I just want to add a note to the review I wrote earlier. De Jonge's "Stalin" was written before glasnost opened some new materials from the Soviet Union for scholars to access. Thus, it is limited from that standpoint. However, this is in no way a serious hindrance to the book. Having also read Conquest's biography of Stalin, which WAS written after glasnost, there is very little that Conquest added to de Jonge and certainly no major re-interpretation. Both books are excellent, de Jonge's a little easier read.

Joseph Stalin is a fascinating subject. Alex de Jonge is an outstanding writer. They combine for a great book. There are other biographies of Stalin; Deutscher is a bit dry, Conquest is excellent, but perhaps a bit short. De Jonge covers his subject thoroughly, but not with so much detail as to overwhelm or lose the reader. De Jonge is an excellent writer, and he combines his talent with useful information and a plethora of fascinating, sometimes hilarious, anecdotes. He doesn't get bogged down in Marxist theory, but he does give a brief synopsis which will benefit the average reader; a scholar might wish for more. Perhaps the most outstanding and useful part of the book are those sections dealing with foreign affairs, especially in the aftermath of World War II. Brilliant analysis....

As the author states,"Stalin successfully imposed his vision upon one sixth of Earth's landmass." Whereas Hitler's charisma was instrumental in his rise to power, Stalin's success was due to his self control and his extraordinary ability in successfully interacting with others, even his enemies. De Jonge's detailed account of Stalin's life helps us understand the man who greatly influenced the course of Russia's recent history.

Alex de Jonge is one of my favorite authors. His biography of Stalin is a masterpiece; his survey of the Weimar Republic is not his best, but worth the read. This biography of Rasputin is incredibly interesting, written in the easy-to-read, often hilarious style that makes Mr. de Jonge such a good biographer.
De Jonge not only recounts the life of this rascal Rasputin, but gives the reader a most worthwhile (and necessary) background to much of Russian culture at the time. To understand Rasputin, one must understand the religious times in Russia which spawned him. De Jonge covers that brilliantly. The naivete of the Tsar and Tsarina also need to be understood; the peasantry; the capital and its people. All of these topics de Jonge (who has a Russian heritage) delves into. So there is more than just biography here. Perhaps the weakest aspect of the book is that one does get a feeling that de Jonge has a more tender spot for his subject than most historians would think Rasputin is worth. ... This is the only biography I've read of Rasputin, and, again, I sensed a bit of a soft spot for him in de Jonge that I certainly did not feel, in the least, after having read the book. One also wishes de Jonge would have delved a bit more into possible interpretations of Rasputin's "miracles"; yes, he could stop the tsarevich's bleeding, but he couldn't cure him of it. If he could work "miracles," why not? But these are minor criticisms. The book is extremely interesting to read, historically defensible, hard to put down, an education in itself into pre-Revolutionary Russia.

As a 50-something year old woman, I have always believed in natural approaches to health and beauty. My face started showing signs of aging in my mid-40's---sagging jawline, bags under my eyes, and an always tired look. I DID NOT WANT COSMETIC SURGERY, YET FELT FRUSTRATED OVER THE LACK OF NATURAL TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE MY LOOKS. I met a woman at a conference and we talked over the next two days. I made some comment about her age, assuming she was at least 10 years my junior. That's when she smiled and told me she was actually a bit older then me, but had found a facial exercise program that changed her looks and life. Well, I bought the book that day, and also ordered the video tape. Today, I can honestly say Facercise has made a hugh difference in how I look and feel about myself. People think I've had a face lift, and that's O.K., because I know that this natural technique really works.

I just finished reading Carole Maggio Facercise from cover-to-cover and just loved it! I have to say that the exercises have really helped smooth out the lines in my forehead that were soon becoming craters! And without the use of BOTOX!! Yes folks you don't need to look like expressionless zombies -- all you need to do is use Carole Maggio's program!! I've also had great success with diminishing my nasal labial lines (you know -- those creases that go from your nose to your mouth corners and beyond!) and virtually eliminating my sagging jawline! Personally, I think my success happened because well.... I really "GOT IT!" Carole quotes in the book an old Chinese proverb that says, "When the Student is ready, the Master appears! This couldn't be more true in my case. I just love my new look. In fact, I KNOW I'll be Facercising for the rest of my life! Thanks Carole for creating a wonderful and easy-to-use program! You're the best!!

Just like the stock market. I put in a small investment and got a great return. I purchased Carole's book and read it from cover to cover. I really didn't expect to get the quick results in a few short weeks. But seeing is believing. I apply the exercises every morning before I go to work following the illustrations in the book. I am so impressed with the results, that I plan to purchase the video. I read in the review section here that the video greatly enhances the program.

I also want to point out that I am a hairdresser in Beverly Hills, CA, and I thought I had seen everyting when it came to plastic surgery, and all the new techniques that are out there. I saw a few of my clients and thought they had had their faces done. Not so. They were doing FACERCISE. That is how I was introduced to the program and have been doing it myself, and many of my clients have noticed a difference. I'm sold and so are many of my clients.

This is a 1979 biography of the Czar Peter I (The Great) of the Russian Empire. It appeared at about the same time as Robert Massie's "Peter the Great" (1980)and therefore suffered from comparisons with that much larger and more exciting book.

"Fire and Water" tends to be a favorite with Russian scholars who are already familiar with the outline of the life of Peter and seek analysis of the pschological motivations at work within the man--Peter. Fire is provided as a symbol of his desire to build up the Russian Army and do war with aggressive neighbors. Water is provided as a symbol of his desire to build up the Russian Navy, Russian shipping and trade with the distant friends of Russia.

It was all very interesting to have a psychoanalysis of a person that has been dead for 250 years, but may not be very useful in the understanding of Russian History. The book falls into the trap of the "great man" theory of history. Great men can not change the course of history merely at will. Most often they are created or molded by events, and social-economic forces of their time. Why would it not be more realistic and useful to view Peter as responding in a very talented way to the threats presented to the Russian State during his lifetime?

I'm a big fan of Alex de Jonge's. His biographies of Stalin and Rasputin are so interesting that they are hard to put down. I think he's gotten a bit out of his field, however, with his study of the Weimar Republic. First of all, it is important to note that this is not political history; there is some of that--the aftermath of Versailles, the horrid inflation, the Hitler putsch and ultimate rise to power--but there is more social and cultural history here, and it's not really very well done. There's no "flow" to the book, as he'll jump from one topic to another, including a chapter on film, theater, and cabaret, that I finally just quit reading, for I found it uninteresting. Others who are more interested in cultural history--including the sexual mores of the time, which de Jonge fully exploits, and effectively--will enjoy the book more. But if one is looking for a good, solid study of the Weimar Republic and why it did not succeed--which is what I wanted--this is not really the best book to read.
There is one other negative I'd like to mention. It seems like almost half the book is quotations from various sources. Well placed quotations, of course, are good and helpful, but too many rob a book of continuity and flow. And that's the situation here.
The book is short--less than 250 pages--thus covers nothing in detail because it covers so many things.
I'm glad I read it, but, frankly, there's not a lot of it that's going to stick with me for very long, except in the most general terms. It just wasn't that impressive.