This book studies the made-to-order genre of socialist-realist fiction that was produced at the direction of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy (MPD) as a part of the war for men's minds waged by the Soviet State. The first chapter is a history of the genre, tracing it from its roots in the Revolution to the dissolution of the MDP in 1991. Topics examined in the book include the attitude toward Germans following World War II; the retirement of the World War II generation; military wives; Dear John letters; life at remote posts; the military as a socializing institution; the use of lethal force by sentries; attitudes toward field training exercises, heroism, and initiative; legitimacy of command; and the reception of Afghan vets.

Holland was once a superpower upon whose empire the sun never set. Today it is on the leading edge of social change. This history of Holland, from its earliest beginnings to the present day, provides the most up-to-date survey of modern Dutch history, including the current Dutch approach to a number of social issues, such as the welfare state, the environment, socialized medicine, and the role of the military in the post-Cold War world. Containing a wealth of current information and statistics, this work will help the reader to understand the Dutch both within the historical context in which Holland exists and as world leaders in social change as we approach the twenty-first century.

This engagingly written history provides a contemporary overview of Holland's geography, economy, political system, and society. Chapters arranged chronologically trace the history and culture of the nation from the Ice Age to the new post-Cold War world. Chapters on recent Dutch history show how Holland has claimed a leading role in social change: the Dutch have authorized euthanasia, socialized medicine, and legalized soft drugs. A selection of brief biographical sketches will introduce the reader to many of the important Dutch personalities throughout Holland's history, and a bibliographical essay will help the researcher to locate recommended books and other materials for further reading.

In the 1960s, the Netherlands became known as an anarchists social laboratory, producing one of the earliest examples of political correctness. Strong taboos in areas such as governmental control, privacy, and racial relations were the rule. While the Netherlands has become a country with a large degree of personal freedom, the ideas that originated in the openness of the 1960s have since spilled over from the private into the public sphere, resulting in an era of anxious conformity. Vuijsje, a Dutch journalist, examines why notions of political correctness became so strongly ingrained in the Netherlands and how the results have not always been positive. The ideology of political correctness created totems and taboos that made it difficult to deal with, or even signal the presence of, the real problems in Dutch society. This has often led to a worsening of the situation for precisely the social groups that society wanted to protect, such as racial minorities. Vuijsje traces this issue back to historical conditions that include: the public feeling of guilt about the large number of Dutch Jews killed in the war; the scope and duration of the baby boom; and the continuing Dutch prosperity. This study is an essay on the way that the Dutch government and its officials have functioned over the last thirty years and on the changing relationship between the authority of the state and its citizens. Fully annotated to make it accessible to those less familiar with Dutch society. Vujisje's book offers a perspective of the issue of political correctness that has been muted in the American discussions of the issue and that is especially refreshing. His book is of interest not only to student of the Netherlands but also to students of Western society as a whole.

Tolkien Through Russian Eyes examines the sociological impact of the translation and publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's works in post-Soviet Russia. After 70 years of obligatory State atheism, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian society began actively seeking new sets of spiritual values. The Christian-like doctrine of Tolkienism has attracted a substantial following. During the Soviet era, The Lord of the Rings was a banned book, which was translated independently by a number of underground translators. The result of this is that there are numerous contemporary published translations competing with each other for the reader's attention. There are 10 translations of The Lord of the Rings; 9 translations of The Hobbit and 6 translations of The Silmarillion. Each translator has a slightly different approach to the text. Each translation has a slightly different interpretation of Tolkien. Each translator has a different story to tell. Most of the existing translations are only Tolkienesque, they are not really Tolkienian. They have been adapted to the Russian mental climate. This book relates the history of the publication of Tolkien's works; examines the philosophical distortions introduced by the competing translations, attempts to explain their origins and how they will be perceived by the Russian reader. No knowledge of Russian is necessary. Mr. Hooker's articles on Tolkien have been published in the specialist periodical press in English, in Dutch and in Russian. The results of his research have been presented at a number of conferences, both in the United States and in Holland.