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Read Figes first, I suppose. Tom Send a noteboard - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM

I haven't read his history of the revolution though I am curious if it's any good (I would read as a critic and not as a reader seeking information, obviously).

When you're familiar with that, Dmitri Volkogonov's biography of Lenin is probably a good next step for him. Radzinsky's biography of Stalin is the best I've read so far. I'm not sure that any good biography of Trotsky has been written in the West - they treat him like some sort of Che Guevara, with a heroic patina liberally applied to a wretched person and life. I guess Volkogonov's superficial bio is acceptable.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenin-Dmitri-Volkogonov-ebook/dp/B003DYGNMY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1489531523&sr=8-4&keywords=Volkogonov

https://www.amazon.com/Stalin-depth-Biography-Explosive-Documents-ebook/dp/B003F3PMNO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1489531550&sr=1-1&keywords=Radzinsky+stalin

https://www.amazon.com/Trotsky-Eternal-Revolutionary-Dmitri-Volkogonov/dp/0684822938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489532034&sr=8-1&keywords=Trotsky+Volkogonov

Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.

ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius

Ummaka qinnassa nīk!

*MySmiley*
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The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity The Shrike - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 998 Views
Fascinating stuff damookster - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 584 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. The Shrike - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 678 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 630 Views
Lenin. A monster. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 647 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 311 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 722 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 577 Views
Start with a general history of Russia The Shrike - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 718 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 678 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 660 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. Tom - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 614 Views
Thanks, Tom. I've been putting off reading good literature because of my unfamiliarity with Russia. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:12:10 AM 311 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 294 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 601 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 641 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 608 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 622 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 588 Views
Hmmmm. The Shrike - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 620 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being Tom - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 586 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 613 Views
Here's one example: Tom - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 616 Views
Good lord. The man sounds deranged. But that's fascinating! Is there a good biography on him? *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 07:50:10 AM 296 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best Tom - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 807 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 294 Views
For what it's worth, I read Lenin & Trotsky as genuine idealists, while Stalin as just a thug Cannoli - 15/03/2017 11:16:36 AM 692 Views
Didn't the 40k authors mainly crib from the Nazis, commissariat excepted? *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:00:17 PM 295 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. Tom - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 691 Views
Fascinating post. I so need to read up on Soviet history. And Russian history. *NM* Legolas - 15/03/2017 11:10:29 PM 323 Views
I didn't mean stupid or brutish, I meant more like a mafia don than a statesman Cannoli - 16/03/2017 12:18:34 PM 580 Views
Well if you want to completely redefine the phrase "just a thug", perhaps you're right Tom - 16/03/2017 02:43:38 PM 596 Views
Good point Cannoli - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 734 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... Tom - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 622 Views
Yeah, it doesn't really matter if the motive is purely power seeking, or revenge. *NM* Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:57:19 AM 358 Views
Attempt at clarification Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 718 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" Tom - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 664 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 714 Views
Good reply. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 697 Views
They weren't really wrong Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 707 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. LiterateDog - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 597 Views
Hi there. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 576 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely Joel - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 705 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? damookster - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 600 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government Joel - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 736 Views
Really? damookster - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 623 Views
Look, we both know I consider your knowledge of Russia to be non-existent and that your own bias The Shrike - 14/03/2017 03:27:05 PM 665 Views
You are just stunningly stupid. Not merely ignorant, but stupid. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:35:00 PM 732 Views
Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... Legolas - 14/03/2017 06:34:14 PM 738 Views
Kerensky risked a revolution if he pulled Russia out of the war Tom - 14/03/2017 08:21:05 PM 669 Views
Re: Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... The Shrike - 15/03/2017 11:58:01 AM 574 Views
What a terrible article Tom - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 603 Views
Your criticisms of the scholarship found in posted articles never fail to make me laugh. damookster - 14/03/2017 09:02:54 PM 640 Views
I don't think anyone's ever gotten an open peer review from me *NM* Tom - 14/03/2017 11:54:45 PM 283 Views
Too bad. I would seek it out just for the amusement factor. *NM* damookster - 15/03/2017 02:18:33 AM 300 Views
I thought you would think this way. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 691 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans Tom - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 601 Views
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