Russia Goes Dry: Alcohol, State and Society

by Stephen White

Russians today are the world's heaviest drinkers. The consumption of alcohol permeates family life, shapes the economy, and plays an occasional but striking role in the political leadership. Russia Goes Dry is an entertaining and instructive study of the Soviet leadership's attempt to eliminate alcohol abuse. It traces the profound influence of alcohol through Russian history and charts the campaign from its initiation under Mikhail Gorbachev to its disappointing aftermath in the postcommunist 1990s. Attractively written and fully illustrated, this book offers a fascinating insight into modern Russian society.

266 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This entry refers to Stephen {^2} White, author of Russian books. See this thread for more information.

Stephen White is the James Bryce Professor of Politics and a Senior Research Associate of the University's School of Central and East European Studies. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin in history and political science, and then completed a PhD in Soviet studies at Glasgow - including an exchange year at Moscow State University - and a DPhil in politics at Wolfson College Oxford. He is the chief editor of the Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics (Routledge, quarterly), and was for some time also the editor of International Politics (Palgrave, quarterly).