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After Stalin's death and his successors' brief, partial attempts at de-Stalinization, a vibrant culture of dissident history writing sprang up in the late Soviet Union, offering a more frank and critical perspective than the increasingly staid official historiography. Barbara Martin's meticulously researched, lucid account offers the first ever comparison of the four leading 'unofficial' historians of this period: ranging from the world-famous dissidents Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Roi Medvedev to the bold historical accounts by Anton Antonov-Ovseenko and Aleksandr Nekrich. Full of fascinating biographical detail and richly nuanced in its analyses of these historical texts and their authors, Martin's book will be essential reading for historians of late socialism, dissent and the politics of historical writing. * Polly Jones, Associate Professor in Russian, University College, University of Oxford, UK * This book is a major contribution to our understanding of the dissident phenomenon in the former Soviet Union. Meticulously researched, drawing on a vast repository of archival material, illuminated by interviews conducted with some of the giants in the drama of dissidence, Barbara Martin sheds new, nuanced light on the nature of Soviet dissidence. Going beyond the cliched binary of dissidents versus the state, Martin reveals the complex dynamics between Soviet authorities and dissidents of various political hues, which enabled some to survive but forced others into exile. Above all, this book is a reminder of the crucial role of Stalinist history in legitimating the Soviet state, and conversely of dissident history in delegitimating it. * Roger D. Markwick, Professor of Modern European History, The University of Newcastle, Australia *

This is a welcome and long overdue study … For Martin these works were more than acts of protest. They are testaments to historical memory. * The Russian Review * Precise and illuminating. * Times Literary Supplement * This is an impressive piece that is a recommended read to anyone with an interest in political dissent, intellectual history, or life in the Soviet Union. * European History Quarterly * This wonderful new book by Barbara Martin acts as a mediator from that gateway text to many other robust, fascinating de-Stalinization era authors. Not only that, it offers insight into the post-Stalin period up to Gorbachev’s perestroika, as well as the ever-changing public opinion both inside and outside Russia. * Lossi 36 * [A] well-written, timely micro-history of the careers and fates of four chief protagonists, Anton Antonov-Ovseenko, Roy Medvedev, Aleksandr Nekrich, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. * International Review of Social History * Barbara Martin's new book on Soviet 'Dissidents' deserves to be read and re-read. * Europe-Asia Studies * Barbara Martin's meticulously researched, lucid account offers the first ever comparison of the four leading 'unofficial' historians of the late Soviet Union. Full of fascinating biographical detail and richly nuanced in its analyses of these historical texts and their authors, Martin’s book will be essential reading for historians of late socialism, dissent and the politics of historical writing. * Polly Jones, Associate Professor in Russian, University College, University of Oxford, UK * This book is a major contribution to our understanding of the dissident phenomenon in the former Soviet Union. Diligently researched and drawing on a vast repository of archival material, Barbara Martin sheds new light on the nature of Soviet dissidence, beyond the clichéd binary of dissidents versus the state. Above all, Martin reminds us of the crucial role of Stalinist history in legitimating the Soviet state, and conversely of dissident history in delegitimating it. * Roger D. Markwick, Professor of Modern European History, The University of Newcastle, Australia * An important statement on the center of empire and power as the field increasingly opens to debates on decolonization. * H-Net Reviews *

After Stalin's death and his successors' brief, partial attempts at de-Stalinization, a vibrant culture of dissident history writing sprang up in the late Soviet Union, offering a more frank and critical perspective than the increasingly staid official historiography. Barbara Martin's meticulously researched, lucid account offers the first ever comparison of the four leading 'unofficial' historians of this period: ranging from the world-famous dissidents Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Roi Medvedev to the bold historical accounts by Anton Antonov-Ovseenko and Aleksandr Nekrich. Full of fascinating biographical detail and richly nuanced in its analyses of these historical texts and their authors, Martin's book will be essential reading for historians of late socialism, dissent and the politics of historical writing. * Polly Jones, Associate Professor in Russian, University College, University of Oxford, UK *

Precise and illuminating. * Times Literary Supplement * Barbara Martin's meticulously researched, lucid account offers the first ever comparison of the four leading 'unofficial' historians of the late Soviet Union. Full of fascinating biographical detail and richly nuanced in its analyses of these historical texts and their authors, Martin's book will be essential reading for historians of late socialism, dissent and the politics of historical writing. * Polly Jones, Associate Professor in Russian, University College, University of Oxford, UK * This book is a major contribution to our understanding of the dissident phenomenon in the former Soviet Union. Diligently researched and drawing on a vast repository of archival material, Barbara Martin sheds new light on the nature of Soviet dissidence, beyond the cliched binary of dissidents versus the state. Above all, Martin reminds us of the crucial role of Stalinist history in legitimating the Soviet state, and conversely of dissident history in delegitimating it. * Roger D. Markwick, Professor of Modern European History, The University of Newcastle, Australia *

Barbara Martin's meticulously researched, lucid account offers the first ever comparison of the four leading 'unofficial' historians of the late Soviet Union. Full of fascinating biographical detail and richly nuanced in its analyses of these historical texts and their authors, Martin's book will be essential reading for historians of late socialism, dissent and the politics of historical writing. * Polly Jones, Associate Professor in Russian, University College, University of Oxford, UK * This book is a major contribution to our understanding of the dissident phenomenon in the former Soviet Union. Diligently researched and drawing on a vast repository of archival material, Barbara Martin sheds new light on the nature of Soviet dissidence, beyond the cliched binary of dissidents versus the state. Above all, Martin reminds us of the crucial role of Stalinist history in legitimating the Soviet state, and conversely of dissident history in delegitimating it. * Roger D. Markwick, Professor of Modern European History, The University of Newcastle, Australia *

Author Information

Barbara Martin is Research Associate at the Pierre du Bois Foundation, Switzerland. She has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals (including Slavic Review) and has co-edited a book on the dissident historical journal Pamiat', published in Russian.

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