Stalin is an 800+ page extensive semi-biographical essay on Stalin’s life from the years 1929 to 1941. It details all aspects of the dictator’s life, from his disposition to his policies, foreign affairs, and the price of grain. In somewhat chronological order, there are a few skips that disrupt the flow of the story, and some more dry parts between the chapters of intrigue. Stalin does not read like a truly academic paper, but rather a lengthy, well-researched opinion piece in the longest editorial ever published. This is not a bad aspect per se, but the author’s opinion is neither objectionable nor interesting. As aforementioned, there are indeed some bland parts. For all the chapters detailing assassinations and foreign intrigue, there are an equal amount of chapters detailing how many kopeks the price of grain was in the years 1929-1932. Picking up this book was a lengthy endeavor, and the language gets a bit dry at times. It’s not necessarily boring, but if you have no interest in the topic, I recommend not touching this book. For anyone interested in history, by all means, go ahead, but it is a very time-consuming ordeal.
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