tomtwin10's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

wordsofwall's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

itsjustjane's review against another edition

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I couldn't tell you what I was reading.

loslibros's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

Reading this book cover to cover felt like an equivalent experience to taking a 101/survey-level course on the history of the USSR. Schlögel is meticulous almost to a fault, with chapters dedicated to such minutae as cookbooks, doorbells, toilets, and queues.

It took me four months to read this — albeit confined near-exlusively to my commutes? Geez.

triumphal_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

sophieboddington's review against another edition

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informative

4.0

aaroncbabcock's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

3.75

diacritics's review against another edition

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5.0

The Soviet Century talks about life in the USSR, but unlike other books, it does it through various objects and locations. This is also the first book I've read that captures not just the facts, but also the atmosphere of the country, in large part thanks to the beautiful prose which makes the book feel more "artsy" than technical.

Overall, a unique and majestic gem of a book! But keep in mind that it should not be read by beginners, as it does not explain the basic history of the Soviet Union.

baby_loona's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

thedeadwoods's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

3.0