Faces of a Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, 1917-1991 [Hardcover]

Angela Von Laue (Author), Dr. Theodore Von Laue (Author), Dmitri Baltermants (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1555912621 | ISBN-13: 978-1555912628 | Edition: First Edition

A stunning visual history of all levels of Soviet society--the working-class people, political leaders, and the critical events that shaped the 20th-century Soviet Union. In a career that spanned more than five decades, Dmitri Baltermants was the premier photographer in the Soviet Union, an official photographer to Stalin and Kruschev and the editor of Ogonyok magazine. His works, as seen in this collection, helped shape the way in which the Soviet people viewed the world. 150 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers should not take this handsome volume for an extended photo-essay because of its large trim size. Instead, it is two books in one: a detailed history of the Soviet Union, by the Von Laues, and a collection of photos by Soviet photographer Dmitri Baltermants (1912-1990). Baltermants, who began his work in WWII, became an official Kremlin photographer and also a photo editor for the popular magazine Ogonyok. Though the extensive text tends to dominate the photos, some of Baltermants's war images have today become icons of the titanic struggle on the eastern front between Nazis and Soviets. Also of note here are closeups of various Soviet leaders, including several of Stalin. Theodore H. Von Laue is professor emeritus of European history at Clark University; Angela Von Laue is his research assistant and editor; Tatiana Baltermants is the photographer's daughter.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Angela Von Laue, has been Theodore H. Von Laue's research assistant and editor since their marriage in 1976. She also teaches English as a Second Language. Theodore H. Von Laue was born in Germany in 1916 and received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1944. He is Emeritus Professor of European History at Clark University and author of the best-selling book Why Lenin? Why Stalin? Why Gorbachev? His wife, Angela Von Laue, has been his research assistant and editor since their marriage in 1976. Dmitri Baltermants (1912-1900) was the preeminent photojournalist working in the Soviet Union from World War II through the Brezhnev era. His work, as a photographer and photoeditor for the popular news magazine Ogonyuk, helped shape the way that the Soviet people saw their world.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing; First Edition edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555912621
• ISBN-13: 978-1555912628
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning new history of the Soviet Union, August 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Faces of a Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, 1917-1991 (Hardcover)

Pictures of the Soviet Union as no one has seen them before. At the time they were taken, they were edited and controled by the government. Now see the Soviet Union how it really was. This is a must buy for anyone who is interested in Soviet history.