Fantastic, and fascinating book! I loved it! Could not put it down, so well researched

A few years after the 1917 Revolution it was decided to build a House of Government on a muddy island in the Moscow River to house the Soviet Bolshevik elite. Designed on an enormous scale, the vast complex contained apartments, courtyards, a theatre, library, gym, hair salon, post office, cinema, laundry, shop, day care centre, clinic and social club. Everything the new revolutionary class could possibly want to turn their lives into the bourgeois paradise they had fought to destroy. The first residential sections were finished by 1931 and by 1935 there were 505 apartments with 2,655 registered residents. Far removed from the collectivist egalitarian ideals they originally espoused, the leading Bolsheviks had never had it so good.
But by the late 1930s the House of Government had earned the reputation of having the highest per-capita number of arrests and executions of any apartment building in Moscow. “No other address in the city offers such a compelling portal into the world of Soviet era bureaucratic privilege and the horror and murder to which this privilege often led”. 800 residents were arrested or evicted during the purges, 30% of the building’s population. 340 were shot, and it wasn’t long before the arrests spread from the residents to their nannies, guards, cleaners and other domestic staff.
With the Nazi invasion of 1940, the House of Government was largely evacuated and after the war few residents returned, and the building’s exclusive nature had gone for ever.
This enormous sprawling epic, endlessly fascinating, with its vast cast of characters and exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) historical detail, is hard to take in in one reading. It narrates the complete story of the building and its many and varied inhabitants, often in their own words, and it is these personal stories that make the book so compelling. Well-selected photographs enhance the text. This is one of the most absorbing books about the Revolution and its aftermath that I have ever read. By focussing on just one building, the history of the Soviet Union comes to life in a vivid and atmospheric way. At times the author digresses a little too much, and it all becomes a bit too discursive. He argues that Bolshevism was a millenarian cult, a religious sect hoping to establish a new Utopia, and when that Utopia failed to materialise, the psychological damage done to its adherents was severe and long-lasting. Chapter 3 is mainly about religion and foe me this detracted somewhat from the overall impact of the tale being told. But this is a minor quibble, and overall this wonderfully magisterial book is a triumph of social and political history.

A hefty tome but nonetheless utterly engaging history of the high-ranking Soviet officials who occupied an apartment block in Moscow called the House of Government until the time of Stalin's purges in the 1930s and 1940s. Brilliantly researched and compellingly written, it tangibly details the Russian Revolution and the historical atmosphere of the times. The Communist party members privileged to live in this new construction got to enjoy amenities and luxuries that were absolutely unheard of for the average Muscovite worker, their very lives in the 550 furnished apartments an affront to the Communist ideology they espoused. As we see, they themselves came to suffer for their proximity to the heart of power, and one by one they were purged during the paranoia of the purges.

An excellent, richly detailed read especially for this 100th anniversary year of the Russian Revolution, through the lens of the residents of this apartment complex, we learn so much about the politics and life of the times. Should be required reading for anyone who retains any fondness or nostalgia for what life was like in Soviet times.

Absolutely stunning. I thought this book was about an apartment building constructed for high Soviet officials (The House of Government), the people who lived there, and their fates during the purges of the 1930's and 40's. But it is so much more than that. This book is not for the faint hearted, or someone looking for a quick read. It is an 1100 page tome, a detailed account of the Russian Revolution led by the Bolsheviks - how it began, the lives and beliefs of the people who ran the revolution, how they lived afterwards, their fates after Stalin came to power, how the Revolution betrayed the common people, and so much more. I admit to struggling through the first sections, with all the background and philosophy and comparisons of communism to various religions, words whirling about my head, when suddenly the intent of those sections would became crystal clear and I would think "aha! that is why this section is here, it led exactly to THIS." So don't give up! Every word is important! This book also shows how Russia itself became a complete metaphysical House of Government in the sense that the Government was everything, the Party was everything, Communism was everything, and they controlled every action and thought of the citizens with an iron hand. I thought the last few chapters were particularly riveting, as they related actual trial testimonies, and the fates of the Old Bolsheviks and their families during the purges and afterwards. Stories of some of the children were particularly heart wrenching. Anyone interested in history in general, or Russian history in particular should read this, along with anyone who really thinks Communism is a good idea. (Although those people tend to always believe they could make it work if they only had the chance.) This is an important book, one of the most enlightening and informative books I have ever read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Princeton University Press for the opportunity to read this exceptional work. I may very well go buy the hardback of this book for future reference.

While I appreciate that this is a large file, I don't think I could read such a huge book on my PC, in PDF format... I am very disappointed and apologise, but I cannot review the book. I will definitely buy a copy though, as it looks fantastic.

Unfortunately I am unable to download this title in the format available.
Thankyou however for your approval of my request to review it. I shall look forward to seeing it on publication.