The Russians [Mass Market Paperback]

Hedrick Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 1981

Hedrick Smith has done what we all wish we could do: he has gone to Russia and spoken to the people. Over steaming samovars, in cramped flats, and on dirt-floors, he has spoken to peasants and bureaucrats, artists and officials. He has studied their customs and their governments and shares his fascinating insights and fresh perspectives with us.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Hedrick Smith has done what we all wish we could do: he has gone to Russia and spoken to the people. Over steaming samovars, in cramped flats, and on dirt-floors, he has spoken to peasants and bureaucrats, artists and officials. He has studied their customs and their governments and shares his fascinating insights and fresh perspectives with us. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (January 12, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345297644
• ISBN-13: 978-0345297648
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,630,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting to know Russia from the inside, October 29, 2000

By 

Lewis Codington (China) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Russians (Mass Market Paperback)

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union a decade ago, I have visited various parts of the former Soviet Union over a dozen times. What astonishes me about this book is that all that Smith reports so closely matches what I have seen and experienced on my visits to the Soviet empire. Though he wrote in the 1970s - long before the collapse of Communism - Smith has captured the essence of the country and its people in a way which is extremely readable and relevant today. It is the best book on Russia which I have read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Undisputed Classic, November 19, 2000

By 

Maximillian Ben Hanan (Sacramento, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Russians (Mass Market Paperback)

It's really difficult to find a better book as an introduction to contemporary history. Now that the Berlin Wall has fallen, it's difficult for current generations of American university students to understand what Communism was like. Even current generations of Russian immigrants have difficulty remembering Communism. This book is a link to that history that couldn't be any more brilliant. That is why Mr. Hedrick's books continues to be one of the most commonly assigned books in Russian history and politics classes. The sequel "The New Russians" is updated to reflect the fall of Communism and the current morass (2000) that Russia is in now. Anykind of popular story or joke that I heard then was captured in this book. The best thing about the book is that Mr. Headrick wrote in a way that could be understood by the average American (meaning even my students could understand this book!). If you don't have much of a feel for what life was like in Russia when it was the USSR, then the "Russians" is your ticket to both understanding and getting a feel for life under Communism.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Book, June 15, 1999

By 

Antonio Sacin ([e-mail]) (Burke, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Russians (Hardcover)

This book was very long, but then to talk about the Russians and their culture it is a lot of material. Obviously, the author seemed biased from his american perspective and made many generalizations that could also be applied to America. But then, I see it as a sign of the times (he wrote this in 1973). All in all, a good guide to have some idea of life in Russia, but I would try to get the whole picture.