This detailed portrait of the Soviet leader lays bare the many
contradictions of his political philosophy and career. Historically
sandwiched between Stalin and Brezhnev, Khrushchev was a crucial,
pivotal figure in Soviet history. Born into a poor peasant family,
he interpreted his personal history as proof of the validity of
communism. Like most self-made men, he sincerely and strongly
believed in the society that permitted his success, in contrast to
some of his more cynical or bourgeois-born colleagues. As a witness
to and a participant in the Soviet Union's extraordinary
transformation from a backward regime to a space-age industrial and
military giant, he never doubted the eventual triumph of communism.
At the same time, as Tompson (Political Science/Univ. of Texas, San
Antonio) makes clear, Khrushchev recognized the inherent problems
faced by the Soviet Union in its attempt to fashion a truly
communist society. Tompson has written a political biography that
traces Khrushchev's career in a clear pattern of advances and
occasional setbacks. In the story of how Khrushchev navigated the
uncertain waters of Soviet politics, we see the intricate,
labyrinthine workings of the Kremlin: the constant maneuvering for
position, favors, and alliances; the secrecy, betrayal, and
treachery. For Tompson, Khrushchev's most important act was his
"secret speech" before the Twentieth Party Congress in February of
1956, in which he criticized the "cult of personality" that had
enveloped Stalin, although the leader was not disinclined to allow
a less demonic cult of his own. In foreign policy, Khrushchev was
known more for his missteps, such as the 1956 invasion of Hungary,
the Cuban missile crisis, the deterioration of relations with
China, and banging his shoe at the UN. Yet in the wake of
Gorbachev, readers must acknowledge the enormous burden Khrushchev
placed on himself to reform the USSR after Stalin. A sympathetic
biography that acknowledges Khrushchev's many flaws and ultimately
renders a positive judgment of the peasant-ruler of the Soviet
Union. (Kirkus Reviews)
'a vivid startling biography ...drawing on a wealth of untapped
material from Moscow archives ...This reassessment makes a cogent
case for Khrushchev's regime as a harbinger of Gorbachev's
perestroika' - Publishers Weekly;Khrushchev: a Political Life
traces the rise and fall of the late Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev. Drawing on newly available archival materials and a
wealth of recently published Russian and Ukrainian sources, this
standard biography provides much new information on Khrushchev's
life and career. Khrushchev's ultimate failure to realise his
vision of the Soviet future is linked to the unrealistic optimism
of that vision as well as to the contradictions inherent in
Khrushchev's views and policies.
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