In the Great Terror of 1937–38 more than a million Soviet citizens were arrested or killed for political crimes they didn’t commit. What kind of people carried out this violent purge; and what motivated them? This book opens up the world of the Soviet perpetrator for the first time. Focusing on Kuntsevo; the Moscow suburb where Stalin had a dacha; Alexander Vatlin shows how Stalinism rewarded local officials for inventing enemies. Agents of Terror reveals stunning; detailed evidence from archives available for a limited time in the 1990s. Going beyond the central figures of the terror; Vatlin takes readers into the offices and interrogation rooms of secret police at the district level. Spurred at times by ambition; and at times by fear for their own lives; agents rushed to fulfill quotas for arresting “enemies of the peopleâ€â€”even when it meant fabricating the evidence. Vatlin pulls back the curtain on a Kafkaesque system; forcing readers to reassess notions of historical agency and moral responsibility in Stalin-era crimes.
#1288456 in Books 2000-11-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 1.70 x 5.50l; .76 #File Name: 0299168948304 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Struggles and HeroismBy Bizzy ReadingThis is the autobiography of ex-slave and Abolitionist Henry Bibb; first published in 1849. Bibb effectively details his life as a slave; a fugitive slave and a free man; with the accompanying trials; sorrows and triumphs. Since it was written in 1849; the style will be very old-fashioned to some; but that only lends authenticity to his story. If you are interested in Ante-bellum slavery in the American South and the struggles for Abolition; please add this to your reading list.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb: An American SlaveBy Jennifer bibbI have not finished this book yet. I really like Henry Bibb. Would recommend this book. Thank you for getting it for me.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy veronica webblove it
