Robert Conquest in general

Stalin: Breaker of Nations - Robert Conquest

Not a particularly well-written book, with a fair number of illiteracies, but interesting, particularly for the insight it gives into Stalin's character and personality: a sense of the dark, brooding, granite quality of his will comes across strongly. There were glimpses rather than detailed descriptions of the terror he inflicted on the Soviet Union, but one of the most sinister was the mention of trains constantly circling Moscow on which "criminals" were tortured. There were farcical scenes from his later life, when he conducted heavy drinking sessions with terrified cronies, subjecting them to his coarse, bullying humor. His unpleasant and undignified death was given some ...

Stalin: Breaker of Nations - Robert Conquest

Not a particularly well-written book, with a fair number of illiteracies, but interesting, particularly for the insight it gives into Stalin's character and personality: a sense of the dark, brooding, granite quality of his will comes across strongly. There were glimpses rather than detailed descriptions of the terror he inflicted on the Soviet Union, but one of the most sinister was the mention of trains constantly circling Moscow on which "criminals" were tortured. There were farcical scenes from his later life, when he conducted heavy drinking sessions with terrified cronies, subjecting them to his coarse, bullying humor. His unpleasant and undignified death was given some ...