Unknown Stalin

Giving the best and most informative explanation to date of the mystery of Stalin’s death, renowned historians Roy and Zhores Medvedev have written a gripping new biography of Joseph Stalin, based on findings from research into archives only recently made available, as well as the Medvedev brothers’ own experiences during and after Stalin’s brutal regime. Conventional beliefs and cliches are contradicted and disproved, inaccuracies and misconceptions are corrected, and the facts about Stalin’s intellect, ancestry, and the fortunes of his personal effects after his death are fully examined. Perhaps most remarkable of all are the Medvedevs’ revelations and contentions concerning Stalin’s death: There has been much suspicion over whether he was assassinated or died of natural causes, and the authors go a long way toward resolving this question. The Unknown Stalin resonates with particular intensity due to the personal detail and recollections of the two authors—each of whom has his own history as a Russian dissident and commentator. This startling new work represents one of the most significant contributions to the study of Russian history in decades, a book of vital interest to scholars and general readers.