Book Review: Gulag, by Anne Applebaum

cover of book

       Anne Applebaum has been a reporter and journalist for many years.   She has been writing about about conditions that existed in Russya during the Soviet period, ie. the Stalin years.   Her book focuses on the prison system established across the vast Asian landscape that was used to incarcerate members of the Russyan population that were "perceived" to be a threat to Stalin's regime.  While Stalin himself was the architect of the concept, he had his secret police, the NKVD, carry out his designs.  The outside world was introduced to the 'system' by the notorious show trials of 1937-1938.  These public trials were used to demonstrate the depth of opposition Stalin found among his citizens, many of whom were former civil servants, military leaders, intellectuals, academics, and other professionals.
      Her research touched all available sources that are currently available.  Fortunately, she had been able to interview a number of survivors of the GULAG.  With other original sources, she has been able to expose the staggering numbers of citizens who were worked to death as slaves of the Soviet system that incorporated their labor into the economic system valued by Communism< ie. labor is supreme.  Many of the inmates were not opponents of the system; many were devoted Communists who believed in the Marxist/Leninist Utopian world.  However,  their dedication was obviously tainted and insufficient to avert the attention of the NKVD.
     Her material comes not only from Russyan records, but also from published memoirs by those who have become ex-patriots from the many Soviet provinces.   Her descriptions of conditions in the Far East of Russya, in an area very near Alaska, in the Kolyma River Valley where gold was discovered and other minerals as well.  The weather conditions are at best, harsh.  Prisoners were required to work during extreme cold periods when temperatures were lower than 20 degrees below zero.   The inmates were deprived of food, denied adequate shelter, denied adequate clothing, denied any semblance of medical care, and subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of guards and administrators who only answered to Moscow bureaucrats who shuddered under the gaze of Stalin.
     Other books have been written, but none have included the depth of material used by Ms. Applebaum.   Her book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for history.   She continues to write about the Russyan situation.   It is a worthy primer on Russyan 20th Century history. 
Rating: 5 *****