russia's long history. 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