The figure of Stalin continues to intrigue, fascinate, and repel historians into the 21st century, while in the Russian Federation, he has returned to the status of a figure to be respected, principally as the leader who led his country through industrialization and militarization, enabling it to defeat Nazi Germany in the Second World War, thereby saving Europe and much of the world from the "brown plague" of Fascism. He presided over some of the most cataclysmic events of the 20th century, some of which he was the architect: collectivization of agriculture, famine, the Purges, and the Second World War. Joseph Stalin: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works captures his life, and legacy. It features a chronology, an introduction offers a brief account of his life, a dictionary section lists entries on Stalin's associates from the period of the Russian Empire in the late 19th century to the leader's death in 1953, and beyond, highlighting their careers and the main events.
David R. Marples is a distinguished university professor of Russian and East European History, University of Alberta. He is the author of sixteen single-authored books, including Understanding Ukraine and Belarus (2020), Our Glorious Past: Lukashenka's Belarus and the Great Patriotic War (2014), Russia in the 20th Century: The Quest for Stability (2011), and Heroes and Villains: Creating National History in Contemporary Ukraine (2008). He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He has also edited four books on nuclear power and security in the former Soviet Union, contemporary Belarus, and Ukraine. Alla Hurska is an associate fellow with the International Centre for Policy Studies (Kyiv) and an Analyst in the Jamestown Foundation (Washington, US). She is a team member of the Defence and Security Foresight Group (European NATO team), University of Waterloo and a Graduate Fellow of the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (Trent University, School for the Study of Canada).
Joseph Stalin was the sole surviving child of a shoemaker and a laundress, but his humble beginnings belied his future as a much revered and feared dictator in the early 20th century. Given the rising global threat of fascism today, this in-depth reference work on Stalin is a thorough, timely source for those seeking to better understand the historical figure, particularly considering the current resurgence of interest in Stalin because of his connection to fascism. Readers will find the bulk of the dictionary entries that follow to be a labyrinthine discussion of the careers of Stalin's comrades that also help piece together the life and career of Stalin himself in a time of unprecedented political and social upheaval. Cross-referenced entries with bold-faced names and events, a robust bibliography, and an extensive index make this a solid research tool for students and scholars alike, especially those working in the fields of history and political science. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. -- "Choice Reviews"
