Description
By the 1980s the Soviet Union had matched the United States in military might and far surpassed it in the production of steel, timber, concrete, and oil. But the electronic whirlwind that was transforming the global economy had been locked out by communist leaders. Heirs to an old Russian tradition of censorship, they had banned photocopiers, prohibited accurate maps, and controlled word-for-word even the scripts of stand-up comedians. In this compellingly readable firsthand account, filled with memorable characters, revealing vignettes, and striking statistics, Scott Shane tells the story of Mikhail Gorbachev's attempt to "renew socialism" by easing information controls. As newspapers, television, books, films, and videotapes flooded the country with information about the Stalinist past, the communist present, and life in the rest of the world, the Soviet system was driven to ruin. Shane's unique perspective also places one of the century's momentous events in larger context: the universal struggle of governments to keep information from the people, and the irresistible power of technology over history.
About the Author
Scott Shane was the Baltimore Sun's Moscow correspondent from 1988 to 1991. A graduate of Williams College and Oxford University, he also studied at Leningrad State University. He is now a special project reporter for the Sun and lives in Baltimore.
Reviews
Accessible and absorbing. * The Historian *
Well documented...a readable account. * The New York Times *
Convincing and powerful. -- Nicholas Daniloff, former Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, now director of the School of Journalism at Northeastern Unive
Shane's book is reportage at its bestoan insightful blend of anecdote, observation, biographical sketch, statistics, and history. This is a vivid, first-class eyewitness description and analysis of the sudden demise of Soviet communism. -- Albert Resis, Emeritus Professor of Russian History, Northern Illinois University; editor, Molotov Remembers
A critical book to understanding the era...Scott Shane tells the story of the way the modern information age helped destroy the last pillars of communism, and he tells it with grace, sympathy, and intelligence. -- David Remnick, author of Lenin's Tomb
Book Information
ISBN 9781566630993
Author Scott Shane
Format Paperback
Page Count 335
Imprint Ivan R Dee, Inc
Publisher Ivan R Dee, Inc
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 218mm * 142mm * 22mm
About the Author
Scott Shane was the Baltimore Sun's Moscow correspondent from 1988 to 1991. A graduate of Williams College and Oxford University, he also studied at Leningrad State University. He is now a special project reporter for the Sun and lives in Baltimore.
Reviews
Accessible and absorbing. * The Historian *
Well documented...a readable account. * The New York Times *
Convincing and powerful. -- Nicholas Daniloff, former Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, now director of the School of Journalism at Northeastern Unive
Shane's book is reportage at its bestoan insightful blend of anecdote, observation, biographical sketch, statistics, and history. This is a vivid, first-class eyewitness description and analysis of the sudden demise of Soviet communism. -- Albert Resis, Emeritus Professor of Russian History, Northern Illinois University; editor, Molotov Remembers
A critical book to understanding the era...Scott Shane tells the story of the way the modern information age helped destroy the last pillars of communism, and he tells it with grace, sympathy, and intelligence. -- David Remnick, author of Lenin's Tomb
Book Information
ISBN 9781566630993
Author Scott Shane
Format Paperback
Page Count 335
Imprint Ivan R Dee, Inc
Publisher Ivan R Dee, Inc
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 218mm * 142mm * 22mm
