Magnetic Mountain

Stalinism as a Civilization

Nonfiction, History, Eastern Europe, European General
Cover of the book Magnetic Mountain by Stephen Kotkin, University of California Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephen Kotkin ISBN: 9780520918856
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: February 27, 1997
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Stephen Kotkin
ISBN: 9780520918856
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: February 27, 1997
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

This study is the first of its kind: a street-level inside account of what Stalinism meant to the masses of ordinary people who lived it. Stephen Kotkin was the first American in 45 years to be allowed into Magnitogorsk, a city built in response to Stalin's decision to transform the predominantly agricultural nation into a "country of metal." With unique access to previously untapped archives and interviews, Kotkin forges a vivid and compelling account of the impact of industrialization on a single urban community.

Kotkin argues that Stalinism offered itself as an opportunity for enlightenment. The utopia it proffered, socialism, would be a new civilization based on the repudiation of capitalism. The extent to which the citizenry participated in this scheme and the relationship of the state's ambitions to the dreams of ordinary people form the substance of this fascinating story. Kotkin tells it deftly, with a remarkable understanding of the social and political system, as well as a keen instinct for the details of everyday life.

Kotkin depicts a whole range of life: from the blast furnace workers who labored in the enormous iron and steel plant, to the families who struggled with the shortage of housing and services. Thematically organized and closely focused, Magnetic Mountain signals the beginning of a new stage in the writing of Soviet social history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This study is the first of its kind: a street-level inside account of what Stalinism meant to the masses of ordinary people who lived it. Stephen Kotkin was the first American in 45 years to be allowed into Magnitogorsk, a city built in response to Stalin's decision to transform the predominantly agricultural nation into a "country of metal." With unique access to previously untapped archives and interviews, Kotkin forges a vivid and compelling account of the impact of industrialization on a single urban community.

Kotkin argues that Stalinism offered itself as an opportunity for enlightenment. The utopia it proffered, socialism, would be a new civilization based on the repudiation of capitalism. The extent to which the citizenry participated in this scheme and the relationship of the state's ambitions to the dreams of ordinary people form the substance of this fascinating story. Kotkin tells it deftly, with a remarkable understanding of the social and political system, as well as a keen instinct for the details of everyday life.

Kotkin depicts a whole range of life: from the blast furnace workers who labored in the enormous iron and steel plant, to the families who struggled with the shortage of housing and services. Thematically organized and closely focused, Magnetic Mountain signals the beginning of a new stage in the writing of Soviet social history.

More books from University of California Press

Cover of the book The Fall and Rise of the Wetlands of California's Great Central Valley by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book America's Favorite Holidays by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book How to Succeed in Academics, 2nd edition by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Down by the Bay by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book To Life! by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book The Hellenistic Far East by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Trailblazer by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book From Village to City by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Out of War by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Modern Drama and the Rhetoric of Theater by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book New Philadelphia by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book From Alexander to Jesus by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book From 1989, or European Music and the Modernist Unconscious by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes by Stephen Kotkin
Cover of the book Embryos in Deep Time by Stephen Kotkin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy