Robert Strayer's Why Did The Soviet Union Collapse

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Recommended: Collapse of the soviet union essay

Summary of a Review Christopher Ward’s review of Robert Strayer’s Why Did the Soviet Union Collapse? Understanding Historical Change begins by expressing the vast amount of books produced on the subject of the Soviet Union. He then proceeds to explain how this book positively differentiates itself from the rest: by presenting the Soviet Union as “a unique political and social entity in world history.” This approach to the book is important, because it focuses little on comparisons to other events in history, and focuses on the event itself. The body of the review focuses on what Christopher Ward especially found favorable about Robert Strayer’s focus throughout the novel. Among these important points of focus Ward especially noted themes …show more content…

The first of these is the “Questions and Controversies” sections, which focuses on specific debates about the Soviet collapse among historians. The second of these are the assorted “Voices” sections found throughout the book focusing on primary sources, such as cartoons, jokes, photographs, and texts, from the time period of the Soviet collapse.
My Review I read Robert Strayer’s Why Did the Soviet Union Collapse? Understanding Historical Change. The book deals with the collapse of the Soviet Union, covering the entire history of the Soviet Union but focusing extensively on 1985-1991. The account of the events is given in precise detail, giving preference to detailed information on important events rather than covering a lot in broad detail. Throughout the book the historian diverts his focus to providing users with specific information about the collapse, rather than present a single, unified explanation for the collapse. Strayer also throughout the novel focuses on a good mix of reportorial and interpretive writing aimed at a scholarly audience. Strayer is also able to utilize a good mix of social and political history, allowing the reader to get many examples of both types. The balances throughout the book make it a very enjoyable read, because it is able to provide a lot of varied content throughout the

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