The conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War has long been understood in a global context; but Jeremy Friedman's Shadow Cold War delves deeper into the era to examine the competition between the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China for the leadership of the world revolution. When a world of newly independent states emerged from decolonization desperately poor and politically disorganized; Moscow and Beijing turned their focus to attracting these new entities; setting the stage for Sino-Soviet competition. Based on archival research from ten countries; including new materials from Russia and China; many no longer accessible to researchers; this book examines how China sought to mobilize Asia; Africa; and Latin America to seize the revolutionary mantle from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union adapted to win it back; transforming the nature of socialist revolution in the process. This groundbreaking book is the first to explore the significance of this second Cold War that China and the Soviet Union fought in the shadow of the capitalist-communist clash.
#1071057 in Books 2016-10-25 2016-10-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x 1.00 x 5.80l; .0 #File Name: 1468313568256 pages
Review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. It sort of seemed like the author was trying to narrate as a child ...By DrealmI found the writing style atrocious; and I'm by no means a grammar nut. The writing felt childish and was full of long run on sentences. I don't know if this was done for stylistic reasons or as a result of being translated from Hebrew. I know Hebrew doesn't translate well to English. It sort of seemed like the author was trying to narrate as a child or young woman even though the book was written as an adult many years later. Next; as a non Israeli; I was hoping to use this first hand account as a introduction to Kibbutz as whole. The book is definitely a first hand account; but it's written for an Israeli audience. The book assumes you are already intimately familiar with the Kibbutz history.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Two StarsBy Jack PermanToo much petty details; not very interesting.3 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Israeli kibbutz teenager life -- not so muchBy William Garrison Jr.“We Were the Future: A Memoir of the Kibbutz†by Yael Neeman (Oc.t 2016).The bookjacket’s accolades of it being an “extraordinarily affecting …masterpiece…marvelous…eye-opening†book -- I found to be deceiving: just not much substance.As the author was born in Kibbutz Yehiam (Israel) in 1960; I was expecting this book to reveal her life experiences while growing up on a kibbutz. Sure; to “set the stage†the author discusses the history of the development of the kibbutz she lived on – but; she spent about 40% of the first portion of the book doing so – a short history before she was born. I mean; really; 40% of filler material?So for the next decade (another 40% of the book) the author discusses what it was like growing up as a child in an environment whereby she (and the other kids) lived in a communal building; whereby they shared common experiences of joint potty training with boys and girls showering together until they were seven years old. About 100-150 kids lived together; played together and schooled together – usually under the watchful eyes of their nannies (metapelet). They were allowed to visit their parents at their homes only between 5-7:20pm daily; before returning to their kids’ barracks.The purpose of this communal life was; as the author wrote: “From the moment we were released from the hospital [after being born]; they never tried to separate us. On the contrary; they joined us; glued us; welded us together….Their intention wasn’t to weld; but just the opposite; to separate; to separate the children from the oppressive weight of their parents; who would pamper them and impose their wills on them with mother’s milk and father’s ambitions. To separate and protect the children from the bourgeois nature of the family†-- that was the goal of the Internationale: “that the new child would grow into a new kind of person†devoted to the egalitarianism of co-workers.The author said that she enjoyed her youth; it wasn’t until her mid-teens did she and her fellow youths began to contemplate their self-identity; the other sex; dating; and began pondering living outside the commune.As the teenage boys and girls shared rooms; some began experimenting in sex – and she relates how the staff would assist with abortions. However; the author never really got into detailing the level of promiscuity – how many of the kids became sexually active; nor the number of abortions; nor discussion by their handlers as to how to contemplate pre-marital sex.There have been numerous other books that really analyze the operations of the kibbutz; how they are organized; and what products they produced and acreage farmed. This is not such of a statically-filled scholarly book.In her late teens; the author noted that she was disappointed that despite the goal of “egalitarianismâ€; the men were sent to do field work while the gals were trapped into doing the laundry; cooking; cleaning and; well; wife-work -- gender; sexism was rife.The author related that even as teenagers they weren’t forced to study for some future job in the outside world – most were expected that they would remain on the kibbutz to do farming our communal housework. They didn’t receive grades on education-building school work – but got “evaluations†as to how they were relating with others: Sadly; they weren't challenged to excel -- a rather "laid back" experience. They didn’t receive matriculation certificates.The author noted that as they graduated from being mandatorily kept on the kibbutz; about half of them left the kibbutz for city life. It was interesting to learn that the kibbutzim didn’t account for more than 17% of the Israeli population (maybe 600;000 children); and then by the 1980s went into almost total obliviation.The author noted that in her twenties that she missed not having a nuclear-family life and upbringing.After leaving the kibbutz; the author was mustered into the army; where she soldiered along for only 11 months before she “cracked†and received a psychiatric discharge from the army – almost just too much more communal living. She went to work in the city; and; after writing several novels; wrote this book.Initially; I was torn whether to rate this book as a one-star or two-stars. I mean; it really is BORING! It has some insights. But there are so many other books out there discussing kibbutz life already. So; this is one teenager gal’s unchallenging experiences of growing up as part of a social experiment striving for egalitarianism – but failing to find much purposefulness through it. She had many childhood friends; but from her commentary one can tell that she didn’t find much love. Perhaps a book for those interested in unfilled love from an almost wasted youth.I recall reading somewhere that the author received some literary medal from the president of Israel for having written this book about her narrow experiences living on a kibbutz. Good for her; but; lacking as a "meaty" book -- too much tofu and not enough beef of substance
