Stalin's Witnesses
Autor Julius Wachtelen Hardback – dec 2012
| Toate formatele și edițiile | Preț | Express |
|---|---|---|
| Paperback (1) | 134.48 lei 6-8 săpt. | |
| Julius Wachtel – 9 iun 2018 | 134.48 lei 6-8 săpt. | |
| Hardback (1) | 221.72 lei 38-44 zile | |
| Knox Robinson Publishing – dec 2012 | 221.72 lei 38-44 zile |
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781908483386
ISBN-10: 1908483385
Pagini: 416
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 28 mm
Greutate: 0.76 kg
Ediția:Reprint.
Editura: Knox Robinson Publishing
ISBN-10: 1908483385
Pagini: 416
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 28 mm
Greutate: 0.76 kg
Ediția:Reprint.
Editura: Knox Robinson Publishing
Notă biografică
Julius 'Jay' Wachtel was born in Italy. Two weeks later he and his parents, both Holocaust survivors, moved to Buenos Aires. A decade later the family emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles. His mother's liberation by Soviet troops led Jay to develop an interest in Russia. Solzhenitsyn's zeks captured his imagination. Seas of the oppressed slogging through the Gulag, the victims of a soulless machine, struggling to retain hope despite unimaginable hardships. A disturbing yet inspiring example of the resilience of the human spirit. After serving in Vietnam Jay embarked on a career in Federal law enforcement. Along the way he took a break to earn a Ph.D. in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany. Now retired from the government he enjoys a second calling, as a lecturer in criminal justice at California State University Fullerton. Jay's inspiration for Stalin's Witnesses came while designing a course in Soviet justice. He was intrigued by the 1937 Moscow Show trial, where five "witnesses" were forced to corroborate the defendants' false confessions. One witness captured his imagination. In 1934 Vladimir Romm, a Soviet intelligence officer, came to America as Izvestia correspondent to Washington. Romm, the scion of a distinguished publishing family (the famous film director Mikhail Romm is one of its descendants) was born in Vilna, same as Jay's mother. He became the central character in Stalin's Witnesses. Jay and his wife Linda live in Southern California. Their daughter, Jennifer, is a recent graduate of NYU.
Recenzii
Jay Wachtel's 'Stalin's Witnesses' is historical fiction at its best - a gripping story that sheds light on one of the most shocking and egregious travesties of justice in modern times. With verve and brilliantly constructed dialogue to fill gaps in the historical record and to bring the historical characters to life, Wachtel chronicles the story of five individuals who were forced to testify against their fellow Communists and in so doing condemned not only the defendants but also implicated themselves in farfetched crimes. He shows what happens when ideology enslaves human beings, hollows out their dignity, and changes their dreams into nightmares. Along the way, he showcases the duplicity and hypocrisy of fellow travelers and others who for various reasons stood by, even lent credibility to the sham proceedings. Above all, he conjures up the spirit of Stalinism - a frightening reality that stills impacts the Russian people. ---Dennis J. Dunn, Professor of History and Director of the Center for International Studies, Texas State University - Author of 'Caught Between Roosevelt and Stalin: America's Ambassadors to Moscow' "Wachtel's lively fictional account offers a fresh look at the cruelty of Stalin's repression from the vantage point of one of its victims, an honest communist official and spy cast in the role of witness to sabotage at one of the three show trials of the Great Terror. The fascinating life story of Vladimir Romm encapsulates much of the Soviet experience, and the reader's natural sympathy with this attractive figure gives his cruel fate added poignancy. A powerful indictment of Stalinism and a great read besides!" Peter H. Solomon, Jr., Professor of Political Science and Criminology, University of Toronto, author of "Soviet Criminal Justice under Stalin (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Series)" and "Courts And Transition In Russia: The Challenge Of Judicial Reform" "'Stalin's Witnesses' is a riveting blend of reality and fiction --truth and "story truth", woven into a gripping narrative. It conveys the horrifying atmosphere of The Great Moscow Show Trials from a fresh perspective by inviting us into the lives of individuals impacted by the policies of a ruthless regime. The spotlight shines on its leading players -- the Romm family, with supporting roles played by 'witnesses' to crimes against the state -- all historical figures -- in this travesty