Stalin's Library: A Dictator and his Books
Geoffrey Roberts
Feb 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Stewart Crank
headphones
Audiobook
12 hr 19 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
Want a 1 hr 13 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
A compelling intellectual biography of Stalin told through his personal library. In this engaging life of the twentieth century's most self-consciously 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 Stalin's 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 wide-ranging research in Russian archives, Roberts tells the story of the creation, fragmentation, and resurrection of Stalin's personal library. As a true believer in communist ideology, Stalin was a fanatical idealist who hated his enemies-the bourgeoisie, kulaks, capitalists, imperialists, reactionaries, counter-revolutionaries, traitors-but detested their ideas even more.
About the author
Geoffrey Roberts is emeritus professor of history at University College Cork and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. A leading Soviet history expert, his many books include an award-winning biography of Zhukov, Stalin's general, and the acclaimed Stalin's Wars: From World War to Cold War.
With over eighty titles to his name, Stewart Crank has developed a reputation as a solid and reliable voice-over artist, consistently delivering quality audio to his clients. When not recording, Stewart spends his time rock climbing or slowly making his way through his ever-expanding list of unwatched classic films.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
