Sonke Neitzel. Tapping Hitler's Generals, transcripts of secret converstations, 1942-1945.

Sonke, Neitzel. Tapping Hitler's Generals, transcripts of secret conversations, 1942-1945.

Translated by G. Brooks, Introduction by I. Kershaw. Frontline Books, MBI Publishing, St. Paul, 2007.

The myth of the Wehrmacht non-involvement in Nazi brutalities was started to be
invented long before the end of the war. The transcripts show that the generals
were very well informed about mass executions of the Jews, as well as the
treatment of POWs, such as summary executions of commanders, political officers
(a.k.a. commissars) and pretty much starving and exposure of the rest to the elements. Their general resentment of the SS, of which they made much after the war, was concerned not with its policies of extermination but with conventional inter-service rivalry.

My conclusion: Interesting book for the period historians. Of limited interest to anybody else.

Uri Bar-Noi. The Cold War and Soviet Mistrust of Churchill's Pursuit of Detente, 1951-1955.

Uri Bar-Noi, The Cold War and Soviet Mistrust of Churchill's Pursuit of Detente.

DA47.65.B37 2008, Sussex Academic Press, Brighton

The book's title and introduction belie its own thoroughly researched story,
namely, that the post-War Britain was in no position to act as interlocutor
between the USSR and the USA. Furthermore, the British elite did not share
Churchill's attempts at Realpolitik.

My conclusion: The study of so far unknown chapter of the Cold War. A for historical research, C- for the inclusion into the broader Cold War context.

Pascal Marchand, Géopolitique de la Russie, Ellipses, 2008

Pascal Marchand, Géopolitique de la Russie, Ellipses, 2008.

ISBN 978-2-7298-3258-2

Jeffrey Minkoff, Russian Foreign Policy, Council of Foreign Relations Book, Rouman & Littlefill Publishers, 2009

Trivial, one-sided and, as always, arrogant account of the Russian politics and economics. Most of his, as everyone’s, stories of Russia’s decay in the 90s are based on comparison with the Communist-era statistics, which had little relation to real state of things. For instance, paupers ostensibly did not exist under Communism, so 100% of the growth in their numbers is attributed to economic reform, etc. etc.

Yet, the author recognizes that Russia has undergone, in his words, “a Copernican transformation” and makes a sound conclusion that the stability in Eurasia is impossible without Russia’s inclusion. Thus, he advises EU and NATO to part with its current containment policies and suggests engaging Russia in European institutions.

For the review Minkoff's book please navigate to comment #1