The twentieth century was not kind to Russia. Despite its great potential and remarkable achievements, the country also bore the weight of two world wars, a revolution and civil war, totalitarian tyranny, famine and ecological destruction, economic ruin, and imperial decline.

Will Russia ever be prosperous, peaceful, and free? Seeking clues in the past, Michael Kort revisits earlier turning points in Russia's history—from the fall of the old regime to the establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorship and Stalinist totalitarianism; from the reforms and counter-reforms of Khrushchev and Brezhnev to the tumultuous years of change under Gorbachev and Yeltsin. In this new edition, Kort brings the story up through the first decade of the twenty-first century under the unchallenged leadership of Vladimir Putin, asking which strands of Russia's past are being woven into the fabric of the present, and which are being allowed to fade, for better or worse?

Distinctively readable, judicious, and focused on critical events and questions, The Soviet Colossus integrates new revelations about the Soviet past and ongoing debates about the Soviet regime as well as its successor. It is the ideal text for as one semester history course or background for a political science course.

“Michael Kort's Soviet Colossus: History and Aftermath is the best book on the market for courses on Russian/Soviet history after 1917. With its student-friendly language and balanced approach, it stands out among all the textbooks in the field.” — Andrei Znamenski, University of Memphis (*)

“Clear, concise, carefully balanced and well-written. It makes an ideal narrative backdrop for my course on the rise and fall of the USSR and the post-Soviet politics that have followed.” — William Taubman, Amherst College

“Edition after edition, Kort's Soviet Colossus has been a favorite of my students. The book has depth and breadth, yet its analytical and narrative clarity and stylistic quality make it more inviting than intimidating. An excellent choice for courses in Soviet or Russian history, politics, and society.” — Ralph Raymond, DePauw University