Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929–1941. V. 2, Book 2

Translated to Russian by N. Edelman; under scientific editing by A. Belykh. Moscow: Gaidar Institute Press, 2023. – 1000 p.

ISBN 978-5-93255- 629 - 0 (общ.)
ISBN 978-5-93255- 631-3 (Т. 2) 

Stephen Kotkin, a world-renowned historian, professor at Princeton University (USA), has made a successful attempt to write a total history of the Stalinist regime and its impact on Eurasia and the rest of the world. The first volume – Paradoxes of Power – examines the history of Stalin's life and work from birth to 1928, when he made a choice that determined the further development of the country.

You are holding in your hands the second of the three volumes of this work – Waiting for Hitler. This volume examines the role of Stalin in the key events that took place in the USSR in the period 1929–1941: the "revolution from above" (the collapse of the NEP and forced collectivization), industrialization, the creation of a modern army, the great terror, preparations for war with Germany. The author shows the process of creating Stalin's dictatorial regime, explains his psychology and the reasons for making important decisions. The book ends with the events of Saturday evening, June 21, 1941.

Currently, Stephen Kotkin is working on the third volume – Totalitarian Superpower. 1941–1991.