Items related to Stalin's Witnesses
Synopsis
Vilna, the Russian Empire, 1905. En route to deliver a secret pamphlet entrusted to him by his older brothers, a boy falls into the clutches of the Czar's secret police. Another decade will pass before the Crown gives way, not to liberally minded revolutionaries like Vladimir Romm but to the pitiless disciples of an embittered lawyer named Lenin. For the next three-quarters of a century Marxism, in its cruelest form, will rule Russia. As World War I yields to an uneasy peace, Romm joins Soviet intelligence. In 1934 he is named Izvestia's inaugural correspondent to Washington and strives to bring key Americans to the Soviet side. But as Romm's career reaches its zenith he is suddenly recalled, arrested, and forced to serve with four others as "witnesses" at the notorious 1937 Moscow show trial.
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Review
"Wachtel's lively fictional account offers a fresh look at the cruelty of Stalin's repression from the vantage point of one of its victims, an honest communist official and spy cast in the role of witness to sabotage at one of the three show trials of the Great Terror. The fascinating life story of Vladimir Romm encapsulates much of the Soviet experience, and the reader's natural sympathy with this attractive figure gives his cruel fate added poignancy. A powerful indictment of Stalinism and a great read besides!" --Peter H. Solomon, Jr., Professor of Political Science and Criminology, University of Toronto, author of "Soviet Criminal Justice under Stalin (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Series)" and "Courts And Transition In Russia: The Challenge Of Judicial Reform" "Jay Wachtel's Stalin's Witnesses' is historical fiction at its best - a gripping story that sheds light on one of the most shocking and egregious travesties of justice in modern times. With verve and brilliantly constructed dialogue to fill gaps in the historical record and to bring the historical characters to life, Wachtel chronicles the story of five individuals who were forced to testify against their fellow Communists and in so doing condemned not only the defendants but also implicated themselves in farfetched crimes. He shows what happens when ideology enslaves human beings, hollows out their dignity, and changes their dreams into nightmares. Along the way, he showcases the duplicity and hypocrisy of fellow travelers and others who for various reasons stood by, even lent credibility to the sham proceedings. Above all, he conjures up the spirit of Stalinism - a frightening reality that stills impacts the Russian people." --Dennis J. Dunn, Professor of History and Director of the Center for International Studies, Texas State University, Author of Caught Between Roosevelt and Stalin: America's Ambassadors to Moscow
Book Description
Vilna, the Russian Empire, 1905. En route to deliver a secret pamphlet entrusted to him by his elder brothers, a young boy falls into the clutches of the Czar’s secret police.
Another decade will pass before the Crown gives way, not to liberally-minded revolutionaries like Vladimir Romm, the boy now a young man, but to the pitiless disciples of an embittered lawyer named Lenin. For the next three-quarters of a century, Marxism in its cruelest form will rule over Russia.
Returning to Vilna during the winter of 1918 for the first time since his youth, Romm finds it occupied by Polish troops. He takes charge of a Communist militia and leads the Red Army to a small yet significant win for the fledgling Soviet state.
As World War I yields to an uneasy peace, Romm joins Soviet intelligence. He is posted under various guises to Germany, France, Japan and Geneva. In 1934 Romm is named Izvestia‘s inaugural correspondent to Washington where he is given orders to bring key Americans to the Soviet side. But as his career reaches its zenith, Romm is suddenly recalled, arrested and forced to serve with four others as ‘witnesses’ at the notorious 1937 Moscow show trial.
“Stalin’s Witnesses” is a novel. While it sticks closely to the historical record, the witnesses speak in their own voices, guiding our journey through a tangle of fascinating events to tease out the underlying truths. It’s their story, and it helped set the stage for our own.
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- PublisherCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Publication date2013
- ISBN 10 1499260156
- ISBN 13 9781499260151
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages414
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