Joseph Stalin's 25-year dictatorship is without doubt one of the most controversial periods in the history of the Soviet Union. Stalin and Stalinism examines Stalin's ambiguous personal and political legacy, his achievements, and his crimes - all now the subject of major reappraisal both in the West and in the former Soviet Union.
The second edition of this best-selling pamphlet is fully updated to take in new debates and controversies which have emerged since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and considers the ways in which Stalin's legacy still affects attitudes in and towards post-Soviet Russia.

Alan Wood is Senior Lecturer in Russian History at the University of Lancaster and Visiting Professor at the University of the Bosphorus, Istanbul. His other publications include The Origins of the Russian Revolution 1861-1917 (3rd edition, 2003) and The History of Siberia: From Russian Conquest to Revolution (1991). He is also one of the editors of Sibirica: Journal of Siberian Studies.

Author's preface Preface to the second edition Chronological guide Introduction 1 The historical setting 2 The underground revolutionary 3 The General Secretary 4 The totalitarian dictator 5 The military leader 6 The Cold Warrior 7 The ambiguous legacy