The lives of ordinary Russians are illuminated in this oral history collection in which they speak of their experiences during events from the Revolution through to the present day YA-- A true "people's history" of the Soviet Union from the revolution of 1917 to the present, this is a collection of personal memoirs of Russians who experienced the sweeping events of their country's history. Their stories are chronicles of their own lives and their reactions to the historic events around them and are connected by Lourie's running narrative of what happened and its significance. The events themselves--the revolution, civil war, the rise of Stalin, the bloody purges of the 1930s, World War II, Stalin's death, and the coming of glasnost --reveal a history that is more tragic than inspiring, and Lourie captures the mood of the interviewees well. Fast moving and readable, the book will appeal to students of modern Russian history and political science. - Richard Lisker, Fairfax County Library, VA Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Oral histories are indispensable to most surveys of Russian society written since the 1800s, but here oral history is the whole book, as more than 30 "survivors" look back on their roles in the heroism and horror of 20th-century Russia. From Sakharov's mother-in-law to a former White Army officer living in Massachusetts, these voices often succeed in illuminating obscure but fascinating episodes like the postwar crime wave in Leningrad, the 1940 invasion of Finland, and the Soviet involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Lourie, who translated Andrei Sakharov's Memoirs ( LJ 6/1/90), splits up each participant's testimony to make the past 80 years unfold in chronological order and provides some helpful background and commentary. A rewarding book, although the huge, Tolstoyan cast of characters may confuse less attentive readers. Recommended. -Robert Decker, Los Angeles Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.