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Stalin's Secret War
1 HARDCOVER BOOK WITH DUST COVER
Paperback
First published April 1, 1982
91 people want to read
About the author
Nikolai Tolstoy
33 books35 followersCount Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky (Russian: Николай Дмитриевич Толстой-Милославский; born 23 June 1935) is an Anglo-Russian author who writes under the name Nikolai Tolstoy. A member of the Tolstoy family, he is a former parliamentary candidate of the UK Independence Party.
Source: Wikipedia
The photograph by Justin K Prim.
Source: Wikipedia
The photograph by Justin K Prim.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2013
I was reading this to research communism for our studies. It was so dark I finally quit reading. The atrocities Stalin committed against his people were horrific, communism was supposed to make life better for people than tsarism but it was so much worse. Interesting how Stalin ended up living like a tsar. Communist leaders usually end up living like royalty and making a bigger group of people poor.
June 10, 2012
If you want to read now people become evil, read this book. Makes me sad to see how Stalin could have chosen a different path and instead close to kill millions and millions.
I cannot imagine intentionally putting out a death order on my son. What a despicable man.
Incredible book, written by Tolstoy's grandson.
I cannot imagine intentionally putting out a death order on my son. What a despicable man.
Incredible book, written by Tolstoy's grandson.
November 22, 2023
What an extensive insight and library was at the author’s disposal, along with his passionate desire to hand further the knowledge and intelligence he had acquired. How grateful I am for his work.
Nikolai Tolstoy is a distant cousin of Lev Tolstoy.
I picked up this books for I wanted to gain deeper understanding of the happenings and events that took place in Europe from 1938 to 1945 and lean into the brain of Communism. The thought processes and the drive that compelled individuals to follow the doctrine which could be kept alive only by sheer force, mayhem, psychological torture and terrorism.
Stalin's Secret War is a book in two parts, where first part addresses in detail personality of Stalin and his views of those fundaments that makes us human, his character and abilities. How most of Communist governmental institutions and organisation were made and run according to his schedule, his personal needs and way of living.
Second part gives insight of what events and agendas lead to WWII, Stalin’s relationship with Hitler along with his relationship to Allies, what drove and allowed him to occupy Poland, Baltic states, and part of Finland among other territories. It elaborates on the brave fight Finns fought against Communists. It also talks about the reasons why oppressed Russians did not stand up against the tyranny, and touches upon their overall emotional and intellectual make-up, what contributed them to be so unbelievably savage towards German civilians and soldiers as they took over the German territories. The massacres, slavery, and in-depth analyses of what was Communism and what it meant to live under the Communist regime, the non-existent values of the regime created by a lunatic. Tolstoy also provides reader with insight of the ever changing people, due to regular purges of various dimensions, that made up Stalin's court. Stalins immense fear of Russians coming in contact with people from West.
I was so happy to learn that there were many high rank officials that defected this state of schizophrenia. It gave me hope.
Stalin greatly admired Hitler; the feelings were not reciprocal. That must say a lot about this Communist terrorist with thick Georgian accent.
This book confirmed to me that any tyrant is a deeply insecure and cowardly individual. Strangely enough, even ridiculous, is the fact that hating everyone and being highly paranoid, Stalin was afraid to stay alone, there was always someone who would have to accommodate him at any hour of the day. He did not trust anyone, not even himself. Oh, what could have happened, had he stayed alone? It is rather hard to grasp that a person possessing unlimited power over hundred of million people was so incapable in some sense.
He is an embodiment and sum of all the characteristics of a schizophrenic human weasel. Emotionally and mentally unstable, highly intelligent weak man, living in a false reality and everything that opposed his fantasy world had to be destroyed or oppressed. Was easily brought to disregulated state and put in helpless, frantic condition once somehting was not going according to his way, therefore, through perverted methods along with threats and murders he tried to prevent such possibilities. Highly capable of surviving and getting his way through all forms of deception, manipulation and tyranny, he possessed no leader abilities, no class, no style, no masculinity but great amount of cruelty and joy over suffering and pain of others, especially if caused by himself, even to his own children.
When listening to recorded speeches of Stalin, I failed to catch any depth and masculine force in his voice.
However, despite the subject being highly triggering and painful, author rarely displayed his own emotion and views, which I find to be highly professional and admirable for him to able to do so. The reader is left alone to develop his own views and opinions.
Author states that Stalin was not crazy—suffering from mental delusions, but not crazy. I trust Tolstoy's judgement but find it hard to accept it.
Such a wealthy source of valuable information for anyone interested in the subject.
Nikolai Tolstoy is a distant cousin of Lev Tolstoy.
I picked up this books for I wanted to gain deeper understanding of the happenings and events that took place in Europe from 1938 to 1945 and lean into the brain of Communism. The thought processes and the drive that compelled individuals to follow the doctrine which could be kept alive only by sheer force, mayhem, psychological torture and terrorism.
Stalin's Secret War is a book in two parts, where first part addresses in detail personality of Stalin and his views of those fundaments that makes us human, his character and abilities. How most of Communist governmental institutions and organisation were made and run according to his schedule, his personal needs and way of living.
Second part gives insight of what events and agendas lead to WWII, Stalin’s relationship with Hitler along with his relationship to Allies, what drove and allowed him to occupy Poland, Baltic states, and part of Finland among other territories. It elaborates on the brave fight Finns fought against Communists. It also talks about the reasons why oppressed Russians did not stand up against the tyranny, and touches upon their overall emotional and intellectual make-up, what contributed them to be so unbelievably savage towards German civilians and soldiers as they took over the German territories. The massacres, slavery, and in-depth analyses of what was Communism and what it meant to live under the Communist regime, the non-existent values of the regime created by a lunatic. Tolstoy also provides reader with insight of the ever changing people, due to regular purges of various dimensions, that made up Stalin's court. Stalins immense fear of Russians coming in contact with people from West.
I was so happy to learn that there were many high rank officials that defected this state of schizophrenia. It gave me hope.
Stalin greatly admired Hitler; the feelings were not reciprocal. That must say a lot about this Communist terrorist with thick Georgian accent.
This book confirmed to me that any tyrant is a deeply insecure and cowardly individual. Strangely enough, even ridiculous, is the fact that hating everyone and being highly paranoid, Stalin was afraid to stay alone, there was always someone who would have to accommodate him at any hour of the day. He did not trust anyone, not even himself. Oh, what could have happened, had he stayed alone? It is rather hard to grasp that a person possessing unlimited power over hundred of million people was so incapable in some sense.
He is an embodiment and sum of all the characteristics of a schizophrenic human weasel. Emotionally and mentally unstable, highly intelligent weak man, living in a false reality and everything that opposed his fantasy world had to be destroyed or oppressed. Was easily brought to disregulated state and put in helpless, frantic condition once somehting was not going according to his way, therefore, through perverted methods along with threats and murders he tried to prevent such possibilities. Highly capable of surviving and getting his way through all forms of deception, manipulation and tyranny, he possessed no leader abilities, no class, no style, no masculinity but great amount of cruelty and joy over suffering and pain of others, especially if caused by himself, even to his own children.
When listening to recorded speeches of Stalin, I failed to catch any depth and masculine force in his voice.
However, despite the subject being highly triggering and painful, author rarely displayed his own emotion and views, which I find to be highly professional and admirable for him to able to do so. The reader is left alone to develop his own views and opinions.
Author states that Stalin was not crazy—suffering from mental delusions, but not crazy. I trust Tolstoy's judgement but find it hard to accept it.
Such a wealthy source of valuable information for anyone interested in the subject.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews