USSR: A Concise History

The 1965 edition was my text book when I completed a Russian History undergraduate course in the late 1960s. Dmytryshyn has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Russia as well as its geography, economy, and politics. His writing is crisp and clear. He can overwhelm the reader with the names of fairly obscure political actors but the text is not littered with outside sources. Basil Dmytryshyn is able to do what few other Kremlinolgists have been able to do. He gives a running narrative of what happened without taking sides. Probably no other topic in modern times stirs more emotion than 20th century Soviet Communism. Dymtryshn lays bare most of the failures of "Lenin, Stalin, & Co." but also exposes the brutality of Tsarist imperialism and the mess that the Bolsheviks inherited. He gives credit where credit is due. The USSR rapidly reduced illiteracy, and built heavy industry and with the help of Uncle Sam defeated Hitler's impressive Panzer divisions. This is a great study and reflects a deep understanding of one of the most secretive regimes the world has witnessed. I wonder what Dmytryshyn could have written if he had been able to read the archives that are now availble to contemporary historians. I just wish he had written more.Jack Di Sarno