You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
The Cold War is one of the most important and widely studied areas of history. Martin McCauley s best-selling Seminar Study unravels the complex issues which gave rise to the Cold War. Revised, updated and expanded, this new edition incorporates the most recent scholarship, theories and newly-released information to provide students with an invaluable introduction to the subject.
'An expert in probing mafia-type relationships in present-day Russia, Martin McCauley here offers a vigorously written scrutiny of Soviet politics and society since the days of Lenin and Stalin.' John Keep, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto. The birth of the Soviet Union surprised many; its demise amazed the whole world. How did imperial Russia give way to the Soviet Union in 1917, and why did the USSR collapse so quickly in 1991? Marxism promised paradise on earth, but the Communist Party never had true power, instead allowing Lenin and Stalin to become dictators who ruled in its name. The failure of the planned economy to live up to expectations led to a boom in the unplanned economy, in particular the black market. In turn, this led to the growth of organised crime and corruption within the government. The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union examines the strengths, weaknesses, and contradictions of the first Marxist state, and reassesses the role of power, authority and legitimacy in Soviet politics. Including first-person accounts, anecdotes, illustrations and diagrams to illustrate key concepts, McCauley provides a seminal history of twentieth-century Russia.
One of the most successful dictators of the twentieth century, Stalin transformed the Communist Party of the Soviet Union into one of the world’s leading political parties. Stalin and Stalinism explores how he ammassed, retained and deployed power to dominate, not only his close associates, but the population of the Soviet Union and Soviet Empire. Moving from leader to autocrat and finally despot, Stalin played a key role in shaping the first half of the twentieth century with, at one time, around one-third of the planet adopting his system. His influence lives on – despite turning their backs on Stalin’s anti-capitalism in the later twentieth century, countries such as China and Vietn...
One of the most successful dictators of the twentieth century, Stalin believed that fashioning a better tomorrow was worth sacrificing the lives of millions today. He built a modern Russia on the corpses of millions of its citizens. First published in 1983, Stalin and Stalinism has established itself as one of the most popular textbooks for those who want to understand the Stalin phenomenon. Written in a clear and accessible manner, and fully updated throughout to incorporate recent research findings, the book also contains a chronology of key events, Who’s Who and Guide to Further Reading. This concise assessment of one of the major figures of twentieth century world history remains an essential purchase for students studying the subject.
Who's Who is Russia and the Soviet Union is a unique reference guide which examines the leading political, economic, cultural, military, scientific and sporting personalities from 1900-1991. Through analysis of figures such as Stalin, Brezhnev, Khrushchev, Yeltsin, Ratushinskaya and Sakharov, a comprehensive portrait of Russian and Soviet society in this era emerges. The book takes the reader up to the collapse of the Soviet Union and provides: - detailed biographical information on each leading figure - bibliographical references with entries as an aid to further research - a comprehensive glossary of Russian terms, concepts and institutions and a useful chronology of events - an accessible and user-friendly A-Z layout - an invaluable guide for students, teachers, researchers, and the general reader alike.
A second edition of this famous survey has been eagerly awaited. When the first edition appeared Brezhnev was still in power, Gorbachev did not make it to the index, and the USSR was a superpower. Today the Soviet experiment is over and the USSR no longer exists. How? Why? Martin McCauley has reworked and greatly expanded his book to answer these questions, and to provide a complete account of the Soviet years. Essential reading to an appreciation of recent history -- and to a better understanding of whatever happens next.
The Cold War is one of the most important and widely studied areas of history. Martin McCauley's best-selling Seminar Study unravels the complex issues which gave rise to the Cold War and explains how it originated. This new edition is revised, updated and expanded with new material on areas such as the KGB and spying, and the contribution of intelligence to Stalin's picture of the world. The new introduction looks at our perceptions of the Cold War, the various approaches that have been adopted for reviewing the Cold War and the difficulties of developing a theory of the Cold War. The book in.
The Afghan crisis has grabbed the attention of the entire world, and underlined the desperate need in the West for a better understanding of the region and its challenges in the face of increasingly militant interpretations of Islam. Carved up and fought over by the British and Tsarist Russia in the nineteenth century, and under Soviet domination for much of the twentieth, the lonely passes, deserts and peoples of the five Central Asian republics have remained shrouded in obscurity. Even Afghanistan, the site of almost constant conflict since the Soviet invasion of 1978, is little known beyond the media images of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban movement. Martin McCauley draws on his vast ...
Covering the development of the Cold War from mid-twentieth century to the present day, The Cold War 1949-2016 explores the struggle for world domination that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union following the Second World War. Key themes include the Sino-Soviet relationship and the global ambitions of the newly-formed People’s Republic of China, the rise and fall of communism in countries such as Cuba, Angola, and Ethiopia, the US defeat in Vietnam, the gradual unravelling of the Soviet Union and the changing shape of the post-Cold War world. Providing a wide-ranging overview of the main turning points of the conflict and illustrated throughout with photographs and maps, this is essential reading for all students of the Cold War and its lasting global impact.
Origins of the Cold War 1941-1949 covers the formative years of the momentous struggle which developed between two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. It not only involved these titans but also the rest of the globe; many proxy wars were fought much to the detriment of the developing world. In a clear, concise manner, this book explains how the Cold War originated and developed between 1941 and 1949. The fourth edition is revised, updated and expanded to include new material on topics such as the culture wars and Stalin’s view of Marxism. The introduction looks at the various approaches which have been adopted to analyse the Cold War and the challenges to arrive at a theor...