Except for Hitler, perhaps no 20th-century historical figure has more speculation swirling about him than Stalin. But this work by two former Soviet dissidents only partially clears the mist. The work is no chronological biography; instead, it is organized thematically, making it difficult for those unfamiliar with the issues. Another of the book's weaknesses is that some of the legends the authors debunk, such as the charge that Stalin was poisoned, are not widely believed in the West. Despite these flaws, there's a lot of fascinating material. Not surprisingly, since Zhores Medvedev (The Legacy of Chernobyl
) is a former Soviet scientist, much of it has to do with Stalin's attitude toward science. The authors (Roy wrote Let History Judge
) show how Stalin was at heart a scientific totalitarian—he was willing to modify his view of science if it served his purposes, but unwilling to open up science to outside forces. Instead, as he did in other aspects of Soviet life, Stalin changed his views on science to purge political opponents who might threaten his power base. The authors also detail a little-known nuclear accident in 1951, arguing convincingly that the toll from the accident at Chelyabinsk-40 (the actual number of whose victims is still unknown) was made worse because the officials chose a "course of action that would demand considerable human sacrifice." As others have emphasized, human sacrifice was the norm during the Stalinist era. But there's not enough new here to attract those who are not scholars or those already intrigued by Stalin's life. (Feb. 27)
