Gr 11 Up-Following a 30-page survey of Russian and Soviet history by the editor, three chapters focus on the Revolution and its aftermath, building the new state, and constructing socialism. The fourth and final chapter examines selected aspects of the Soviet Union's role in the world after becoming a world power and ends with a reflection by Mikhail Gorbachev, who argues that the Russian Revolution had a positive impact on the world. Each chapter has excerpts from books by scholars, political participants in the events under consideration, or eyewitnesses. A short introduction about the topic and its author is provided for each excerpt, and the selections have been subdivided into sections with subtitles in bold print. The most interesting chapter may be the one on building socialism, with its clear explanations of how the state tried to manage the economy from its earliest stages. However, the selection of an excerpt from Walter Duranty's description of his impression of the status of women in the 1940s seems an odd choice when so many excellent books on Soviet women are available. Incidentally, there is not one woman scholar represented in this collection although a few are included in a bibliography. The volume concludes with a collection of documents from 1917 through 1989. Teachers wishing to assign extra reading to advanced students who already have a good grasp on the history of the Soviet Union will find this volume useful.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
