“Advocates of a lifestyle that prizes simplicity and communion with nature”, David (a Russian studies specialist) and Melinda Egan are New York educationalists now “retired” to a barrier island of the coast of Georgia. They are known to academic Slavicists for their reference works on Leo Tolstoy, Russian autocrats and the Tsarist monarchy, and Vladimir Lenin. More recently, they have been involved in the development of an innovative distance‐learning programme linking schools in New York and the former Soviet republics.
With the cooperation of ten major American academic libraries David and Melinda Egan have created a bibliographical masterpiece of monumental proportions. Its central aim is to “present a comprehensive list of English‐language periodical literature on Joseph Stalin spanning the period from the earliest writings about him up to the year 2005 and including articles from popular magazines as well as scholarly publications”. The individually numbered, descriptively annotated references now presented to us total 1,731!
Stalin's life, his leadership of the Soviet Union after the death of Lenin in 1924, and virtually all facets of the system and practices now associated with Stalin are succinctly surveyed “primarily for the benefit of the non‐specialist engaged in research”. Modestly, the two authors hope that their work “may be of some interest to academicians as well”. Their hope is well founded. Although the bulk of the articles are chosen for featuring Stalin himself prominently, coverage extends far beyond his person and personality (and the cult of personality which evolved in the USSR, in Eastern Europe, and elsewhere) to include the internal and international policies of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1953 and the philosophical vagaries of the CPSU (B) in the era of the Cold War. Importantly, and most clearly, it traces the growth of Stalinology (a sport of Kremlinology), and highlights how Western agencies (notably the Central Intelligence Agency) systematically manipulated world opinion of the Soviet Union and Stalin – from victor over Fascism, saviour of the West, to global threat; from hero to monster – at the snap of presidential fingers.
Winston Churchill's “iron curtain” speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946 elicited a radio response by Stalin “A shameless libel”. From that Churchillian volte‐face blazed up the “battle of ideas” the flames of which yet scorch our lives. The skirmishes and frontal attacks of that battle are limned starkly in this sober, honest review of what was said, by whom. The villains and the dupes far outnumber the naive and the innocent. Once familiar names abound: Zoltan Barany, Isaiah Berlin, Franz Borkenau, Heywood Broun, Earl Browder, Pearl S. Buck, Emile Burns, E. H. Carr, W. H. Chamberlin, Edward Crankshaw, Stafford Cripps, Charles De Gaulle, Isaac Deutscher, Milovan Djilas, on and on – a register of twentieth‐century opinion makes and fakers!
Besides the many articles focussed on Stalin and his multiple roles, David and Melinda Egan have included “background” articles of significance. Though this element of subjective choice might be vulnerable to criticism, I, personally, find it to have appreciably enhanced the broad academic utility of their bibliography.
Before proceeding to consider the structure of the bibliography, its mix of scholarly and popular references is to be commended, as enabling one to trace how Stalin was venerated, lauded, reviled, and traduced in his lifetime, and how Western media shaped attitudes, positively or negatively. There is also a selection of articles dealing with artistic portrayals of Stalin, in novels, short stories, poetry, plays and art.
User convenience dictates the useful structuring of the bibliography into fourteen main sections: General Studies and Overviews; Biographical Information and Psychological Assessments; The Revolutionary Movement, October Revolution and Civil War Years; Rise to Power; Politics; Economics; Society and Social Policy; Nationalism and Nationality Policy; Culture; Religion; Philosophy and Theory; Foreign Relations and International Communism; Military Affairs; De‐Stalinization. These topics are analyzed in detail and thoroughly cross‐referenced by the book's Subject Index (pp. 475‐87), with more than 300 main headings and nearly twice that number of subheadings. The Author Index (pp. 465‐74) is complete, and essential! Bibliography, (pp. 462‐64) comprises reference books, a skimpy round‐up of some 18 mainly indexing and abstracting journals, and a more adequate listing of 22 web sites.
My only regrets with regard to this competent, valuable, fascinating guide to the life and works of the Man of Steel and the land he moulded is the enforced brevity (averaging 150 words) of its annotations, precluding critical comment; the absence of a number of English‐language communist and Marxist journals, from those chosen for citation; and the lack of full Russian names with patronymic, e.g. Vladimir Lenin for Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
The Egan's scholarly, stimulating bibliography will be helpful in averting and correcting “politically motivated” rewriting of history – now zooming up the gears. I look forward with eager anticipation to its forthcoming sequel. Volume Two of this revealing bibliography will cover English‐language books, essays, conference papers and doctoral dissertations on Stalin and his achievements – acknowledged, honoured, controversial, excoriated. This bibliography is likely to change minds. With any luck, it might even erode media dogma! Essential stock for all libraries at all levels, and, above all, for everyone concerned with international affairs, past, present, future.
