*Many thanks to Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A most insightful book on the gulag, telling terryfing stories of life and death in places which were created to suppress the nation and any individual thining. One of the best books on the topic I have read in years.

For anyone who is already familiar with the Gulags, there’s little new to be discovered her about what life was like in them, or about their geographical scope. What is instead explored in this well-written and well-researched book is how integral the Gulag infrastructure was to the Soviet Union in the war years and what contribution the output of the camps made to the war effort. Worthwhile and interesting reading.

Superb. This is the story about the tragedy which is still unknown in the West. First of all this book should be in the library of every college. Every person who want to understand the true nature of the Soviet system must read this important book. It is very well researched. It reads like a novel. Highly recommended.

This was a free book from NetGalley

A Review of “Stalin’s Gulag” by Wilson T Bell

This is very much the standard book about the “Gulag” except that it focuses on one area (near Tomsk) and a short time period (1938-1946). It’s full of the same stories that you’ve read over the years since “One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” and the “The Gulag Archipelago”.

Bell has tried to take a different tack in his book by focusing on the effect of the war on the guards and the inmates (though they are not necessarily distinct groups). As you would expect, there is the plight of those evacuated from eastern Poland, the Baltic States, and groups like the Chechens and Volga Germans, who Stalin had exiled enmasse to Eastern Siberia. They suffered from the journey, lack of housing, food and fuel, clothing, etc.

Of the inmates who were in the Gulag prior to April 22, 1941 when the Germans attacked all along the borders of the USSR, large percentages of guards and inmates volunteered to fight for “Mother Russia”. Those who had been deported to ‘internal exile’ (enemies of the state) in Siberia were either allowed to volunteer for ‘punishment brigades’ or were volunteered by zealous camp guards and commanders. The survivability of these units was under 10%, as many went into battle without weapons (they were to take them from dead Germans or their dead comrades).

Bell also takes time to review how the Camps changed during the war, but it was really up to whoever was in charge of the Camps and how criminal they were. Many of the guards ended up as prisoners for stealing food and equipment as well as abusing the inmates (imagine what that might have been like).

So all in all it’s an interesting read but nothing new here.

Zeb Kantrowitz zebsblog@gmail.com zworstblog@blogspot.com

The author did a great job of writing about a period in our history that many do not know too much about. I found myself wanting to learn more after reading this book and spent time researching online. Definitely recommend this one!

Extremely well-researched and interesting; Bell not only showcases his knowledge and insight of this particular historical period but also writes in a seemingly simplistic manner, easy to understand and in no way dull.

This book isn't available to download to the Kindle App. (I gave it 3 stars because I couldn't submit without a star rating)