PositiveLibrary Journal... a solid contribution to the field of conflict studies ... innovative ... Walter shows convincing evidence of the erosion of democracy in the United States and the resulting potential for violence ... Walter’s scenario for actual civil war is less convincing, but still deeply sobering. The book accomplishes two major objectives: effectively examining authoritarian themes and strategies practiced by some elements in the Republican Party; and suggesting prescriptive polices to arrest the erosion of American democracy. Walter’s use of data and comparative slant should promote serious debate ... Highly recommended.
Ronald Grigor Suny
RaveLibrary JournalInitially, one may be wondering if readers need an additional biography of Stalin. However, this work provides an extraordinary account of elusive testimony as well as archival and interpretive material that nicely match its ambitious scope. Suny carefully blends casual episodes in Stalin’s early life with the grand narrative of the Soviet Union in early 20th-century Russia. He clearly identifies the basis of Stalin’s emergence from obscurity through the centrality of his place in 1917, dispelling the rumor that Stalin missed the revolution or that he had been a spy for the Okhrana, the Tsarist police ... This impressively researched biography provides remarkable and reliable details on the first part of Stalin’s life, along with the many fissures among the Left Communists. An important accomplishment.
Tim Weiner
PositiveLibrary Journal... a fast-paced narrative of U.S.-Russia relations since 1945. The emphasis on \'political warfare,\' however, is selective; the account unfolds episodically ... Weiner offers a significant contribution to the literature of U.S.-Russia relations with a book that emphasizes the asymmetry of American capacity for political warfare, currently consisting of effective cyber counterespionage. Highly Recommended.
Barton Gellman
PositiveLibrary Journal... a thorough overview of the circumstances and consequences of [the Snowden leak]. One doesn’t have to necessarily agree with Gellman’s premise that Snowden’s exposure \'did more good than harm\' in order to find this account of the ensuing legal and ethical questions surrounding NSA’s counterintelligence efforts to be an engaging one ... Gellman effectively details the scope and ambition of the NSA, and has written a well-documented account on the far-reaching impact of U.S. domestic surveillance and the resulting intrusions of privacy; highly recommended both for general readers and those with an interest in national security.
