WHY LENIN? WHY STALIN?

Subtitled: A Reappraisal of the Russian Revolution, 1900-1930, the author discusses his view of what amounts to a series of revolutionary crises in the political philosophy of Russian leaders after the 1917 coup. The author sees these as reactions to inescapable global pressures as well as responses to the immediate nation-problems of the new government. The book is a readable, brief and thorough investigation of judgments that have been, too often for the author's taste, ""based on simplifications, generalizations and 'images'"".