The USSR under Stalin

[AmericanCommie421]

Does anyone know any good resources for learning more on the Soviet Union when Stalin was in charge?

[pranabjyoti]

"The Stalin Era" by Annes Louis Strong. There are other sources too. Regarding the purge, "Mission to Moscow" by Joseph E Davis is a good read. Davis was the US ambassador to USSR at that time and was eyewitness (along with many other non-Russian, mainly western intellectuals like lawyers, journalists, writers etc).

[JoeySteel]

Another View of Stalin by Ludo Martens is available online easily, just Google it. Very illuminating book for a young person with little Soviet history knowledge as I found some time ago.

[Ismail]

For stuff that isn't online, Origins of the Great Purges by J. Arch Getty and Life and Terror in Stalin's Russia by Robert J. Thurston are good if you want to know about the Great Purges. Everday Stalinism by Sheila Fitzpatrick is a good introduction to life in the 30's. For economics I have heard good things about Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution and Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization.

The Stalin Era can be viewed online here: http://leninist.biz/en/0000/ALS00000/index.html

It's an alright introduction to things, primarily the bits about the lead-up to World War II. Nothing in depth.

Another View of Stalin here: http://marxism.halkcephesi.net/Ludo%20Martens/index.html

It's a good, modern read and I suggest you look at it.

Mission to Moscow can be downloaded here: http://www.archive.org/details/missiontomoscow035156mbp

It isn't worth reading though. It's just diary entries, and most of it is not interesting.

If you want stuff about Stalin, Stalin: Man of History by Ian Grey is the 'best' (not saying too much) biography I've seen about him, even though it's dated (written in 1979.) The Political Thought of Joseph Stalin by Erik Van Ree, on the other hand, is modern and a good read on, well, his views.

[A Marxist Historian]

Best book is still Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed, even though it was written back in the 1930. When you had glasnost and people in the Soviet bloc could finally read it, the reaction was very often this is weird, he is talking about the way things are right now.

-M.H.-

[Teacher]

Ismail's suggestions are good. It sounds to me like you should just read the books that are available online since you're looking for introductory stuff. Are you interested in a particular aspect of the Stalin era or just an overview?

[Pavlov's House Party]

Everyday Stalinism by Sheila Fitzpatrick is a good read, especially if you want an overview of everyday life for most people.

[Red_Struggle]

This is a good read too and really shows the anti-bureaucratic overstones that were taken (albeit in inadequate format) during the 37 purge: http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ahr/110.5/goldman.html

[AmericanCommie421]

Ismail's suggestions are good. It sounds to me like you should just read the books that are available online since you're looking for introductory stuff. Are you interested in a particular aspect of the Stalin era or just an overview?
I'm just looking for anything about the Stalin era available as long as it's factual and as unbiased as possible. Also, thanks to everyone that has posted so far the resources are great from what i've looked at so far!