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Donald James

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The Fall of the Russian Empire Kindle Edition

by Donald James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 54 ratings

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The year is 1986.

Inside the Soviet Union — the unthinkable is about to happen ...

Sweeping across the social strata of Soviet Society, from the Gulags to the highest offices in the Communist Party, from the peasantry to sophisticated literary circles, Russia is a powder keg ready to explode ...

The death of Leonid Brezhnev has left the party leaderless.

The fearless Natalya Roginova is positioning herself as a reformist figure against the brutal KGB General Semyon Kuba, who is determined to preserve the status quo.

A beautiful young student, Zoya Densky, is politicized by the arrest of her father, the central figure in a new movement to restore workers’ rights.

Igor Bukanksy, the disaffected editor of an Arts magazine, has been passed a novel of rare genius, but to publish it would be an instant death sentence.

Meanwhile the stylish wife of an American diplomat in Paris learns that the mysterious man who shared her bed the night before is a Soviet assassin.

In the great cities and on the distant steppes ... in the factories and on the farms ... in the universities and in the prison camps ... in the highest circles of government and in the lowest depths of outcast society ... giant forces are building ... Russia, in all its grandeur, brutality, and impenetrable mystery, has been transformed into a human volcano about to explode ...

Teeming with unforgettable characters, The Fall of the Russian Empire reveals the brutal realities of Soviet life and the inspiring spirit it takes to endure and overcome a violent regime.

“Fast-moving, realistic, very plausible ... Memorable and moving human dramas ... Sweeping and passionate in the grand tradition.” Publishers Weekly

“An exceptional novel of compelling interest ... Highly recommended!” Library Journal

“A big historical picture with personal subplots ... strong, rewarding!” Kirkus Reviews

Donald James (1931 – 2008) was a journalist and bestselling writer of novels, historical non-fiction and television scripts.

Print length

448 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

May 11, 2015
File size

2603 KB
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00XJQ6Y2K
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lume Books (May 11, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 11, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2603 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 448 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,704,101 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,883 in History of Russia eBooks
- #6,791 in Military Historical Fiction
- #8,874 in War Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 54 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

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Kamuela

excellent presentation of a complex subject.

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015

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This helped me put some color on the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I knew the facts, this made it a little more real. Loved it. I'm aware that it's historical "fiction", but the broad scope agrees with what I know to be true; just ignore most of the names and it'll be about right.

2 people found this helpful

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Cheapster

An Enjoyable Read

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016

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There are lots of characters to keep track of, made more difficult by the propensity to often use middle names (I guess that's a Russian thing) instead of surnames. But it's a good story and, although it's fiction, could easily fool you into thinking that it's totally historical.

2 people found this helpful

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Slick Vic

Publish date vs Reality

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2017

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Great read and especially for history buffs!!! do not miss this read.

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Kindle Customer1987

I WANTED to like this.

Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2017

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I read almost half the book, I wanted to like it, I really did. Alas, the writing and structure lost me. Very confusingly written, most like it's a translated version, but it's not. Keeps jumping perspective between characters with little to no differentiation, making it difficult to know WHAT is going on.

Great concept, horrible execution.

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2015

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writes a brilliant yarn

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martin

an amazing prediction

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2015

This book is amazing, because it foresaw ten years before what was going to happen. In 1982, the fall of the communist system sounded impossible... I went to Berlin in Dec. 1981, and nothing made you think it would happen... Only James had the idea.
The book was published to early then for an e-book, it was years before internet. Now, it has been published again, and it is totally worth reading. It lets you compare reality to fiction, ask questions still unanswered about the unity of different nationalities, and just enjoy it.

2 people found this helpful

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Gary Selikow

Amazingly Prophetic Work

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2001

I would guess that not since the works of Aldous Huxely and George Orwell has a novel been so prophetic.Of course some of the details were not correct in this 1982 novel -written the year of Brezhnev's death- but so much of it was to come true.The decisive years in the novel were 1980 to 1985 while in reality the decisive events that finally cracked the Soviet monolith took place from 1985 to 1991.A member of the old guard is elected after Brezhenev ,but just like Andropov and Chernenko, die within roughly a year of assuming office.There is a struggle between hardliners and reformists led by a female Gorbachev figure.Eventually the fate of the Soviet Empire is decided in a dramatic standoff in Moscow between the people of Moscow and troops loyal to the hardline Communists-chillingly like the events of August 1991-leading to the collapse of the communist monster.One by one the Soviet Republics secsede from the Union as was to really happen.The hardliners-including the KGB -conspire to stall reform but fail.A look into the heart of the communist tyranny reveals what was going on when the book was written,at a time when those on the left in the west were denying these horrors.The Free Trade Union movement mirrors Solidarity in Poland and the passions of nationalism in the Soviet colonies and in Russia itself are depicted
The book is an epic in itself with suspense,love ,hate,horror and all the ingredients of a good novel. It centers around several characters inlcuding the young and lovely Zoya Densky who symbolizes the new generation that would in fact overthrow despotism in Russia and Eastern Europe,an American diplomat and his wife;Letsukov-a Ukrainian KGB agent who turns and helps the overthrow of the Russian Empire;Igor Bukansky-a journalist who has betrayed his principals but when he finally stands up to the government is destroyed together with his lover, the sensual but tragic Lydia Petrovna-the mother of the narrator of this story. Then there is Joeph Densky-a combination of Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa and Kuletsyn-Lydia's uncle who is a renowned dissident writer and eccentric but whose bitterness and particularly his calouss refusal to help his niece and Bukansky helps seal their fate.Indeed for all the idealism of his work Kuletsyn is in my opinion exposed as a cruel and hateful figure

6 people found this helpful

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Chaplain-GranStan

Real time events developed in to a great story

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016

A great chronicle of a period of time and events that actually happened developed into a great story for reading

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Pensioner Power.

Very much of its time.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2021

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Written at the time of the techno novels depicting confrontations between the major powers, this book is very much of its time and has not aged well.
The first half of the book was entertaining and well written but the second half seemed. to get bogged down.
Entertaining but Larry Bond and Tom Clancy did it better.

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