of justice. When historical evidence trails off the author deftly fills the gap with believable thespians and 'story truth' to provide a seamless narrative. Critical references to the larger social costs of life during a brutal transitional period in the history of the Soviet state enhance our understanding of the depths of degradation to which human beings are capable of descending in the support of their own interests. A final chapter titled 'A Little Bit of History' provides invaluable evidence of the role that history played in the evolution of the Soviet 'Theater of the absurd', in addition to the fictional characters that fleshed out the narrative. All of this makes for an engrossing read." ---Marian Rubchak, Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University, editor of "Mapping Difference: The Many Faces of Women in Contemporary Ukraine"
Jay Wachtel's 'Stalin's Witnesses' is historical fiction at its best - a gripping story that sheds light on one of the most shocking and egregious travesties of justice in modern times. With verve and brilliantly constructed dialogue to fill gaps in the historical record and to bring the historical characters to life, Wachtel chronicles the story of five individuals who were forced to testify against their fellow Communists and in so doing condemned not only the defendants but also implicated themselves in farfetched crimes. He shows what happens when ideology enslaves human beings, hollows out their dignity, and changes their dreams into nightmares. Along the way, he showcases the duplicity and hypocrisy of fellow travelers and others who for various reasons stood by, even lent credibility to the sham proceedings. Above all, he conjures up the spirit of Stalinism - a frightening reality that stills impacts the Russian people. ---Dennis J. Dunn, Professor of History and Director of the Center for International Studies, Texas State University - Author of 'Caught Between Roosevelt and Stalin: America's Ambassadors to Moscow' "Wachtel's lively fictional account offers a fresh look at the cruelty of Stalin's repression from the vantage point of one of its victims, an honest communist official and spy cast in the role of witness to sabotage at one of the three show trials of the Great Terror. The fascinating life story of Vladimir Romm encapsulates much of the Soviet experience, and the reader's natural sympathy with this attractive figure gives his cruel fate added poignancy. A powerful indictment of Stalinism and a great read besides!" Peter H. Solomon, Jr., Professor of Political Science and Criminology, University of Toronto, author of "Soviet Criminal Justice under Stalin (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Series)" and "Courts And Transition In Russia: The Challenge Of Judicial Reform"
Jay Wachtel's 'Stalin's Witnesses' is historical fiction at its best - a gripping story that sheds light on one of the most shocking and egregious travesties of justice in modern times. With verve and brilliantly constructed dialogue to fill gaps in the historical record and to bring the historical characters to life, Wachtel chronicles the story of five individuals who were forced to testify against their fellow Communists and in so doing condemned not only the defendants but also implicated themselves in farfetched crimes. He shows what happens when ideology enslaves human beings, hollows out their dignity, and changes their dreams into nightmares. Along the way, he showcases the duplicity and hypocrisy of fellow travelers and others who for various reasons stood by, even lent credibility to the sham proceedings. Above all, he conjures up the spirit of Stalinism - a frightening reality that stills impacts the Russian people. ---Dennis J. Dunn, Professor of History and Director of the Center for International Studies, Texas State University - Author of 'Caught Between Roosevelt and Stalin: America's Ambassadors to Moscow' "Wachtel's lively fictional account offers a fresh look at the cruelty of Stalin's repression from the vantage point of one of its victims, an honest communist official and spy cast in the role of witness to sabotage at one of the three show trials of the Great Terror. The fascinating life story of Vladimir Romm encapsulates much of the Soviet experience, and the reader's natural sympathy with this attractive figure gives his cruel fate added poignancy. A powerful indictment of Stalinism and a great read besides!" Peter H. Solomon, Jr., Professor of Political Science and Criminology, University of Toronto, author of "Soviet Criminal Justice under Stalin (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Series)" and "Courts And Transition In Russia: The Challenge Of Judicial Reform"