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The Dictators: Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russiaby Overy, Richard
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Book DescriptionNew York: W. W. Norton & Company. Hardcover. 2004. 1st Edition. Thick 8vo . Fine in Fine DJ. B&W Photographs . Book summaryThis magisterial study of the two major totalitarian systems of the 20th century draws on the author's prodigious learning and employs a somewhat new approach to historiography. Previously, historians tended to study Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia separately, with the idea that what they had in common was that each was sui generis, of its own kind. Overy's comparative approach seeks out their common origins in post-World War I Europe, and examines the similarity in their appeals to the masses and their exploitation of unrest and resentment. He lays out their political, social, and economic structures, including the aspects of modernity that helped turn two nations into war machines and states of terror. Through all, Overy specifically attends to the lives of the people, and brings out unequivocally the overwhelming horrors of both the Hitler and Stalin regimes.Media Reviews"[A]n impressive, closely argued comparative study of Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia." -- William Grimes, New York Times Book Review "[T]he straightforward matter-of-fact manner in which Overy lays out the structure of two spectacularly horrifying systems cannot help but lead a reader back to questions about human nature and human evil." -- Anne Applebaum, New Republic "[Overy's] book--and this is one of its great strengths--reflects in abundant detail the most recent and innovatory research into the texture of social relations and the interactions between society and politics in each regime. Although he disclaims any ambition to present a narrative history of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, he packs an astonishing amount of vividly told information into this volume, including much that will be new to non-specialists." -- Jane Caplan, Times Literary Supplement Publisher NotesAn anatomy of evil by a historian renowned for his precision, insight, and sure analysis. If the past century will be remembered for its tragic pairing of civilized achievement and organized destruction, at the heart of darkness may be found Hitler, Stalin, and the systems of domination they forged. Their lethal regimes murdered millions and fought a massive, deadly war. Yet their dictatorships took shape within formal constitutional structures and drew the support of the German and Russian people. In the first major historical work to analyze the two dictatorships together in depth, Richard Overy gives us an absorbing study of Hitler and Stalin, ranging from their private and public selves, their ascents to power and consolidation of absolute rule, to their waging of massive war and creation of far-flung empires of camps and prisons. The Nazi extermination camps and the vast Soviet Gulag represent the two dictatorships in their most inhuman form. Overy shows us the human and historical roots of these evils. 16 pages of illustrations. Other Recommended Books
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