Robert Conquest Livres

Chronicles the events of 1929 to 1933 in the Ukraine when Stalin's Soviet Communist Party killed or deported millions of peasants; abolished privately held land and forced the remaining peasantry into "collective" farms; and inflicted impossible grain quotas on the peasants that resulted in mass starvation

The Harvest of Sorrow is the first full history of one of the most horrendous human tragedies of the 20th century. Between 1929 and 1932 the Soviet Communist Party struck a double blow at the Russian peasantry: dekulakization, the dispossession and deportation of millions of peasant families, and collectivization, the abolition of private ownership of land and the concentration of the remaining peasants in party-controlled "collective" farms. This was followed in 1932-33 by a "terror-famine," inflicted by the State on the collectivized peasants of the Ukraine and certain other areas by setting impossibly high grain quotas, removing every other source of food, and preventing help from outside--even from other areas of the Soviet Union--from reaching the starving populace. The death toll resulting from the actions described in this book was an estimated 14.5 million--more than the total number of deaths for all countries in World War I.Ambitious, meticulously researched, and lucidly written, The Harvest of Sorrow is a deeply moving testament to those who died, and will register in the Western consciousness a sense of the dark side of this century's history.

When The Great Terror was first published in 1968, it was universally acclaimed as one of the most important books ever written about the Soviet Union. Now, in this revised and updated edition, Robert Conquest uses fresh and dramatic material, which has only recently become available, to give further depth and breadth to his history of the momentous years between 1934 and 1939, when millions of people died in Stalin's purges. His reassessment of its significance confirms the Terror as one of the most tragic and far-reaching human and political issues of our time.

A superlative collection of the finest SF short stories from recent years. Ten astounding writers explore one whole hemisphere of the imagination, providing an outlet, both refreshing and necessary, for modern man's sense of wonder. ------------------------------------------------- Introduction (Spectrum) • essay by Kingsley Amis and Robert Conquest The Midas Plague • (1954) • novella by Frederik Pohl Limiting Factor • (1949) • shortstory by Clifford D. Simak The Executioner • (1956) • novelette by Algis Budrys Null-P • (1951) • shortstory by William Tenn The Homing Instinct of Joe Vargo • (1959) • novelette by Stephen Barr Special Flight • (1939) • novelette by John Berryman Inanimate Objection • (1954) • novelette by H. Chandler Elliott Pilgrimage to Earth • (1956) • shortstory by Robert Sheckley Unhuman Sacrifice • (1958) • novelette by Katherine MacLean By His Bootstraps • (1941) • novella by Robert A. Heinlein

Exploring the impact of seductive ideas on society, this work delves into how ideologies have influenced modern thought and led to significant turmoil. Conquest critiques the reliance on destructive concepts such as "People, Nation, and Masses," revealing their detrimental effects on academia and politics. Through fresh analyses of historical events like the October Revolution and World War II, the book serves as a powerful commentary on the corrupting nature of certain ideologies, marking it as a vital contribution to contemporary intellectual discourse.

In "Reflections on a Ravaged Century," Robert Conquest critiques the ideologies of revolutionary Marxism and National Socialism as the root causes of 20th-century failures. He offers insights into the future, warning against the divisive nature of the European Union. Recognized with multiple awards, this book is a significant historical analysis.

The book explores the complex dynamics between Russian and non-Russian peoples within the context of the Soviet Union, analyzing historical backgrounds, current situations, and future prospects. It delves into the Communist regime's strategies to manage national identities amidst waning ideological appeal. By examining political, cultural, economic, and demographic factors, the authors provide a comprehensive perspective on the potential shifts in the Soviet landscape and their implications for global stability.