A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017

The second volume of one of the greatest historical achievements of our time analyzes how Stalin gained dictatorial power in the Soviet Union before 1929 and how he decided to transform the world's largest agrarian economy into socialist modernity, at any cost.

The massive processes of agricultural collectivization, which involved about 120 million peasants, required levels of repression that were extreme even for Russia. The result led to mass hunger and death, provoking criticism within the party, even from those communists committed to the elimination of capitalism.

By 1934, when the situation had stabilized, internal distinctions underscored Stalin's “unexpected” success in anti-capitalist terms. However, Stalin never forgot and never forgave, with bloody consequences, while trying to consolidate the state with a new elite.

The Soviet Union, under Stalin's leadership, had been reborn as a great power with imposing military resources but remained alone, with enemies everywhere. The quest for security led Soviet communism to an unlikely agreement with Nazi Germany, an agreement that did not develop as planned. The lives of Stalin and Hitler, as well as the destinies of their countries, were increasingly moving towards conflict.

"Stalin: Waiting for Hitler: 1929-1941" is, like its predecessor, a history of the world from Stalin’s desk, and is a landmark success in the art of biography, with Kotkin capturing both the broader structures driving global events and the intimate details of the decision-making process.

Pages: 1184, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm