A magnificent new biography that revolutionizes our understanding of Stalin and his world The product of a decade of intrepid research; Stalin is a landmark achievement. Stephen Kotkin offers a biography that; at long last; is equal to this shrewd; sociopathic; charismatic dictator in all his dimensions. We see a man inclined to despotism who could be utterly charming; a pragmatic ideologue; a leader who obsessed over slights yet was a precocious geostrategic thinker—unique among Bolsheviks—and yet who made egregious strategic blunders. Through it all; we see Stalin’s unflinching persistence; his sheer force of will—perhaps the ultimate key to understanding his indelible mark on history. Drawing on Kotkin’s exhaustive study of Soviet archival materials as well as vast scholarly literature; Stalin recasts the way we think about the Soviet Union; revolution; dictatorship; the twentieth century; and indeed the art of history itself.
#375280 in Books Fong Kevin 2015-03-31 2015-03-31Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .90 x 5.30l; 1.00 #File Name: 0143126296304 pagesExtreme Medicine How Exploration Transformed Medicine in the Twentieth Century
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. While an easy and largely non-technical readBy Robert FWhile an easy and largely non-technical read; this book provides and interesting and valuable glimpse into things that happen at the outer environmental fringes; and how the body responds. While medical in nature; this book is entirely readable; and should be interesting to medical and non-medically trained people alike. Well done.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A delightfully well written and vivid summary of medical advances ...By LuarA delightfully well written and vivid summary of medical advances associated with exposure to hostile environments; surprising that so much was learned on battlefields; and that human space travel is fraught with serious medical challenges.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Fun and informativeBy Itamar NetzerExcellent book on the development and frontiers of modern medicine. Written for laymen but I greatly enjoyed it as a doctor.
