“A rare and powerful document. Nikitenko’s memoir should take its place next to the very best ex-slave narratives and those of untouchables in India.â€Â—James C. Scott“An important historical account that reveals a great deal about the realities of serfdom.â€Â—Juliet Wittman; Washington Post Book World“One of the best surviving accounts of Russian serfdom.â€Â—Blake Eskin; Lingua FrancaAleksandr Nikitenko; born into Russian serfdom in 1804; almost miraculously gained his freedom as a young man; thirty-seven years before serfdom was abolished in the Russian Empire. His compelling autobiography--here translated into English for the first time—is one of the very few ever written by a former serf. Nikitenko describes the tragedy; despair; unpredictability; and astounding luck of his youth; bringing to life as never before the experience of a serf in nineteenth-century Russia.
#1346246 in Books 1999-06-10Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x 1.35 x 6.14l; 1.49 #File Name: 0300078129606 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five Stars inspite . . .By Helga Fiedler-BoehmeIt seems to me - a relative novice to the subject - that every shred of available material concerning this period of the conflict has been assembled in this one hefty tome. The information presented appears exhaustive and reliable.But potential readers beware: This is not a study; a discussion or an interpretation of history. It is an exhaustive; and -- at the same time -- well-structured compilation of facts: It is a textbook suited to students of military warfare and of the machinations of the politics which brought about this confrontation.There is; however; one drawback: The insufficient number of schematic situational maps. It is impossible -- for this reader at least -- to visualise the geography; the spatial relationships and the dynamics between the various military units involved in the respective operations without resorting to adjunct visual material: physical geographic and schematic situational maps.Because the text offers such an unexpectedly complete; factual account of the events it merits -- to my mind at least -- a five-star-star rating nevertheless.Helga Fiedler-Boehme0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Both are full of information not easily found elsewhereBy rudyI had read the companion volume "The Road to Berlin" and wanted this as well. Both are full of information not easily found elsewhere. I should mention my two uncles fighting against the Soviets while my brother fought against the Japanese at Okinawa.13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. Political overviewBy Paul H.This book is more of a study of Stalin and his fight to survive the immense crisis that resulted from Germany's invasion and lasted 4 long years. This book details who was in charge of what armies; thier political fate and affiliations and how long they remained in charge until scapegoated. This book does provide great insight into the 1930's purges of the Soviet military and wonderfully details the rush to production that the Soviet Union had to undergo to survive. But it does not provide a sense of size in regards to the fighting nor does it provide many details except when certain areas were lost or retaken; who was in command; and maybe how many tanks; guns; and men were available at the beginning of the fight. No battle casualties are provided; so if division has 800 men at the end of the fight; was it full strength at the beginning? By the end of this book; you'll tire of seeing unit designations; since they are virtually meaningless in the context of the text.Overall; a wonder study of the way Stalin managed and fought the war from the Kremlin. Committees; organizations and offices springing from nowhere only to vanish again as Stalin maintained his grasp on the Soviet Union. This is not a great book in regards to the maturation of the Red Army strategies; equipment or tactics as it seems to only deal with these topics in a precursory way.
