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Russian history is as depressing as they come. The Shrike Send a noteboard - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM

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I'd say I'd switch to it when Evans gets depressing, but I have the feeling Russian history isn't going to be particularly cheery either

If you want really depressing in the world of Russian/Soviet history,

I would read Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy by Douglas Smith

If you want a little less depressing and actually hopeful, When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry by Gal Beckerman. The latter is one of the best history books I have ever read.

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The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity The Shrike - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 678 Views
Fascinating stuff damookster - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 322 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. The Shrike - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 413 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 358 Views
Lenin. A monster. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 387 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 186 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 410 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! Ghavrel - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 323 Views
Start with a general history of Russia The Shrike - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 434 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 392 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 395 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. Tom - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 349 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 177 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 164 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 332 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 369 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 320 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 342 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 300 Views
Hmmmm. The Shrike - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 337 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being Tom - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 321 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 340 Views
Here's one example: Tom - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 335 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 166 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best Tom - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 487 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* Ghavrel - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 169 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 377 Views
Didn't the 40k authors mainly crib from the Nazis, commissariat excepted? *NM* Ghavrel - 15/03/2017 03:00:17 PM 167 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. Tom - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 377 Views
Fascinating post. I so need to read up on Soviet history. And Russian history. *NM* Legolas - 15/03/2017 11:10:29 PM 174 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 286 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 329 Views
Good point Cannoli - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 415 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... Tom - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 347 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 224 Views
Attempt at clarification Cannoli - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 408 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" Tom - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 351 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 424 Views
Good reply. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 405 Views
They weren't really wrong Cannoli - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 429 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. LiterateDog - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 348 Views
Hi there. The Shrike - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 308 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely Joel - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 343 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? damookster - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 342 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government Joel - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 364 Views
Really? damookster - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 359 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 390 Views
You are just stunningly stupid. Not merely ignorant, but stupid. Tom - 14/03/2017 08:35:00 PM 452 Views
Very interesting article. One thing that's struck me more and more about WW1 is... Legolas - 14/03/2017 06:34:14 PM 448 Views
Kerensky risked a revolution if he pulled Russia out of the war Tom - 14/03/2017 08:21:05 PM 327 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 302 Views
What a terrible article Tom - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 313 Views
Your criticisms of the scholarship found in posted articles never fail to make me laugh. damookster - 14/03/2017 09:02:54 PM 362 Views
I don't think anyone's ever gotten an open peer review from me *NM* Tom - 14/03/2017 11:54:45 PM 160 Views
Too bad. I would seek it out just for the amusement factor. *NM* damookster - 15/03/2017 02:18:33 AM 163 Views
I thought you would think this way. The Shrike - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 397 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans Tom - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 313 Views
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