Description
A compelling intellectual biography of Stalin told through his personal library
In this engaging life of the twentieth centurys most selfconsciously learned dictator Geoffrey Roberts explores the books Stalin read how he read them and what they taught him Stalin firmly believed in the transformative potential of words and his voracious appetite for reading guided him throughout his years A biography as well as an intellectual portrait this book explores all aspects of Stalins tumultuous life and politics
Stalin an avid reader from an early age amassed a surprisingly diverse personal collection of thousands of books many of which he marked and annotated revealing his intimate thoughts feelings and beliefs Based on his wideranging research in Russian archives Roberts tells the story of the creation fragmentation and resurrection of Stalins personal library As a true believer in communist ideology Stalin was a fanatical idealist who hated his enemiesthe bourgeoisie kulaks capitalists imperialists reactionaries counterrevolutionaries traitorsbut detested their ideas even more
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